Thermal Imaging technology has been in use for nearly half a century in both the military and civilian worlds. It is useful in finding injured people that are masked from view in burning buildings and is used in industries where temperature regulation of objects is mandatory. Discover the history of thermal imaging devices and their military roots. Explore the concept and two major categories of these devices, and learn the important scientific and home inspection applications of this heat-based imaging technology.
Concept
Thermal imaging cameras are technological devices that measure the amount of heat radiating or reflecting off an object. It forms an image using the infrared spectrum as opposed to the visible light spectrum. All objects radiate black body radiation, and the more radiation emitted, the greater the temperature. The scanning process is nondestructive and the process is very rapid. Thermal imaging cameras/detectors don't actually see anything, rather they render an image based on the amount of heat radiation that the object emits.
Uncooled verses cooled detectors
Cooled thermal imaging devices are kept in a vacuum-sealed environment that is cooled to temperatures as low as -443.2 degrees Fahrenheit but no warmer than -261.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The purpose of cooling the devices is to remove any interference from their own heat radiation information. Uncooled thermal imaging devices have a sensor that detects the environmental temperature, which creates the basis for the readings. Anything that is detected is a reflection of how different the object is in relation to the environment. Cooled thermal imaging devices have a superior image quality compared to uncooled devices, but are bulky and expensive.
History
Researchers began laying the foundations for producing thermal imaging devices as far back as World War II to complete military objectives such as weapons guidance, intelligence gathering, locating targets and tracking. The Vietnam Conflict saw the first devices, used for surveillance and infiltration, and afterwards the technology moved toward astronomy and environmental applications like monitoring pollution.
Spitzer Space Telescope
The Spitzer Space Telescope is an infrared telescope that launched into space August 25, 2003. It contains an infrared camera that operates on four, simultaneous wavelengths: 3,600 nanometers, 4,500 nanometers, 5,800 nanometers and 8,000 nanometers. It has an infrared spectrometer, which measures radiation frequencies. The telescope detected a very young star in 2004, which had appeared dark to ground-based observatories. The telescope in 2007 successfully mapped an extrasolar planet's surface temperature.
Building and home inspections
Thermal imaging devices are a valuable tool when used to inspect buildings and homes for heat loss. The device can render the difference between effective windows and those that allow cold air to bleed in through the glass or perimeter of the window. It is also used to locate ideal areas in which mold will grow and to detect leaking refrigeration equipment. It can detect poorly insulated roofs, and perform structure analysis on masonry and pipe and wire hotspots.
Tags: imaging devices, thermal imaging devices, nanometers nanometers, Thermal imaging, thermal imaging, amount heat, Cooled thermal
