18/01/2021 Using Thermography to Uncover Hidden Problems

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Using Thermography to Uncover

Hidden Problems
Leith Hitchcock, Pall Corporation

Thermography can be used to identify and analyze thermal anomalies for the purposes of condition
monitoring of machines. These thermal anomalies are usually caused by such mechanisms as
operation, improper lubrication, misalignment, worn components or mechanical loading anomalies.

Infrared thermography is based on measuring the distribution of radiant thermal energy (heat) emitted
from a target surface and converting this to a surface temperature map or thermogram. Thermal
energy is present with the operation of all machines.

It can be in the form of friction losses within machines, energy losses within machines, as a
characteristic of the process media or any combination thereof. As a result, temperature can be a key
parameter for monitoring the performance of machines, the condition of machines and the
diagnostics of machine problems.

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Infrared thermography is an ideal technology to investigate thermal anomalies on machines because it

offers complete thermal images of a machine or a machine component with no physical attachments
(non-intrusive), requires little setup and provides the results in a very short period of time.

As such, thermography techniques can be used as part of a condition monitoring process when such a
process is implemented in accordance with ISO 17359.

Thermography Techniques
There are several recognized infrared thermography techniques in use throughout industry.
Comparative thermography is the most common technique, and it is normally used to provide the best
available data in lieu of ideal or absolute thermal measurements.

When encountering changing machinery operating conditions, the ability to perform rough emissivity
estimates and to differentiate emissivity differences on machinery equipment provides useful
information for condition monitoring and diagnostics of the machine under the less-than-ideal
circumstances frequently encountered in the eld. Absolute thermography is used when it is essential
to know as precisely as possible the true temperature of a target.

Comparative Thermography
Comparative thermography can be either quantitative or qualitative. The quantitative technique
requires the determination of a temperature value to distinguish the severity of a component’s
condition. This value is determined by comparing the target’s temperature to that of similar service
equipment or baseline data.

Although the temperature value is not exact, it is reasonably close to actual. More importantly, the
temperature differentials are accurate. However, there are many applications where quantitative data
is not required to monitor the condition of machinery or to diagnose a problem and recommend the
appropriate corrective action. In these cases, qualitative techniques may be more than adequate.

Comparative Quantitative Thermography

The comparative quantitative thermography method is an effective method for evaluating the
condition of a machine or component by comparing approximate temperature values between
identical items, reference values or baselines.

The determination of precise actual temperatures of a component, using infrared thermography in the
eld, is considered very di cult to obtain. This is due to a certain extent to the physics of infrared
thermography, which must take into consideration the multiple parameters that enable a true absolute
temperature measurement.

These considerations are emissivity, re ectivity and transmissivity. As a result, estimates of these
considerations can be readily made to obtain a component’s approximate temperature, which in most
cases is more than su cient to determine the severity of an adverse condition.

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Since it is not always practical to determine the exact temperature or even emissivities of each
machine component, the alternative use of comparative thermography becomes more practical.
Comparative measurement, unlike qualitative measurement, identi es a thermal de ciency by
comparing the temperatures obtained using a consistent emissivity value.

The temperature differential between two or more identical or similar components is measured
numerically. Assuming that the environmental conditions for both components are similar, the
differential temperature for the given piece of equipment is recorded as being the amount above the
normal operating temperature of the similar equipment.

An example of comparative quantitative thermography would be that, if two or more machines are
operating in the same environment and under the same load conditions, and one is experiencing an
elevated temperature, this is usually an indication that a deteriorating condition may exist. However,
the determination of the temperature difference would then assist in establishing the severity of the
condition.

In this example, a 5-degree C differential would be considered minor, whereas a 100-degree C

differential may be considered to be critical. Also, knowing the approximate value of the elevated
temperature would provide an indication that the temperature limit of a component may be
approaching alarm values.

Therefore, while qualitative measurements can also detect de ciencies, it is the quantitative
measurements that have the capability of determining severity.

Comparative Qualitative Thermography

Comparative qualitative measurement compares the infrared pattern, such as gear contact patterns,
of one component to that of an identical or similar component under the same or similar operating
conditions. When searching for differing thermal patterns, an anomaly is identi ed by the intensity
variations between any two or more similar objects, without assigning temperature values to the
patterns.

