Dryin'er Down

[oneoff]

The first sections of radiant heaters typically are "anodized" with shiny metal to supposedly increase radiation of the heat from the hottest section closest to the burner. I t would be interesting to see if that section is all showing warmer on thermal imaging than any of what should be cooler sections.

Its also possible that thicker sheets could retain more heat than thin sheets after they have reached an equilibrium temperature; that is if the thin sheets cool the nearby grain columnn.

Just thinking out loud, but maybe its the surface coating and its "reflective" or transmissive properties in the infrared wavelengths which are probably what thermal imaging instruments are sensitive to. But there probably isn't much doubt that on that first test bin all the sheets should be the same thickness and surface finish. Come to think of it; why can you see the "Butler " logo at the top of the bin on a thermal image.

That pretty well proves that even paint on that stencil affects what the thermal image camera reports as temperature. Very interesting? What does the back side of the bin look like on camera.?
Probably need the specs and properties of the sensors in the "camera" before jumping to final conclusions

[oneoff]

Woops

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You are at: Monroe Infrared Technology >> Knowledgebase >> A Guide to Thermal Imaging Cameras >> Are there any limitations to thermal imaging cameras?

Are there any limitations to thermal imaging cameras?
Yes! Thermal energy can be reflected off of shiny surfaces such as polished metal and glass. Thermal imaging cameras cannot see through glass which is an immediate indicator of a low tech device claiming to offer ‘infrared imaging’ to the end user. Some tablets and smart phones today tout IR technology yet are actually presenting a visual image that has been digitally manipulated to look like a thermogram. If you stand in front of a window while looking at a thermal imaging camera, you will see yourself in the window because of the thermal energy reflecting off the glass. Regardless of what Hollywood movies may show, infrared cameras cannot see through walls. It is also important to know that thermal imaging cameras should not be used as the deciding factor that a problem exists. Using other instruments such as a borescope, moisture meter, multimeter or blueprint drawing of the building should always be used to confirm what and if a problem exists.


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[oneoff]

Sounds like "emissivity" is an important factor in interpreting infrared temperatures of metals

[biglentil]

The flir one that I used has two cameras one thermal imaging the other is standard. It uses the regular camera in daylite to improve image quality by providing outlines. In the dark its all thermal.

I find it very useful for scanning for interferrance on the knife of a straight cut header or swather.