Infrared cameras thermal imagers

High-resolution thermal imagers featuring IRFPA detectors have eompletely replaced opto-mechanically scanned imagers, and at this writing, virtually all commercially marketed IR cameras feature IRFPA detectors. 

Thermal imagers, originally prieed as high as 180,000, are now available for well under 10,000, although speeial models ean still eost in exeess of 100,000. The newest offers in this category are the size and weight of a eommercial video palmcorder. 

As previously mentioned, the eharts in Appendix A inelude listings of all thermal imaging instruments on whieh deseriptive literature was available when this text was prepared. Performanee eharaeteristies are summarized as well. Appendix B lists current websites, addresses, and phone numbers of the equipment manufacturers listed in Appendix A. 

This next section discusses cameras (thermal imagers) as eategorized in Sec. 4.1. 

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Unlike other infrared techniques, thermal or infrared imaging provides the means to scan the infrared emissions of complete machines, process or equipment in a very short time. Most of the imaging systems function much like a video camera. The user can view the thermal... 

Modern photovoltaic infrared cameras can detect heat in the form of IR radiation from objects. The picture obtained thereby provides a two-dimensional thermal image that is a spatial map of the temperature and emissivity distribution of all objects in the picture. The technique was used to test the activity of heterogeneous catalysts [40] and thereafter to detect enantioselective lipases on microtiter plates [30,31]- The method is useful for identifying highly enantioselective hits. However, because quantification has not yet been achieved, the assay cannot readily be used to detect small differences in enantioselectivity. 

Fig. 7.14 A thermal image produced by an infrared camera exploiting uncooled pyroelectric ceramic detection technology. (Courtesy of QinetiQ Limited.)...

All transducers were monitored using a remote computer data acquisition system. There were separate video recordings (two to five cameras) made (Nind, 1996) as well as infrared thermal image records of the fireballs formed (Hawksworth and Brearley, 1996). British Gas additionally made wide- and narrow-angle thermal radiation measurements (Gosse and Pritchard, 1996). 

Mercury cadmium telluride is used for recording thermal images in infrared cameras. The use of high-purity tellurium in cadmium teUuride solar cells is very promising, and some of the highest efficiencies for electric power generation have been obtained by using this material. 

With this aim, a novel optical technique based on thermal imaging with a high-speed infrared (IR) camera equipped with an optical filter centered at the IR absorbing wavelength of a tracer gas has been proposed (Dang et al., 2013), which will be described below. 

The detectors used for this focal plane array (FPA) are intended to be the same as are used for both the SIRTF FPA[1] 2tnd also for the Cincinnati Electronics 256 X 256 pixel infrared thermal imaging camera FPA. Thus, there is a considerable savings in cost and tedmology development realized, and consistent results can be obtsdned. 

The infrared camera was used to monitor part surface temperature immediately after molding. Once the parts were ejected, they were placed on a surface with low thermal conductivity. After all runs were completed the infrared images were reviewed using software. The software was used to determine the temperature across the parts surface, as well as compare all runs to each other. 

Spitzer Space Telescope a cryogenically cooled infrared space telescope on a thermally stable Earth-trailing orbit operated by NASA. The telescope has very sensitive imaging capabilities with the IRAC (3 to 8 pm) and MIPS (24— 160 pm) cameras as well as spectroscopic capability with the IRS instrument (5-40 pm). 

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