Hello all I have just been told about a product used to record and track tempratures using a glue on wireless tranducer and reciever. These sound like they would be a very useful thing as we are extremely limited with access with our thermo camera.
By the time we isolate remove covers and scan the temperatures have gone then we need to power up the equipment again under full load then isolate and quickly scan with IR camera. See how much is envolved just to look at one board!

My question to all is has any body used this type of transducer? I'm looking for good and bad comments from users, PLEASE HELP!

Thanks in advance,

Hooch

Try FEDDWIRELESS.com

W

Thanks Wayne,

has anybody out there used any of these?

I also have the same issue in measuring hotspots within these dangerous switchroom cabinets if the budget allows then there is a product on the market called IR Windows which are like ship portholes they allow you to thermal measure inside the cabinet without removing any covers .

Good luck

Hi Robertmac,

While it is possible to measure through IR windows, it is very difficult and more complicated than would appear. You must understand the following; (not a complete list)
• the spectral characteristics of the window,
• the spectral characteristics of the object you are trying to measure
• the response of your camera
• how the camera compensates for transmission losses
• how transmission rates change with object temperature

www.thermalvision.ie

Dear Hooch:

You may want to check out the Delta T Alert from Delta T Engineering.

It is wireless temperature monitoring device designed to monitor electrical components between regular infrared inspections and may be what you are looking for.

For more information you might wish to check out their website: Delta T Engineering LLC

Hope this helps.

Jim Seffrin, Director
Infraspection Institute

Infraspection Institute
IRINFO.ORG
SuccessIRies.com

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jim Seffrin,

I looked at the website for Delta T. This thing compares internal ambient and external ambient temperature. How could heating at a point source in a switch gear cubicle possibly heat up the interior space sufficiently to produce an alarm. For example, suppose you have a circuit with 100 amps and a poor connection with a .2V drop due to elevated resistance. This would produce substantial heating at the point of resistance. However, the problem would generate 20 watts of heat. I expect such a small heat generator would have no discernable impact on ambient temperature in a switch gear cabinet.

How could the sensor distinguish a heat increase resulting from increased equipment load from a problem. Every Monday morning, when you ramp up your facility, will get an alarm?

Skeptical. A window may be the best option.

Thanks for your input,we have not gone ahead with anything at this stage. I have put a fair bit of information on the electrical engineers desk too see which way they want to go.
I too am a little skeptical with the proposed DeltaT version, not having any expierience though, with this type of product doesn't allow me to dismiss the concept all togeather. I would like to hear from some users out there to see what limitations they have come up against.
We have also looked into the Hawkeye spy type glasses and some believe that installing these into panel doors can effect the IP rating. This is the main reason we have not jumped in to solving this problem.

Thanks for any additional comments.

Hooch.

Try this solution for insulated conductors. It is a Thermocouple that is strapped directly on the insulated wire and measures in Delta-T from the ambient cubicle temp. See attached picture.

For non-insulated conductors, such as bus and connections, there is a non-contact IR sensor.

All of these are 100% non-conductive and do not mondify your panels in any way. Info can be relayed via modbus or simple millivolt TC output and much more.

If you think this is what you need just contact me and I will put you on to the owner. email me at tdlir@hotmail.com

here are the non-contact ir sensors installed. Oh yeah, all of theses sensors can be wireless also.

hope this helps

Pretty cool. My first reaction is still somewhat negative: we get much less than viewing with IR camera: only single temperature instead of image. And we get only one temperature per sensor whereas a cabinet can have many many points to be monitored... in theory each new sensor or device of any kind put into the switchboard could possibly introduce additional potential failure modes. For example contact probe near the termination of HV equipment. But I guess a quality design/installation process minimizes those risks.

But of course there are the advantages...continuous monitoring. No need to open the panel. Good for inaccessible or dangerous to access locations.

By the way in the top picture the contact probe is sensind conduit temperature, is it not?

Thanks for sharing that info. I had no idea this type of stuff is available.

I like the non-contact IR sensors. What do they report to or how do you monitor them?

One thing with the larger picture installation- the buses are highly reflective and may simply reflect the cabinet temperature after the covers are on. Shouldn’t the IR target spot on the buses be painted with a high emissivity material?

It looks like the smaller picture of the two might have the target on the termination painted black but it’s hard to tell.

Here is a link to info about the photos above:

http://www.qhigroup.com/datash...xertherm_article.pdf

Walt

Electricpete, I always tell people that these sensors cannot replace a thermographic inspection as you are right that it is only single point. But there are still many advantages of continuouse monitoring of critical equipment with these sensors. Also all of these sensors are non conductive, so if they do fall off or whatever, they will not bridge any phase or circuit.

Wally, Yes, for the shiny bus, and the IR sensors, you will need to modify the point where the temp. is derived from.

Walt, you are correct that it is QHI group who sell these sensors. The person to speak to is a Mr. Ross Kennedy.

A client of mine uses the cable sensors for their 4160V plant motor enclosures. IR cannot be done and windows are not an option as it will void the explosion proof rating. So they have these cable sensors on each phase of the breaker and have the data sent to a display panel.

For applications such as this, this is much better than nothing.

Thats really interesting. we have routine inspection of our Medium voltage cabinets and we are using Mikron Spy Glass with which we are very much satisfied as regardless temperature accuracy, we can do quality inspection to see any hotspot on HV terminations.
Well as TDIR mentioned, This wireless sensors are greatly useful for HV motor temperature monitoring.
Just one silly question it might be " Can RTD replaced with this wireless sensors for HV motor winding temperatures?"

Thanks for posting good info.

thanks to this web.

Jignesh