This technique is quick and easy to apply, and it does not require any adjustments to the infrared
instrument to compensate for atmospheric or environmental conditions, or surface emissivities.
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This infrared thermography technique is used throughout most industries. It is very effective in
identifying hot bearings or other abnormally hot machine components, hot spots in electrical
equipment, undesirable hot electrical connections, leaking or even clogged uid heat-exchange
equipment and its components (tubes), and uid leaks from pressure vessels, pipes and valves.

Thermometry
The determination of the absolute temperature of a target using infrared thermography is very di cult
to obtain because of the many technical and environmental factors involved. As a result, absolute
infrared thermography measurements are done only if very precise temperature values or small
temperature differentials are critical to a process.

These determinations are normally attempted only under extremely controlled laboratory type
conditions. This type of measurement is not normally used for condition monitoring.

Baseline Measurements
It is strongly recommended that baseline measurements be taken of critical plant equipment. This is
very important when making later infrared thermography surveys of machines or components and
comparing them with previous thermograms of the same machines operating under the same load
and environmental conditions.

This condition monitoring procedure is useful for early identi cation of developing problems, thus
preventing major maintenance operations or catastrophic failures.

Assessment Criteria
When applying infrared thermography to condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines and their
related components, it is recommended that severity criteria be established.

Severity criteria can take two forms: they can be organized into general categories that identify
temperature levels or zones (versus levels of criticality), and they can be applied to speci c machines
or components, or to like groups of machines or components. In either case, the levels are established
through experience and the accumulation of data.

In practice, no singular acceptance criteria is universally applicable to the variety of items and
applications existing in industry. Consequently, severity criteria must be developed for each category
of equipment based upon its design, manufacture, operation, installation, maintenance characteristics,
failure modes and criticality.

Severity criteria can be established on individual machines or components. This method is based on
many factors, including temperature rise vs. historical data that establishes rate of deterioration and
time to failure, criticality of the machine or component to the overall process, location with respect to
other materials/equipment should a re result, safety of personnel, environmental conditions, etc.

Applications could include temperature rises of critical machines, mechanical components, bearing
temperature rises, electrical supply or connection rises, uid leakage losses or even the number of
tubes clogged in uid heat-transfer-type equipment.
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The infrared thermographer may use temperature difference criteria or classify the temperature
severity of mechanical system anomalies. These criteria are usually reported as the temperature rise
of the exception above the temperature of a de ned reference.

By taking multiple measurements over time of similar components under similar operating and
environmental conditions, statistical analysis can be used to set operational limits for trending and
predicting the temperature performance of these components.

This type of system may be used in conjunction with these absolute temperature criteria to rate the
temperature severity of an exception above the maximum allowable temperature.           

Relative Temperature Criteria

An example of a set of severity criteria based on categories and temperature rises above established
references is as follows:

           ADVISORY                   Up to a 10-degree C rise above a reference or baseline

           INTERMEDIATE            10-degree C to 20-degree C rise above a reference or baseline

           SERIOUS                     20-degree C to 40-degree C rise above a reference or baseline

           CRITICAL                     In excess of a 40-degree C rise above a reference or baseline

Reference temperatures should be based on temperatures speci ed by manufacturers of similar items

or groups of equipment, or of components located on the same shaft. Baseline temperatures should
be based on historical or statistically derived temperatures established from the speci c item or
machine groups when in the “ideal” condition.

Absolute Temperature Criteria

The infrared thermographer may use absolute maximum allowable temperature criteria based on
published data to identify mechanical system anomalies. There are two categories of criteria: material
and design.

Material criteria are used where the integrity of the material itself is of concern and is the focus of
monitoring. Design criteria are used where the design integrity is the major concern and is the focus of
the monitoring.

Design criteria should always be used in preference to material criteria, since design criteria normally
incorporate material requirements. Design criteria are usually cognizant of performance, operation,
reliability and capacity criteria rather than just component material integrity.

When heating several adjacent system components and a material criteria is used, the component
material having the lowest temperature speci cation should be referenced as the alarm criteria.

In most machine cases, the lubricant will have the lowest temperature speci cation. The maximum
allowable temperature should be stated as the temperature above which an unacceptable loss of
component life will be experienced due to a loss of lubricant characteristics.

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Such reductions in characteristics may be immediate (viscosity) or long-term (additive depletion).

