Infrared Survey Techniques For An Electricity Supply Industry

Abstract

The use of thermal imagers within the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) to monitor plant performance is described. Helicopter -borne high resolution thermal imagers are used to monitor the, transmission system and the range of defects that can be detected has been extended in recent years. Similar equipment is used to monitor cooling water discharge behaviour over a tidal cycle while satellite imagery is employed to analyse general warming of the water near a power station.The applications of fault detection and plant monitoring to electrical plant and heated surfaces within substations and power stations is described for several plant items.