Benefits of Real-Time Thermal Monitoring

Quickly Identify Problems in Substations From a Safe Distance

What are the benefits of real-time thermal monitoring in a real-world scenario? Real-time thermal monitoring with infrared cameras and sensors allow organizations to identify significant deviations in temperature without delay.

Major failures often occur due to an inability to locate and identify a problem before it impacts critical systems. Time-based or periodic equipment inspections do not provide the necessary infrastructure for an early warning system that could prevent disasters.

What is Thermal Monitoring?

Thermal monitoring uses cameras and infrared sensors to detect heat distribution among objects, like cooling fans or breaker bushings. Unfortunately, periodic inspections with handheld thermal monitoring devices often miss anomalies or warning signs of an impending failure.

Benefits of Real-Time Thermal Monitoring

Continuous thermal monitoring excels over handheld condition-based inspections by combining real-time thermal monitoring and early warning systems.

Continuous Thermal Monitoring Using Infrared Cameras and Sensors

Continuous thermal monitoring involves the deployment of infrared cameras and sensors using a noninvasive installation method, preferably with minimal downtime—if any at all. The cameras and sensors capture real-time monitoring and images that transmit into a secure database server. An advantage of deploying a real-time monitoring system includes detecting temperature anomalies by establishing a baseline trend of temperatures over time.

One only needs to perform a quick search online to find a news report about power failures or electrical fires to understand that time-based inspections may or may not reveal deterioration, anomalies, or failures of critical power system mechanisms. Using continuous monitoring and analytics records equipment operations under all conditions.

Rapid Response to Alerts

Preventing catastrophic equipment failures is a top priority for all companies. Power utilities reduce financial losses, outages, or damaged equipment by monitoring in real-time and responding quickly to alerts. One of the most notable benefits of real-time thermal monitoring is the ability to react swiftly to a spike in temperature that sets off an automated alarm.

Any deviation from the average trend sends an instant alert to the user, letting them know to inspect the issue. Being able to respond quickly to an alert could make all the difference between identifying an electrical spark from deteriorating wiring and an electrical fire from that same wiring. Continuous monitoring of live data using thermal cameras coupled with individual alarm thresholds and advanced sensors creates a superior system allowing any team to prevent or mitigate hazardous situations.

Ensures Compliance Regulation

One goal of electric utilities across the country is to operate with minimal disruptions to the power grid. The other concern involves ensuring the utility continues to satisfy mandatory compliance regulations. Real-time thermal monitoring allows entities to demonstrate compliance with data collection and archiving, condition-based maintenance of existing equipment and identifying warning signs of malfunction or power failures.

Data records are easily accessible and shared with regulation auditors or internally when automatically uploaded and stored in a thermal monitoring database. Organizations can continuously monitor the readings to ensure compliance is met every day.

MasterMind Live View Dashboard

Real-Time Thermal Monitoring Data Collection

A cloud-based monitoring system allows the user to collect temperature data readings 24 hours a day. The data streams into an encrypted database server that stores it for live and historical usage. Defining interest areas and setting individual alarm thresholds allows users to identify trends above those settings.

MasterMind, developed by Power Intelligence, LLC, utilizes a rich set of tools to allow the user to gather, store, review, and manage the collected data within its secured database from anywhere in the world.

A Real-Time Thermal Monitoring Solution You Can Trust

When it comes to delivering the maximum benefits of real-time thermal monitoring, Power Intelligence, LLC surpasses its clients’ expectations. The experts at Power Intelligence, LLC utilize a trusted, automated thermal monitoring solution that incorporates a suite of around-the-clock advanced software tools.

Contact us today if you’re looking to deploy a continuous thermal camera monitoring solution that provides flexibility and empowers companies to make proactive decisions before disaster strikes.