There is no local user interface on the IR Thermography System hardware. The user interacts with the system entirely through InsightCM. Refer to the InsightCM user manual for the InsightCM version your facility is running.
Users check InsightCM dashboards, review thermal images captured by the IR Thermography System, and review trend data for anomalies or alarm threshold crossings. Interaction is required any time an alarm condition is triggered, or as noted by the plant's preventive maintenance schedule.
What counts as a normal reading, and what should raise concern, varies significantly by the type of asset being monitored. The following guidance is organized by common asset type. Readings should always be compared against a known baseline for the specific asset and load condition wherever possible.
Normal reading: Stator, exciter, and connection-point temperatures typically stay within a few degrees of comparable connections under matched load. Some warming above ambient is expected and should scale with load current; symmetric components (for example, the three phases) should track closely to one another.
Reason for concern: A delta of roughly 4 to 15°C (7 to 27°F) above a comparable connection at similar load suggests a probable deficiency worth scheduling for repair; 15 to 40°C (27 to 72°F) indicates a serious problem needing prompt correction; anything above approximately 40°C (72°F) is typically treated as a critical, address-immediately finding. Any single connection running notably hotter than its symmetric counterparts is worth investigating regardless of the absolute number.
Degradation trend: A connection that shows a steady, repeatable rise across successive scans at similar load and ambient conditions, even while each individual reading is still within a normal band, is often the earliest sign of a loosening or corroding connection, since contact resistance and resulting heating tend to escalate as a connection degrades.
Relevant failure modes: Loose or corroded electrical connections, Overloaded or imbalanced circuits or phases, Insulation breakdown and hot spots.
Normal reading: Bearing housings and terminal box connections typically run within a few degrees of sister motors of the same type and duty. Overall casing temperature should scale predictably with load and ambient conditions.
Reason for concern: A bearing housing running meaningfully hotter than comparable motors, especially with no corresponding difference in load, suggests a lubrication or bearing wear issue. Hot spots concentrated at terminal lugs point toward loose or corroded electrical connections rather than a mechanical problem.
Degradation trend: A gradual, sustained rise in bearing temperature over successive weeks or months, independent of load and ambient swings, often precedes a bearing or lubrication failure, frequently well before it would show up in vibration data.
Relevant failure modes: Loose or corroded electrical connections, Improper lubrication, Mechanical friction points, Cooling system inefficiencies.
Normal reading: Bushings and connections at equivalent phases should track closely to one another under matched load. Radiator and cooling fin banks should show a fairly even, predictable temperature gradient consistent with normal convective oil flow.
Reason for concern: A single bushing or connection running hotter than its phase-mates by more than the severity thresholds described above suggests a developing electrical issue. A radiator fin or section that is cooler than its neighbors, rather than hotter, can indicate blocked or restricted oil flow rather than an overload condition.
Degradation trend: A specific bushing or connection creeping upward relative to its phase-mates across successive scans at comparable load, or a cool region in a radiator bank that grows over time as flow blockage worsens.
Relevant failure modes: Loose or corroded electrical connections, Overloaded or imbalanced circuits or phases, Insulation breakdown and hot spots, Cooling system inefficiencies.
Normal reading: Bearing, seal, and coupling housing temperatures typically run within an expected band tied to the pump's duty point, and should correlate predictably with flow and load.
Reason for concern: A seal or bearing running notably above its own historical baseline, or hotter than an equivalent pump running the same duty, suggests a lubrication or wear issue. Asymmetric heating across the two halves of a coupling can indicate misalignment.
Degradation trend: A slow, steady increase in bearing or seal temperature across successive readings, especially when it is not explained by a process or load change, is a classic early precursor to lubrication breakdown or bearing failure.
Relevant failure modes: Improper lubrication, Misalignment, Mechanical friction points.
Normal reading: Casing and bearing temperatures should track predictably with load and process conditions (steam or gas temperature, flow), and should be broadly symmetric front to back and side to side unless the design has a known asymmetric feature.
Reason for concern: A localized hot spot, particularly one that reappears in the same location on repeated scans, can indicate internal rubbing or a developing misalignment. Bearing temperatures outside the OEM-specified normal band are also worth flagging even without an obvious hot spot.
Degradation trend: A hot spot that reappears in the same location and grows in size or intensity across successive scans is a strong indicator of a worsening mechanical condition, such as progressive rubbing or misalignment.
Relevant failure modes: Misalignment, Mechanical friction points, Cooling system inefficiencies.
Normal reading: The temperature rise across a breaker or bus connection relative to ambient should stay within a modest, predictable range at typical load, and should be comparable across similar breakers and connections within the same panel.
Reason for concern: Any single connection point running meaningfully hotter than adjacent, similarly loaded connections is a concern; the same generic severity bands described under Generators apply here (mild, serious, or critical based on delta-T above a comparable connection).
Degradation trend: A connection trending hotter across successive PM cycles at comparable load, even while still in a mild band, indicates progressive loosening or corrosion and is worth tightening or inspecting before it reaches a serious or critical threshold.
Relevant failure modes: Loose or corroded electrical connections, Overloaded or imbalanced circuits or phases, Insulation breakdown and hot spots.