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Thermal imagers operating principle equation nx device types. Proper use of the thermal imager

Thermal imagers operating principle equation nx device types. Proper use of the thermal imager

Today, probably, everyone has heard about such a device as a thermal imager. The exception, perhaps, will be only small children. Another thing is that there are not so many of those who saw this device “live”, those who held it in their hands, and even more so. But after all, there are those who not only kept, but created their own "home" version of the thermal imager. However, no matter what category you belong to, our article will be of interest to you in any case. The uninitiated will be able to understand the principle of operation of the thermal imager, and experienced and aces - to discover new opportunities. But let's talk about everything in order.

The device thermal imager, being a device for measuring surface temperatures by a non-contact method, can significantly make life easier for representatives of many professions. Originally invented for military purposes, this rather complex and expensive device is now successfully used in most areas of human activity. For example, in industry - to control thermal changes in technological processes; in medicine - for the diagnosis of diseases; when hunting birds and animals; in construction - to determine areas of heat leakage or, conversely, places for laying pipes. And this is not a complete track record of this device.

Device types

A thermal imager is such a popular and multifunctional device that it has two technological design options:

Stationary. Devices in this category are intended for use in industrial plants to control technological processes. A nitrogen cooling system is a fairly common device that such a thermal imager is equipped with. The characteristics of its operating temperatures are very impressive: from -40 to +2000 ° C. As a rule, these systems are based on devices assembled on matrices of semiconductor photodetectors.

Portable (portable). Innovative developments made it possible to move away from the use of bulky cooling equipment, moving on to the production of thermal imagers based on uncooled silicon microbolometers. Such devices have all the advantages of their predecessors, which include, for example, a small temperature step during measurement (0.1 °C). It is also possible to use a thermal imager of this class for complex evaluation work that requires both ease of use and portability of the device. Many portable thermal imagers have the ability to connect to a PC for online data processing.

The use of a thermal imager in a particular area leaves certain imprints on the required performance characteristics of this device. Therefore, before purchasing this device, you must evaluate the conditions of its use. This guide will help. A thermal imager purchased without proper familiarization with the operating rules may not be suitable for your needs at all. For example, thermal imagers used for hunting must have an impact-resistant light alloy housing with a degree of protection of at least IP54.

It is desirable that it be a monoblock design with indication on the viewfinder and LCD screen. And the apparent range of hunting thermal imagers should reach 1500 m, while in the construction industry such requirements are not imposed on thermal imagers.

The principle of operation of the thermal imager

The operation of a thermal imager is based on the ability of any object to generate thermal radiation (IR radiation), the intensity of which directly depends on the temperature of the object. The thermal imager captures infrared rays at long distances, converting them into a form convenient for human perception. The difference in thermal radiation of various objects makes it possible to see reliefs in the dark, as well as cold or hot streams. At the same time, the maximum high-temperature areas are indicated in red, and the low-temperature areas are indicated in black or blue.

The fundamental difference between devices such as a thermal imager and a night vision device should be understood. The difference lies in their ability to see in the dark. A thermal imager transmits its own IR radiation from objects, while a night vision device transmits reflected and amplified radiation-illumination from other objects. That is, it is possible to perform the functions of a night vision device with a thermal imager, but building a heat map using a night vision device is not.

The thermal imager operation algorithm consists of three stages:

Fixation of IR radiation.
Convert it to temperature values.
Formation of a thermogram - a thermal image of an object that displays the temperature distribution on the surfaces of objects.

And these actions happen instantly.

Despite the rather complicated principle of operation of the thermal imager, the scheme of the portable device is not too cumbersome.

However, it should be borne in mind that for sufficient clarity of the image on the screen, the presence of special optics, with an admixture of germanium, is required. This is what dictates the high cost of professional devices. Their cost is in the thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars. Agree, the amount is rather big.

The enormous possibilities of thermal imaging cameras have long inspired many young people to the idea of building this device with their own hands. And, fortunately, there are ways to make a thermal imager with your own hands and avoid such impressive expenses. Of course, if the device is not supposed to be used for professional purposes.

We present three options for implementing a thermal imager at home below - choose which one you like best. And sensors for thermal imagers and other elements of the device can be bought ready-made.

Option number 1. Do-it-yourself thermal imager from the camera

This method is based on the fact that initially the matrices of all cameras perfectly capture infrared radiation, which, in fact, is necessary for the operation of a thermal imager. Another thing is that manufacturers of photographic equipment make sure that devices see the same thing as the human eye. To do this, a special filter is placed in front of the matrix, which absorbs or reflects almost all IR radiation - a “thermal mirror”, or hot mirror. Thanks to this filter, the sensitivity matrix curve becomes similar to the sensitivity curve of the human eye. Therefore, making a thermal imager with your own hands from a camera is simple, you just need to perform two steps - remove thermal filters from the camera, and install a visible spectrum filter instead. However, as practice shows, the latter is not always necessary.

