Industrial process diagnostics using infrared thermal sensing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of performing diagnostics with a field device and responsively identifying a diagnostic condition in an industrial process, comprising:
- sensing infrared emissions from a location in the industrial process using an infrared sensor array comprising a plurality of infrared sensors;
determining average value outputs from a plurality of areas of the sensor array comprising at least an area average A1, an area average A2, an area average A3 and an area average A4, wherein each of the plurality of areas comprises a plurality of infrared sensors in the infrared sensor array;
comparing the average output A1 from a first area of the sensor array with the average output A2 from a second area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T1 based upon the formula;
Δ
T1=A1−
A2;
comparing the average output A3 from a third area of the sensor array with the average output A4 from a fourth area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T2 based upon the formula;
Δ
T2=A3−
A4;
comparing the average output A1 from the first area of the sensor array with the average output A4 from the fourth area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T3 based upon the formula;
Δ
T3=A1−
A4;
comparing the average output A2 from the second area of the sensor array with the average output A3 from the third area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T4 based upon the formula;
Δ
T4=A2−
A3; and
responsively providing a diagnostic output indicative of a diagnostic condition based upon the maximum temperature deviations.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A diagnostic field device for identifying a diagnostic condition in an industrial process includes an infrared sensor array having a plurality of infrared sensors arranged to sense infrared emissions from a location in the industrial process. Processing circuitry processes outputs from the plurality of infrared sensors of the sensor array and generates an infrared image. Diagnostic circuitry compares processed outputs from at least two subsections of the infrared image and provides a diagnostic output based upon the comparison.
101 Citations
5 Claims
-
1. A method of performing diagnostics with a field device and responsively identifying a diagnostic condition in an industrial process, comprising:
-
sensing infrared emissions from a location in the industrial process using an infrared sensor array comprising a plurality of infrared sensors; determining average value outputs from a plurality of areas of the sensor array comprising at least an area average A1, an area average A2, an area average A3 and an area average A4, wherein each of the plurality of areas comprises a plurality of infrared sensors in the infrared sensor array; comparing the average output A1 from a first area of the sensor array with the average output A2 from a second area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T1 based upon the formula;
Δ
T1=A1−
A2;comparing the average output A3 from a third area of the sensor array with the average output A4 from a fourth area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T2 based upon the formula;
Δ
T2=A3−
A4;comparing the average output A1 from the first area of the sensor array with the average output A4 from the fourth area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T3 based upon the formula;
Δ
T3=A1−
A4;comparing the average output A2 from the second area of the sensor array with the average output A3 from the third area of the sensor array and determining a maximum temperature deviation based upon a difference obtained by the comparing of the average outputs to thereby reduce the effect of noise in the sensed infrared emissions and determining a temperature differential Δ
T4 based upon the formula;
Δ
T4=A2−
A3; andresponsively providing a diagnostic output indicative of a diagnostic condition based upon the maximum temperature deviations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
Specification