There are various applications of thermal cameras based on the safety and security of the installation site. It is traditionally associated with sites such as airports, utilities, and chemical plants which require the detection of human heat signatures which could be significant. These sensitive facilities can easily justify the increased costs affiliated with thermal cameras based on the necessity for a sophisticated security system.
Based on the affordability of thermal cameras along with the advanced improvements, these cameras are now considered for installation in less critical sites which prioritize perimeter protection. These sites utilize thermal imagers as a pre-warning system, detecting a rapid increase in temperature in a short period which could indicate a fire. Rapid fires can cause serious destruction in a short period of time, resulting in valued goods being written off and potentially losing valuable staff. Thermal imaging cameras have the ability to measure temperatures which can result in detecting a fire using hot spot trace functions or smoke detection without requiring contact.
The built-in temperature functionality of thermal cameras allows the camera to identify a significant rise in the temperature of the environment over a short time and deploys an alarm even at long distances. The innovation of thermal cameras encourages high sensitivity to fluctuations in temperature which provide higher detection accuracy in comparison to standard cameras. This makes them suitable for applications within forests, fishing lakes, water stations, wildlife parks and various other environments that need 24/7 surveillance such as warehouses and industrial parks. These applications have a common need to identify hot spots and detect a fire at an early stage to prevent and avoid significant losses.
The sensitivity levels of thermal cameras enable them to identify a rapid rise in temperature from a far distance. A typical example would be an individual smoking a cigarette or using a lighter, which can be very useful in an environment which is considered highly flammable. This rapid detection feature accompanied by illuminators and built-in speakers provide a complete, efficient early warning system which aids in avoiding potential fires.
Thermal cameras are incapable of generating identification-level image quality when compared to visible-light cameras that generate detailed color images. Thermal imaging cameras consist of an infrared sensor which detects infrared wavelengths; however, many thermal cameras have the ability to incorporate a visible-light CMOS sensor which allows the camera to create a normal color image. This feature allows the camera to superimpose the visible-light image over the infrared image, offering more detail and context to the infrared image. Often referred to as hybrid thermal cameras based on a single device being able to incorporate both thermal and visible-light imaging with one device, this option addresses various security and safety challenges for environments that complex to monitor.
Warehouses
Automatically monitoring changes in temperature within such environments using thermal cameras can reduce the risk for disaster whilst improving the safety for staff as well as the public. Thermal cameras identify hot spots before they flare up and signal a warning to ensure an early response, avoiding loss of assets or harm to staff.
Chemical And Fuel Storage And Manufacture
Chemical and fuel storage and manufacturing is considered an extremely hazardous environment based on the highly flammable nature of those products. A simple spark from a match, lighter or a lit cigarette is enough to cause a severe fire, resulting in devastating loss of assets and potentially life.
Waste Management Facilities
Waste stored in large piles in an indoor facility is also considered a potentially flammable environment. Common examples of such fire hazards are heat developments due to pressure, self-combustion, methane gas build-up, and spontaneous chemical reactions between disposals. Thermal cameras offer preventative measures by identifying hot spots which have the potential of igniting.
Thermal cameras are now considered and installed in various applications. Numerous sites adopt the use of thermal cameras as a part of the early warning fire detection based on the ability to measure temperatures in a non-contact method. Any environment or industry that stores flammable or combustible materials, have flammable gases present, or the potential of having a fire break out can benefit from installing a thermal camera which is capable of detecting a rapid rise in the environment’s temperature.
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