Firefighting With Digital Infrared Camera
Thermography is a science, which makes use of an infrared imaging, and measurement device termed as an infrared camera or digital infrared camera to "see" and "measure" thermal energy radiated by an object. Thermal, or infrared energy, is actually “a light” that is not visible to us because it has a longer wave length and so cannot be detected by the human eye; in fact it is that part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we term as heat.
Unlike visible light, in the science of infrared technology, every object in this world that has a temperature above absolute zero gives out heat. Even very cold objects, such as ice cubes, emit infrared. The higher the object's temperature, the greater the IR radiation emitted. Infrared radiation makes it possible for us to see what our eyes normally cannot.
Digital infrared camera creates images of invisible infrared or "heat" radiation and provides very accurate means of measuring temperature without the use of any direct contact. In most of the cases everything electrical and mechanical becomes hot before failing, thus making infrared cameras very cost-effective, critical diagnostic tools in a wide range of applications.
In a firefighting situation, thermal imaging is typically used with great advantage to gain effective control over the fire in lesser time, to save invaluable lives of people trapped in the fire and to limit the damage to life and property. Equipped with high definition infrared camera, firefighters can find their way through the smoke, locate trapped people and reach the source of fire more quickly and accurately. Having a visual picture of the site affected by the fire will help to compare temperatures in different areas and thus enable the firefighters to focus their attention on specific areas to quickly bring the fire under control effectively and efficiently.
The looks and the methods of operating a modern day digital infrared camera are in many ways the same as that of a camcorder. Normally there are two functions to a digital infrared camera. The first and the foremost is, to enable the user to view in the infrared spectrum. This function so useful that the secondary logical function of being able to record the output is often considered optional. A recording module thus may not always be incorporated in it. Usually, the CCD and CMOS sensors used in the visible light cameras are capable of detecting only that part of the infrared spectrum which is called as near-infrared, but they are insensitive to that part of the infrared spectrum which is used for thermal imaging (mid- and long-wavelength infrared), so a digital thermal imaging camera or digital infrared camera makes use of specialized focal plane arrays (FPAs) that can detect longer wavelengths.
A digital thermographic camera or digital IR camera finds wide applications in condition monitoring, medical imaging, infrared mammography, veterinary medicine, night vision, research process control, nondestructive testing, surveillance in security, law enforcement and defense, chemical imaging, volcanology and in many other areas. As industry tries hard to increase efficiency in manufacturing, effectively manage energy, improve the quality of products, and provide greater safety to workers, newer applications are emerging every day for the use of high definition infrared camera.
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