What is thermal monitoring used for?
The main causes of fires and reduced lifespan in electrical equipment are poor contact or faulty connections, where increased temperature is the main symptom and an indicator of a possible imminent problem. Thermal monitoring allows organizations to detect symptoms in these connections that, without intervention, could lead to power outages or, worse, a fire. Without early identification, the deterioration of a faulty electrical connection further increases thermal resistance, consequently generating a higher temperature, which ultimately results in thermal runaway and, finally, a complete failure. The next step towards a collapse is a phenomenon known as an electric arc followed by a fire, or even an explosion. At this point, unexpected plant shutdown is inevitable, in addition to catastrophic consequences such as total equipment destruction or even death or personal injury.
How do we solve the problem?
Continuous thermal monitoring is the evolution of periodic infrared inspection.
Traditionally, maintenance teams perform inspections with infrared reading equipment to detect localized heating that could evolve into situations like the one described above. However, this monitoring represents static information that does not indicate the trend or real situation of the infrastructure or equipment connection. A spot reading can be taken at a specific time of day when the load is lower or on a winter day when the external temperature does not influence operation. To avoid this type of reading, where the inspection result does not represent the entire behavior of the system, such as a peak situation and consequently a risk to operation, we recommend continuous thermal monitoring.
Through sensors installed on electrical equipment, the continuous thermal monitoring solution offers 24/7 protection, with integrated temperature data and real-time notifications for the maintenance team regarding critical electrical assets.
This allows electrical maintenance teams to predict failures, protect electrical equipment, and optimize performance, promoting reduced maintenance costs. With power outages posing an increasingly critical threat to organizations, the need for innovative thermal monitoring solutions for industry maximizes uptime by predicting failures before they occur. Additional benefits offered by this technology include increased personnel safety and longer asset lifespan.
Continuous thermal monitoring allows the electrical engineering team to:
- Predict electrical failures and optimize maintenance;
- Transmit data in real time in a structured way
- Proactively notify maintenance technicians of any changes in meter reading behavior
- Increase reliability and maximize uptime;
- Reduce OPEX costs and increase operational efficiency;
- Reduce risks and increase the safety of personnel and operations.
As awareness of the benefits of thermal condition monitoring technology increases, it becomes easier to monitor mission-critical electrical infrastructure.
Thermal monitoring sensors can be installed on electrical assets such as LV/MV regulators, Motor Control Centers (MCCs), Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), power distribution boards, and transformers.
- These essential electrical assets are used in a wide variety of industries, including:
- Oil and gas
- Mining
- Data centers
- Sanitation and wastewater
- Food and Beverage Industry
- Retail logistics
- Critical infrastructure
- Manufacturing
- Hospitals
Surprisingly, the use of an industrial IoT platform for high-quality continuous thermal monitoring represents cost savings and a very high ROI for operations, as installation is often overlooked and unmonitored operation is always subject to unforeseen events.
Therefore, continuous thermal sensing of key assets allows for the prevention of potential threats, such as unexpected shutdowns, costly repairs and replacements of electrical assets, and the risk of injury to personnel involved in the operation.
Assessing the condition of electrical equipment:
Beyond these high-risk scenarios, energy is the most essential input for any organization. A failure can result in energy loss for critical systems, which, in turn, depending on the nature and/or severity of the failure, impacts downtime, loss of productivity, repair or replacement costs. Electrical equipment is inherently dangerous; a failure due to overheating can lead to serious injuries, fires, damage to infrastructure, or even death.
Above Above-Net partners with Exertherm and offers, in conjunction with Bridgemeter®, continuous thermal energy monitoring for critical infrastructures.