Scope of homemade thermal imager

Is it possible to use a thermal imager made in this way at home? Quite. Will such a thermal imager be suitable for construction or, for example, when hunting? Quite possibly. In any case, outdoor enthusiasts will definitely like such a device. With it, you can control the approach of animals to your camp at night, as well as search for lost group members in fog or clouds of dust.

If you have an unnecessary DSLR at your disposal, about $ 40 for an IR filter, the desire and the ability to disassemble the camera, then, of course, it is worth trying this option.

Option number 2. Do-it-yourself thermal imager using an infrared thermometer and an Arduino board

The idea behind this method is very simple. To create a thermal imager with your own hands, you will need an inexpensive infrared thermometer - this is a device that can measure the temperature of a specific point in space at a short distance, and an Arduino board through which we will connect it to RGB LEDs from some kind of lamp.

The Arduino board is a software and hardware tool designed for non-professional users to build simple systems from the field of automation and robotics.

Let's program the system so that the lantern light is painted in different colors depending on the thermometer readings. Let's do it traditionally, so that the high temperature corresponds to red, and to low - blue. Thus, by directing a flashlight with a built-in thermometer at any object, we automatically highlight this object with the appropriate color, depending on its temperature. If you add a camera to this set, then you will not only be able to see the temperature of the surfaces of the objects around you in color, but also get images that are no worse than those that even the most expensive thermal imagers allow you to see.

Where can such a thermal imager be used?

Of course, such devices are not like thermal cameras for hunting. It is difficult to make a powerful device with your own hands. But the presented option may well be useful for home needs, especially since the cost of this home-made design does not exceed $ 50.

Option number 3. Improved homemade thermal imager for shooting static objects

The development owes its birth to two German students, Max Ritter and Mark Cole. These young residents of Mindelheim invented a device that is quite easy to make and received an award for it in 2010 at the Science and Technology Forum.

The device consists of two servos (for horizontal and vertical movement), an Arduino controller (responsible for processing signals and transmitting data to a PC), a non-contact temperature sensor module (for example, MLX90614-BCI), a laser module or a laser pointer (will point to the scanning area ), cases and webcams. You will also need two 4.7 kΩ resistors and a tripod.

The camera plays the role of a kind of viewfinder of the scanned area, as well as the source of the original image, any cheap webcam can handle this role (the smaller it is, the better).

The data generated by the sensor can be read using the SMBus and PWM buses. Our case also allows the use of a sensor with BCI indices. Power supply 3V. The BCI index indicates the type of form factor with a nozzle that provides a narrow angle of view of 5 °.

Assembly

We place the Arduino board in a case with a battery compartment.
We fix the servo motor with superglue or epoxy in the front empty space of the board.
We place the second servomotor in the rotary device and fix the entire structure.
We connect the infrared thermometer to the Arduino by connecting Ground to GND, SDA to PIN4 VIN to 3.3V and SCL to PIN5. We will also install a 4.7 kΩ resistor by connecting SDA to 3.3V and SCL to 3.3V.
We make connection of Laser Card or laser pointer. This is to keep track of where the scan is currently taking place.
We install the webcam so that its direction exactly coincides with the direction of the IR sensor and laser.

And that's all. You made a thermal imager with your own hands!

What is good for

The process of scanning an object and issuing a heat map takes about a minute, because the sensor scans the future image point by point. This, of course, is absolutely useless for the hunting process. However, this home-made thermal imager for construction and other repair work will be an excellent assistant. For example, it can be used as a method to check for heat in electrical connections or power assemblies. The device allows not only to see the thermogram, but also the quantitative values of temperatures.

In addition to slow operation, the thermal imager has another drawback - a rigid binding to a PC, which makes it weakly mobile. But in some cases, the capabilities of the device and its cost justify themselves - for all components you will have to pay no more than 200 USD. e.

conclusions

From the options for assembling home-made thermal imagers that we have described, two conclusions arise:

It is quite possible to make a thermal imager yourself.
A homemade thermal imager has a very narrow scope.

Therefore, if you need a thermal imager for global purposes, you should postpone experiments and invest in high-quality equipment. To everyone who just loves to design and who is quite satisfied with the possibilities of homemade products, we can give advice - collect, experiment, and it may well be that you will be able to outdo the achievements of the homemade options we have described and create much more advanced thermal imagers for hunting with your own hands. Dare!