Such criteria will tend to be design rather than material based. This will require application-speci c
temperature criteria despite the possible use of common lubricants.

In many instances the infrared thermographer cannot directly measure the surfaces of actual
components. Care and good judgment must be used when applying any severity speci cations to
actual eld temperature measurements, taking into account conduction paths, convection and
radiation.

Pro le Assessment Criteria

Pro le assessment is a process of comparing temperature differences and patterns across a surface.
As in any severity-assessment process, the absolute and differential temperatures and pro les need to
be determined for two key conditions: “as new” and “failed.” Severity assessment is the subsequent
process of determining the condition of the equipment between these two conditions.

The key areas of pro le assessment are temperature gradients, changes in pro le, historical changes,
localized differences, absolute temperatures, location of anomalies or pro le characteristics relative to
the item.

Survey Intervals
Survey intervals should be determined with knowledge of the rate of deterioration of the expected fault
and the behavior over time of temperature as a representative symptom of the fault. The
determination of the survey interval is primarily necessary for prognosis accuracy rather than fault
identi cation.

Image Interpretation
From a machinery viewpoint, thermal image interpretation essentially is a process of comparing
absolute temperature and temperature pro les against design, manufacture, installation, operation
and maintenance criteria.

When using thermography for machinery condition monitoring purposes, the operating conditions at
the time of each survey should be known in detail, as many changes in thermal pro le are operating-
condition dependent. The design of a machine is essential to understanding component loading,
which in turn is the primary contributor to thermal pro le.

When using thermography to assess machine condition, it is important that the machine is viewed as
a whole and that each image is analyzed as part of a series rather than as an individual representation
of a localized condition.              

Thermal imaging is a very powerful correlation technique for other condition monitoring methods. It is
exceedingly useful for assisting with solving lubrication issues that are temperature-related, as it can
pinpoint location, source and extent of the in uencing thermal anomalies, as well as determine the
effectiveness of circulation, control and cooling systems.

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Knowledge of design, manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance-induced failure modes

and their thermal symptoms is paramount to successful machinery investigation and solution design
using thermal imaging. This knowledge is of far greater importance than speci c knowledge of the
technique, its applications or its limitations.

Case Study: Mill Drive Train Misalignment

A recent case study involved a grinding mill drive train in a gold mine consisting of a motor, a three-
shaft reduction gearbox, two pinion bearings and a pinion gear. All bearings were rolling element types
with the mill drive pinion gear bearings being double row spherical roller bearings.

The following temperatures were recorded:

        Motor Bearing                  Gearbox                     Bearing      Mill Drive Pinion Gear      

The temperature of the gearbox intermediate shaft (B) normally was expected to be slightly higher (1
to 2 degrees C) than the high-speed shaft (A) and moderately higher (3 to 5degrees C) than the slow-
speed shaft (C), as it was in double mesh at any one time and received more heat input.

In this case, the average temperature rise was approximately 8.5degrees C above the low-speed shaft
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The above temperatures and pro les were indicative of a misalignment between the motor and
gearbox, a misalignment between the gearbox and the mill drive pinion, and a misalignment between
the mill drive pinion gear and driven girth gear.

The combined motor to gearbox and gearbox to mill drive pinion misalignments resulted in a loss of
end oat within the gearbox, trapping the intermediate shaft gear. The 10.3-degree C temperature
difference across the mill drive pinion gear was also considered excessive and indicative of severe
pinion to girth gear misalignment.

The misalignment conditions, gear loading and bearing distress were all con rmed using vibration
analysis. Subsequent overhaul and re-alignment of the drive train reduced the temperatures to
acceptable conditions.

Figure. 1 Motor and Gearbox Input Shaft

 

Figure 2. Gearbox Input Shaft Side

Figure 3. Gearbox Motor Side

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Figure 4. Gearbox Mill Side

Figure 5. Pinion Bearings and Mill Drive Pinion Gear Housing

Case Study: Turbine Oil Coolers

Two turbine oil coolers of identical design demonstrated that one of the turbines had an oil cooler
problem. Insu cient thermal evidence existed to determine whether the problem was related to oil
ow, water ow or both, given that both machines were operating at identical loads.

Under identical loads and oil conditions, turbine No. 2 operated with consistently higher vibration due
to the effects of reduced oil viscosity resulting from higher operating temperatures.

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About the Author

Leith Hitchcock

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