BSEE
Thermal imaging cameras provide a time saving and costeffective solution for climate control ceiling inspection. Flir T440bx thermal imaging cameras were used to inspect a recent installation at Bernhoven Hospital in The Netherlands by thermographers, Thermografisch & Adviesbureau
reasons. From an architectural standpoint they allow the climate control of the indoor environment to be invisibly integrated into the structure of the building, providing considerable flexibility in layout and design. The building’s inhabitants benefit from uniform temperature, high acoustic comfort and low air speeds, resulting in minimal draught and dust displacement.
C ‘ With a
thermal imaging camera, a significant surface area of the climate control ceiling can be inspected in a very short time
Most systems have a long lifespan of more than 20 years and are generally maintenance-free and exceptionally energy efficient. But, in order to deliver these advantages, climate control ceiling elements must be properly installed and this is where the diagnostic ability of Flir thermal imaging is proving essential.
Installation inspection ’
Inteco BV is a specialist in the design and implementation of climate control ceiling and ceiling induction units and was recently commissioned to incorporate this technology into a new building at the Bernhoven Hospital in The Netherlands. A total of 1200 square metres of climate-controlled ceiling were installed and in order to ensure all the elements had been correctly fitted and were working optimally, Inteco called on an independent thermal imaging consultancy to provide that verification. Bas Coolen, a senior thermographer from Thermografisch & Adviesbureau undertook the work with a Flir T440bx thermal imaging camera which has several features that make it especially suitable for building inspection. The climate control ceiling in the Bernhoven Hospital is the MeandRo system developed and patented by Inteco. This is a radiant ceiling for cooling and heating, using the passage of both hot and cold water and consists of perforated sheet steel ceiling panels in a sandwich construction, factory-equipped with a MeandRo element.
Elements are attached to each other using quick links and it is here where mistakes can be made during installation. Poor connection means the desired interior climate cannot be achieved but with the safeguard of a thermal imaging check, such errors can be quickly rectified. Another problem that can arise during installation is insufficient supply of hot or cold water,
limate control ceilings are becoming
increasingly popular in modern building design for many
causing improper functioning of the ceiling, but this too can be detected by the infrared camera. “Temperature differences in the ceiling can be seen quickly with thermal imaging and with the new MSX, multi-spectral imaging function, on the Flir T440bx, it’s easy to orient yourself to see exactly which elements you are inspecting,” Coolen explains.
Detailed images
Previous generations of thermal imaging cameras have featured ways to blend, overlay or fuse a portion of a thermal image into a visible light picture. These modes have only provided a partial solution, however. They also took longer to apply and interpret and had a tendency to limit or obscure the thermal view of the scene. The MSX development is a completely different technology. It embosses digital camera detail on the video and stills, providing much better visible results without diluting the thermal image. Orientation of the target is easy, reports are clutter-free and all of these elements contribute to faster and more efficient inspection.
Coolen continues: “We often see climate control ceiling installers conducting the inspections themselves with the aid of spot pyrometers. There’s nothing wrong with these devices but it’s a time-consuming inspection method as a spot pyrometer only provides a temperature measure at a single point. In addition, there is no visual record of the measurement. By contrast, with a thermal imaging camera, a significant surface area of the climate control ceiling can be inspected in a very short time and it is clear to see whether the elements are working as they should be.”
Saving time and costs
The Flir T400bx combines good ergonomics with high quality imaging at 320 x 240 pixels. As is characteristic of the Flir T-Series, it is equipped with a tiltable optical unit that allows imaging at any angle. It also has a built-in compass which allows the camera’s direction of view to be added to each thermal image.
“Thermal imaging technology has already proven itself in many different applications,” Coolen concludes. “But its use for climate control ceiling inspection highlights its ability to identify problems quickly and clearly, so they can be resolved without delay. In this particular application, the technology has helped to minimise any post-installation problems at the
hospital that would not only interrupt its smooth running and inconvenience staff and patients, but also incur additional costs.”
www.flir.com
THERMAL IMAGING
Thermal imaging ensures high quality climate control
or building inspection and the prevention of energy loss, a thermal imaging camera is now considered an essential tool and thanks to its continuous development strategy, Flir Systems provides the industry with a wide choice of products. Year-on-year, Flir Systems introduces new infrared features and capabilities that help users do their job quicker and more efficiently. Futurebuild 2019, which takes place on 5-7 March at Excel, London, has been confirmed as the UK launch platform for Flir’s new E53 infrared camera and the showcase for the latest technological developments in test and measurement instrumentation.
F
The E53 is an entry-level model in the award winning Exx-Series that brings advanced thermal imaging within the reach of many more building professionals who need this technology to identify building deficiencies. It features a four-inch touchscreen with 160- degree viewing angle and, in common with all other Exx models, it includes MSX technology that uses a five-megapixel visual camera to improve image clarity, perspective and readability. Representative of the Flir professional models is the Flir T500, a camera that was named ‘Red Dot: Best of the Best winner for 2018’, awarded for its groundbreaking design that combines superb ergonomics in a ruggedised high-performance thermal imager. All cameras in the Flir T500 series provide high quality imaging through Vision Processing which combines proprietary adaptive filtering with the readability of Flir multi-spectral imaging (MSX) and the image enhancement of UltraMax. With thermal resolutions up to 464 x 348 (161,472 pixels), superior sensitivity and image clarity, thermographers can easily identify subtle temperature differences; essential for building science applications.
Two important Flir Systems developments have also led to the introduction of a unique range of test and measurement instruments. The first breakthrough was the introduction of the Lepton thermal micro-camera core, a detector that is about the size of a smart phone SIM. This, coupled with Flir’s Infrared Guided Measurement (IGM) technology, is at the heart of a range of meters that have thermal imaging capability.
Examples from the range complete Flir’s exhibits on stand D204 at Futurebuild.
30 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER FEBRUARY 2019 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
Flir at Futurebuild
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