Those who are not particularly friendly with a soldering iron and a screwdriver, but love to spend time outdoors, as well as those who may need to visualize the temperature properties of objects in the range from 0 to 100 °C for professional purposes, are recommended to pay attention to ready-made semi-professional equipment. For example, on smartphones with a Flir One thermal imager.

These devices may well serve hunters and extreme travelers, as they are convenient, mobile, capable of operating at temperatures from 0 to 45 ° C and high atmospheric humidity. And at the same time, the cost of such a device is not much different from the cost of all kinds of homemade products.

Thermal imagers are devices with which you can control the temperature distribution of the measured surface. This surface is displayed on the device screen as a color field. On this field, a certain color corresponds to a certain temperature. The screen displays the apparent temperature range. The standard resolution of the latest thermal imagers is 0.1 degrees.

In low-cost devices, information is stored in the device's memory and, if necessary, read through a computer. Most often, such devices are used in conjunction with a laptop and a special program that receives information from a thermal imager.

Thermal imagers first appeared in the 1930s. Modern systems of thermal imagers began to develop only in the 60s. Thermal radiation receivers were with one element. The image in the receivers was carried out using a point shift of the optics. Such devices had low productivity and made it possible to observe temperature changes with low speed.

With the development of technological progress, cells have appeared that are capable of storing a light signal. It became possible to design new thermal imagers based on sensor matrices. From these matrices, the signals are sent to the decoder, then for processing to the main processor of the device.

In a certain sequence, the signals are projected onto a matrix with a temperature distribution with different colors indicated. This principle made it possible to obtain portable autonomous devices capable of quickly processing data, allowing you to control temperature changes in real time.

A promising development of new thermal imagers was the use of uncooled bolometers. This principle is based on the increased accuracy of calculating the change in the resistance of thin plates under the influence of heat radiation of the entire spectrum. This technology is popular in many countries in the production of new thermal imagers, which are subject to high requirements for safety and mobility. In our country, the production of autonomous thermal imagers with uncooled bolometers began in 2007.

Operation and design features

The infrared light is focused by the optical system of the thermal imager on the receiver, which gives a signal in the form of a change in resistance or voltage.
The electronics registers the received signal from the thermal imaging system. As a result, the signal is converted into an electronic thermogram. It is shown on the display.

A thermogram is an image of an object that has been processed by an electronic system to display it on a screen with different color shades corresponding to the distribution of infrared rays over the area of the object. As a result, the operator sees a thermogram corresponding to the radiation of heat coming from the object under study.

The sensitivity of the detector to heat radiation depends on its own temperature and the quality of the cooling. Therefore, the detector is placed in a special cooling device. The most popular type of cooling is liquid nitrogen. However, this method is inconvenient and rather primitive.

Another type of steel cooling. These are semiconductors capable of providing a temperature difference when an electric current passes through them, and acting on the principle of a heat pump. The sensitivity of the thermal imager sensor is created using sensitive semiconductors made of mercury-cadmium-tellurium, indium antimonide and other materials.

Parts and elements of the thermal imager

The cost of a thermal imager is quite high. Its main elements are the lens and the matrix (radiation detector), which make up 90% of the cost of the entire device. Such matrices are difficult to manufacture. The lens cannot be made of glass, as glass does not transmit infrared rays. Therefore, expensive rare materials (germanium) are used for lenses. Other inexpensive materials are currently being sought.

Other components of the device are:

1 - Lens cap
2 - Display
3 - Management
4 - Handle with a belt
5 - Thermal imager
6 - Start
7 - Lens
8* — Electronic system
9* - Memory for storing information
10* - Software

Lenses

The thermal imager must have at least one lens that is capable of focusing the radiation of infrared waves on the radiation receiver. Next, the receiver gives an electrical signal and forms a thermal (electronic) image, which is called a thermogram.

Most lenses are made from germanium. Antireflection thin-film coatings are used to optimize the light transmission of lenses. The thermal imager kit usually includes a case for storing and carrying the device, other additional equipment for using the device in the field.

Displays

Display of a picture of thermal radiation is carried out on the liquid crystal screen (display). It should have good brightness and be of sufficient size to easily view the image under various lighting conditions in the field. The screen usually contains supporting information. It includes a color temperature scale, time, date, battery charge, object temperature and other useful information.

Signal processing circuit and radiation receiver are used to modify the emission of infrared light into the necessary useful information. Focusing of the thermal radiation of the object is carried out on a special receiver. It is made from semiconductors. Thermal radiation creates an electrical signal at the receiver. Further, the signal enters the electronic circuit located inside the device, after the signal is processed by the electronics, a thermal image appears on the screen.

