Electrical equipment: preventing risks through preventive maintenance using infrared thermography

Today, few sites (power plants, factories, tertiary buildings etc) are equipped to perform thermography to check electrical equipment. Many project managers and engineering offices do not take this into account when designing and implementing projects. At the same time, site managers are reluctant to implement “classic” thermographic campaigns (inspection of high voltage protection cell) because of their impact on productivity. However, the risks linked to electric arcs are real and there is an efficient preventive maintenance solution that does not cut off the high voltage network.

The purpose of preventive maintenance is to prevent the risks associated with electrical equipment. Three major risks are clearly identified:

• The first risk is that of fire. This is caused by progressive degradation of the connections. In addition to destruction of equipment, fire can be accompanied by a proven risk to persons (injury or death). In addition to the trauma of possible human injuries or losses, the economic risk of a “damages” type of criminal sanction can be colossal and lead to a very significant increase in social security contribution rates.

30% of fire disasters affecting businesses are of electrical origin. 48% of companies disappear immediately after a major disaster and another 28% within 3 years.

• The second risk is an economic risk related to loss of production. Sudden power outages in some industrial activities lead to manufacturing stoppages, causing significant financial damage.
• The third risk is a vital one. Let’s take an example: a hospital. To keep running, a hospital requires a continuous supply of electricity. The electrical system is therefore designed with redundancies, to prevent the risk of power failure. However, these redundancies (generators in most cases) can fail to work properly. In addition, internal HTA networks are components of the generators’ emergency power distribution. A network failure would therefore pose a major risk to users, especially patients.

Fortunately, we are witnessing a growing awareness of the importance of implementing preventive maintenance using infrared thermography, for two reasons:

• pressure brought to bear by insurers on site managers
• the use of infrared portholes with innovative technology that guarantees maintenance of operations during control checks

As mentioned above, some site managers are reluctant to carry out “classic” thermographic campaigns because of the need to cut the high voltage network supply. This involves an interruption to production. Equally important, this type of control is done under zero electrical load conditions, thus making measurements less relevant and efficient. Indeed, when the thermograph analyzes a failed connection cooled due to the shutdown of the plant, it will not detect the problem

Therefore, in order to eliminate the above mentioned risks, and to ensure maintenance of production and an efficient measurement, the infrared window is the only equipment of choice. In fact, as it forms an interface between the thermograph and the connectors in a representative electrical load condition, there is no need to cut the power supply to perform preventive maintenance.

This specificity makes the infrared window the only way to diagnose a real need for tightening connections. When we know that this procedure leads to premature aging of equipment, we understand the importance of ensuring that the need for tightening is real.

For 30 years, Wintech Group has been innovating in intelligent optical and optronic solutions for protecting your teams and your assets. Sorem, a subsidiary of Wintech Group, is the inventor and world leader of the H.VIR high vision window. This thermal window, which can be installed on new equipment or retrofitted, is recognized for its unequaled high measurement performance, allowing it to detect any sign of imminent damage. It is an efficient, accurate, reliable and economical solution that is recognized internationally.