The Keys to Correct Placement of Infrared Windows / View Ports in High Voltage Switchgear

Today the utilization of using Infrared Windows / View Ports for the scanning of electrical connections in High Voltage Switch Gear is becoming very common for many reasons.

• Significant reduction in the risk of an arc flash since you do not have to open the equipment to scan it.
• Very fast way to easily scan connection
• Ability to scan more frequently since the requirements to do the inspection is very minimal.

The cost of Infrared Windows / View Ports has come down considerably since they were first introduced. There is no doubt as to the value of utilizing Infrared Windows / View Ports in your infrared electrical inspection program, but to be able to fully realize and leverage the value there are a few key points that must be taken into consideration for it to be a success.
Number One… PLACEMENT
All to often a shotgun approach is used for the placement of the View Ports where they are just haphazardly installed without any real forethought as to where they can be of the most advantages. And this is usually followed up with just adding more and more of them, but they are very poorly placed as well and is only wasting more money and not realizing the value of your efforts.

All too often we see where there are 3 viewports placed looking directly as the face of a bus bar where you are not able to see anything else in the switchgear, and if fact you can not see any of the bolted connections on the bus bar, you are just staring at the face of the bus on each phase. This is one of the most common errors when it comes to placement because you can not tell if there is a problem or not because of the low emissivity of the bus, and what you really want to see is the connection on the bus.
By placing 2 viewports between the phases, A to B, and B to C, and at the right location to see the bolted connections, you can correctly evaluate the condition of your Switchgear. It may even be only necessary to use 1 viewport depending on the placement, which will significantly reduce your costs!
Sometimes you need to be very creative to be able to get the shots that you need to be able to see the connections. This is where an experienced Certified Professional Infrared Thermographer can be of great help because they understand where they need to place the camera to view all the critical connections.

Experience is Key!

When it comes to correct placement, picking the right Infrared Windows / View Ports for the task, understanding the environmental conditions (i.e. indoors or outside exposure), the best value is to have someone that has been behind the lens of the camera to ensure that you get the best return on your investment.  By finding the best-matched products for your needs combined with the correct placement will dramatically reduce your cost of installation and ensure that you have the right number of Infrared Windows / View Ports for your needs.

Teamwork

Working with an experienced Certified Professional Infrared Thermographer who fully understands the Infrared Cameras, Lens, and Infrared Windows / View Ports options are available to you for creating a successful solution is the best investment you can make.

If you would like to gain a better understanding of IR windows/Viewports placement process, we would like to welcome you to our Gallery

Please call us with your question and we will be glad to be a part of your team!