Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for heat exchangers
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) is one of the most effective ways to monitor heat exchangers: it catches developing faults — fouling and scaling on heat-transfer surfaces, tube blockage and flow maldistribution, corrosion and tube leaks — early, so repairs are planned rather than forced by a breakdown.
Why thermography (infrared inspection) suits heat exchangers
Heat exchangers foul gradually, quietly cutting heat-transfer effectiveness and raising energy use long before they cause a problem. Because the degradation is in process data rather than vibration, analytics that model expected performance are the right tool — flagging when cleaning will actually pay back, rather than cleaning on a fixed, often wasteful, schedule.
How thermography (infrared inspection) works
An infrared camera images the heat radiated from surfaces, turning temperature differences into a picture. Because most developing mechanical and electrical faults generate abnormal heat, a thermal survey finds them without shutting equipment down — a hot connection, an overheating bearing, a stripe of missing insulation. It is widely used both for condition monitoring and for energy audits, where it quickly shows where heat is escaping.
Faults it catches on heat exchangers
- Fouling and scaling on heat-transfer surfaces
- Tube blockage and flow maldistribution
- Corrosion and tube leaks
- Gasket failure
What the data shows
A localised hot spot on an electrical connection flags a loose or corroded joint; a hot bearing housing flags developing bearing failure or poor lubrication; a cold steam trap flags one failed closed; a warm patch on a vessel flags missing or wet insulation.
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) on heat exchangers: implementation
What the signal looks like. A localised hot spot on an electrical connection flags a loose or corroded joint; a hot bearing housing flags developing bearing failure or poor lubrication; a cold steam trap flags one failed closed; a warm patch on a vessel flags missing or wet insulation.
How that reads on heat exchangers specifically. A widening approach temperature and rising pressure drop at constant flow are the classic fouling signature; a sudden change can indicate a tube leak or blockage. Trending effectiveness shows the optimal, cost-justified time to clean.
Where it is blind. Thermography (Infrared Inspection) does not cover every failure mode on heat exchangers. The equipment profile also lists Process-data analytics (approach temperature, effectiveness, pressure drop), Performance trending against a clean baseline, Periodic inspection and leak testing — they exist because they detect modes this technique cannot see.
Before you set a threshold. Baselining, alarm criteria and the route from alert to work order are the same problem for every technique. They are covered once in setting up a condition monitoring programme and in the thermography (infrared inspection) overview.
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) on other equipment
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for electric motors · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for bearings · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for steam traps · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for conveyors
Other techniques on heat exchangers
Process-Data Analytics for heat exchangers
Related
Predictive maintenance for heat exchangers · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) overview · Thermography (Infrared Inspection)