Proc.
XXVI International Scientific Conference Electronics - ET2017, September 13 - 15, 2017, Sozopol, Bulgaria
Infrared Survey in Electrical Preventive
Maintenance
Anna Vladova Stoynova and Borislav Borisov Bonev
Department of Microelectronics, Faculty of Electronic Engineering and Technologies
Technical University of Sofia
8 Kliment Ohridski blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
ava@ecad.tu-sofia.bg
Abstract – The article discusses the basic elements of
procedure applicable to programs for maintenance of
electrical equipment with infrared inspection. Based on
accumulated experience of experimental thermographic
measurement of electrical equipment in different companies
was proposed approach to creating a typical procedure,
taking into account the specificities of the studied electrical
equipment and targets set.
Keywords – Infrared Thermography, Electrical Preventive
Maintenance
I. INTRODUCTION
Increasingly widespread introduction into operation of
advanced technologies for assessment of electrical
installations, leads to ensure safety, reliability and economy
of enterprises. Infrared thermography (IRT) successfully
has the function of a powerful diagnostic tool for
predictable maintenance of facilities of various engineering
fields [1]. By detection of thermal anomalies often invisible
to the human eye, infrared thermography allows take
corrective impacts before the work of relevant electrical or
mechanical equipment and production lines get out the
nominal operating parameters. An increasing number of
industry standards for safety and preventive programs
include the use of infrared inspection at least once every
three years [2] A justification for the additional cost of
infrared measurements are great possibilities of thermal
control. Infrared thermography has established itself as a
key element of the thorough electrical preventive
maintenance (EPM) programs due to the destructive nature
and the possibility to control the operational status of the
electrical equipment and components without interrupting
their work.
Practical use of infrared technique requires qualified
engineers to perform the inspection and the use of different
procedures for processing and analysis of images. It is
often discussed a typical infrared scanning procedure,
without a common understanding what is included in it.
This article presents the vision of the key elements of the
inspection procedure of electrical equipment, which is
applied to the inspection of several companies in Bulgaria.
II. THERMAL ANOMALIES MEASUREMENTS BY
INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY
Overheating of electrical components and equipment can
lead to potential unplanned outages or violation of
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efficiency due to heat generation and unnecessary losses
[3].
Typical problems regarding heat in electrical equipment
are bad contact connections, short circuit, and overload,
defects in the body of the equipment or its components.
Two ways to analyze the thermal characteristics in
electrical equipment are used - quantitative and qualitative
evaluation [4], [5]. The quantitative measurements usually
are difficult to obtain. It needs determination the real and
accurate temperature value, the true emissivity value and
atmospheric attenuation. The qualitative measurement,
considers the relative temperature value of a particular
hotspot with respect to other equipment in a similar
environment. The second way is widely used to evaluate
electrical systems by employing Delta T (temperature
difference) criteria [6]. The levels of severity of the
suspected electrical systems were classified into four
categories, according to the International Electrical Testing
Association (NETA) standards [6]. The temperature criteria
indicating the change in temperature ranges and the
recommended action should be taken according to the level
of priority are shown in Table. 1. This classification can be
used for qualitative and for quantitative measurements.
Quantitative measurements use the ambient temperature as
the reference. The reference temperature has to be
measured and a greater understanding of the variables
influencing radiometric measurements.
It is important to be emphasized that the measurement
errors resulting from inadequate spatial resolution of the
used infrared camera depends on the magnitude of the error
and the criticality of the target. For example a high
resolution IR camera gives twice the delta-T (∆T)
temperature rise compared to a low resolution IR camera
and 25% more than the medium resolution camera. These
differences will only increase as the emissivity is lowered.
Image processing techniques can be used to extract the
thermal profiles within the electrical components for an
automatic analysis the condition of electrical systems.
The common steps used in evaluating the thermal
anomaly of electrical systems based on top-down approach
includes: finding region of interest (ROI), identify the
repeated structure, segmentation on process, relevant
information, decision making for a result.
Three approaches can be used to determine the thermal
severity of electrical systems:
 maximum temperature identification of each ROI for
direct interpretation;
  histogram distance evaluation for finding the
similarity between two objects;
 gradient analysis of the segmented region.

TABLE 1. CLASSIFICATION OF THERMAL PROFILE OF ELECTRICAL

SYSTEMS

ΔT over ΔT similar Action required Level of

ambient equipment, priority
temperat (ºC)
ure, (ºC)
> 40 > 15 Repair 1
immediately -
major
discrepancy
Fig.1. Block diagram of an IR thermal monitoring system
21 – 40 – Monitor until 2
corrective
measures can be The captured infrared images should be filtered and
accomplished enhanced. Next have to be fulfilled several steps: image
11 - 20 4 – 15 Repair as time 3 preprocessing, feature extraction, type recognition, state
permits - analysis and classification. Infrared image processing can
indicates be divided in two categories - preprocessing and real
probable processing. The preprocessing aim is to improve image
deficiency quality and real processing is to find the ROI. The most
1 - 10 1-3 Warrants 4 frequently used approach for ROI determination is the
investigation - segmentation. Located image features then used as inputs
possible of neural network (ANN) that has been trained. In this step
deficiency the relation to various operating parameters must be
accomplished. A neural network can be applied for fault
Both bottoms-up and top-down approaches can be models. The general structure of the analyzing process as is
successfully implemented using various techniques for shown in the Fig. 2.
fault identification. The thermographic images of electrical
equipment show a very high variation in appearance such
as object distance from camera (scale change) and angle
(view point change). It is important to use the most robust
to this kind of changes approach for describing the IR
image.

III. BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE INFRARED SURVEY

PROCEDURE

Conceptual block diagram of an infrared system used in

Electrical Preventive Maintenance is presented on Fig. 1.
IR survey requires various factors to be considered during
monitoring and a complex analysis of collected data. An
automatically thermal monitoring and analysis system for
the current state of electrical components is good to use
machine learning approach. Advanced decision for the Fig.2. Base structure of data analyzing process
analysis block is the combination of image-processing and
artifcial intelligence techniques.
The accurate determination of the current temperature of
The images of the surveyed electrical equipment are
the monitored electrical equipment depends on two
captured and then send to the monitoring system for
categories factors: external (environmental factors) and
calibration by using the input variables from additional
internal (emissivity of the components and thermal
sensors and further analysis. The electrical equipments
gradient). Prior to analysis, all data for these factors have to
recognition from the complex background is very difficult
be collected by set of sensors. The output of the automated
task. In conventional inspection of electrical equipment
IR systems will be given according to qualitative and
requires a large amount of certified and experienced
quantitative analysis. The level of priority of the suspected
personnel as well as cost and time. In order to assess
electrical equipments can be classified according to Table 1
whether potential troubles would happen and find position
and respective actions will be recommended.
of suspected equipments infrared image processing must be
applied.

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 IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

More significant typical applications of IR preventive

diagnostics in electrical equipment for instrumentation
control and automation (IC&A) in thermal power plant
"Bobov Dol" EAD that have substantially reduces costs
and emergency stays are:

• Detection of "bad" contacts in various connection Fig.5. Presence of oxidation of terminal

points;
• Localization of hidden defects in cable channels;
• Inspection of fuses and circuit breakers;
• Monitoring of low and medium voltage devices;
• Opening of unilateral load or misbalance in the
distribution of energy;
• Verification of transformers and small
components;
• Detection of increased electrical loads.

Some of the results on significant IC&A systems, which

are responsible for trouble-free and safe operation of
equipment in the plant, are presented. These are terminals,
circuit breakers, contactors, relays, circuit boards, fuses,
cable channels, transformers, electrical loads (motors),
inverters, systems of protection and others.
Fig.6. Results from preventive diagnosis of contactors and relays
A. Thermograms of terminal blocks and check the
electrical connections C. Thermograms of fuses

Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 present optical and infrared images Fig. 7 shows pictures of fuses in panel for lighting.
from the diagnosis of terminal blocks.

Fig.7. There is an increase in temperature of one of the fuses due

Fig.3. Presence of loosened bolting leading to a rise in
to unilateral load or misbalance in the distribution
temperature of one of the conductors

D. Thermograms of transformers and rectifiers

Fig. 8 shows pictures from diagnosis of transformers and

rectifiers in the signaling panel. (above) and transformer
and rectifier elements in the automation cabinet (below).

Fig.4. Temperature increase of several conductors due to

unilateral load or misbalance in the distribution of energy

B. Thermograms of circuit breakers, contactors and relays

Fig. 5 shows pictures of the circuit breaker in the power

supply of automation panel in IC&A system. Fig. 6 shows
images of contactors and relays in automation panel in Fig.8. Presence of loosened bolting leading to a rise in
temperature of one of the conductors
IC&A system.

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 Fig. 9 shows pictures from diagnosis transformer and
rectifier elements in the automation cabinet.
Fig.9. Presence of loosened bolting leading to a rise in
temperature of one of the conductors
E. Thermograms of PCB and low voltage electronics
Fig. 10 shows pictures of power bus bars of voltage
inverter (above) and input circuit boards for low signal
levels with built-in multiplexer, part of the management
system of energy block (below).
Fig.10. Presence of loosened bolting leading to a rise in
temperature of one of the conductors
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IV. CONCLUSION
Enhancing and preserving system reliability and
reducing maintenance costs are top priorities for electric
utilities today. The infrared inspections of electrical
systems are beneficial to reduce the number of costly and
catastrophic equipment failures and unscheduled plant
shutdowns leading to the improvement of system efficiency
and power quality. Using cost-effective electrical
preventive maintenance infrared survey, strongly depend
on the specific features of the inspection of electrical
equipment and targets. These factors are important when
choosing a procedure of investigation and relevant
economically justified program. An automatic infrared
thermal diagnosis system in Electrical Preventive
Maintenance can provide more accurate and faster analysis.
Important part in a predictive and preventive maintenance
program is the presence of a classification procedure.
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