What is a thermal imager? This equipment is based on thermal imaging technology. Thermal imaging is a method of improving the visibility of objects in a dark environment by detecting infrared radiation and creating an image based on this information.
The most commonly used night vision technologies:
Unlike the other two methods, thermal imaging works in environments without any external lighting. Like near infrared light, thermal imaging can penetrate obscurantism such as smoke and fog.
What is a thermal imager? Technology description
A brief explanation of how thermal imaging works: all objects emit infrared energy (heat) depending on their temperature. Infrared energy emitted by an object is known as thermal identification. The hotter the object, the more radiation it generates. A thermal imager (also known as a thermal camera) is a heat sensor that can detect slight differences in temperature. The device collects infrared radiation from objects and creates an electronic image based on information about the differences in their temperature conditions.
Thermal images usually have different shades in nature: black objects are cold, white are hot, and the depth of gray indicates the differences between them. However, some thermal imaging cameras add color to images to help users identify objects at different temperatures.
Story
Prototypes of cameras with a thermal imager were first introduced in 1992, but a detailed assessment of their effectiveness in real situations was not published until 2007. The model, evaluated in 2007, weighed approximately 1.5 kg, which significantly increased the mass of the helmet on which the camera was mounted. Modern models are much lighter and more mobile than their first prototypes.
Thermal Vision Equipment
What is a thermal imager? This is the type of thermographic camera used in fire fighting. By providing infrared light as visible light, these cameras allow firefighters to see areas of heat through smoke, darkness, or heat-permeable barriers. Thermal imaging cameras are usually pocket-sized but can be mounted on a helmet. They are constructed using heat and watertight enclosures and are durable to withstand the dangers associated with on-site work.
Device
What is the design of the thermal imager? The thermal imager camera consists of five components: an optical system, a detector, an amplifier, signal processing, and a display. Special thermal imaging cameras designed for fire safety include these components in a heat-resistant, durable and waterproof housing. These components work together to make thermal infrared radiation visible in real time.
The infrared differences of the output signals are displayed on the camera display, so two objects with the same temperature will be displayed as the same “color”. Many thermal imaging cameras, such as Pulsar Quantum thermal imaging cameras, use shades of gray to represent objects of normal temperature, but emit dangerously hot surfaces of different colors.
Cameras can be hand held or mounted on a helmet. Most of the thermal imaging cameras used in the fire service, as well as thermal imaging cameras for hunting, are pocket models. It's comfortable.
Use of thermal imagers: reviews
Since thermal imaging cameras can “see” through darkness or smoke, they allow firefighters to quickly locate a fire in a structure or see the heat signature of visually hidden victims. They can be used to search for victims outdoors on a cool night, locate smoldering fires inside a wall, or detect overheating of electrical wiring.
User reviews contain information that, in addition to the ability to see through thick smoke, thermal imaging cameras are also able to see materials involved in spontaneous, low-level combustion, which allows timely elimination of fire.
Specifications
Two characteristics serve as key quality differentiators for thermal imaging cameras: detector resolution and thermal sensitivity.
As with many other displays, resolution describes the total number of pixels. For example, a 160 x 120 display consists of 19,200 pixels. Each individual pixel has thermal data associated with it, so large displays provide a clearer image.
Thermal sensitivity of a thermal imager - what is it? This is the threshold of the difference that the image sensor can detect. For example, if a device has a sensitivity of 0.01 °, it can distinguish between objects with a temperature difference of a hundredth of a degree. Minimum and maximum temperature ranges are also important.
There are some basic limitations of thermal imagers: for example, they cannot see through glass due to the reflective properties of the material.