Governing bodies

With the help of these elements, various settings of the electronic system are made to optimize the image of thermal radiation on the display. Such adjustments electronically can change the color gamut and image fusion, thermal level interval. The reflected background temperature and emissivity are also adjustable.

Data store

Digital electronic data that contains heat images and ancillary data may be stored on electronic memory cards of various types, or on information transmission and storage devices.

Most thermal infrared imaging systems are capable of storing auxiliary text and voice data, as well as a snapshot of the image, which are obtained using an internal built-in camera operating in the human visibility spectrum.

Report creation and software

The software used with many modern thermal imaging systems is convenient and functional for the operator. Thermal digital and visible images are copied to a computer or laptop. There, this information can be analyzed using different color palettes, and other adjustments to the radiometric data can be made.

It is also possible to apply the built-in analysis options. Processed pictures can be included in sample reports or printed on a printer. Images can also be sent to the customer via the Internet, or saved on a computer in electronic form.

Classification

Thermal imagers are divided into several types according to various criteria.

Observational convert infrared rays into light visible to the eye according to a special color scale.

Measuring thermal imagers are able to determine the temperature of the object under study by assigning a certain corresponding temperature to the value of the digital pixel signal. The result is an image of the temperature distribution.

Stationary thermal imagers are used at industrial enterprises, where control over compliance with technological processes is carried out in the range of -40 +2000 degrees. Such devices are equipped with nitrogen cooling to create normal conditions for the operation of the receiving equipment. Such systems consist of 3rd generation thermal imagers based on semiconductor matrices of photodetectors.

portable thermal imaging devices are developed on the basis of uncooled silicon microbolometers. As a result, it became possible to abandon the use of bulky and expensive cooling equipment. Such devices have all the advantages of stationary models. At the same time, they can be used in hard-to-reach places. Many portable thermal imagers can be connected to a computer for information processing.

Night vision devices are often confused with thermal imagers. However, there is a big difference between them. The night vision device can work in low light as it amplifies the light. Often the light entering the lens blinds a person. The thermal imager does not need light, as its principle of operation is based on thermal infrared rays.

Scope of application of thermal imagers

Thermal imagers are used in various spheres of our life. So, for example, these devices are used in the protection of facilities and military intelligence. At night, a person can be seen through this device in complete darkness at a distance of up to 300 meters, and military equipment can be seen up to 3 km.

Currently, there are video cameras in the microwave operating range with image output to a computer. The sensitivity of such a camera is several hundredths of a degree. Therefore, if you hold the door handle at night, then the thermal imprint after that will be visible for about 30 minutes.

Thermal imagers have great prospects in determining defects in various installations. This occurs in the case of an increase or decrease in the temperature of a certain place in a mechanism or device. Sometimes certain defects are detected only by a thermal imager. On supporting heavy structures (bridges), during fatigue aging of the metal, resulting deformations, in some places more heat is released than expected. Therefore, it is possible to diagnose defects without disassembling the object.

As a result, we can say that thermal imagers are used as an operational security controller of objects.

Thermal imagers are widely used in medicine as diagnostics of the pathology of various diseases. In a healthy patient, body temperature is distributed symmetrically from the midline of the whole body. If this symmetry is violated, then this is a criterion for diagnosing diseases with a thermal imager.

Thermography is a modern method of diagnostics in medicine. This method is based on the detection of infrared radiation from the human body depending on its temperature. The intensity and distribution of heat radiation is normally determined by the peculiar physiological processes that occur in the body in deep and superficial organs.

Different states of pathology are characterized by asymmetric distribution of body temperature. This is reflected in the thermographic picture. This fact has important prognostic and diagnostic value. This is evidenced by many clinical studies.

There are two main types of thermography:

Telethermography.
Contact cholesteric thermography.

Telethermography operates on the modification of infrared rays from the human body into an electric current signal, which is displayed on the display of a thermal imager.

Contact cholesteric thermography works on the principle of the optical properties of liquid crystals, which are manifested by a color change to iridescent colors when applied to radiating surfaces. Colder places are blue and hot are red.

Application in industry

Control of heat exchange processes in exhaust systems, engines and car radiators.
Checking and designing the brake system of the car.
Control of ultrasonic welding.
Development of a car climate system.
Quality control of circuit boards in electronics.
Welding mode control.
Detection of misalignment of shafts, bearings, gears.
Metal stress analysis.
Control of isolation and tightness of capacities for liquids.
Determination of thermal insulation properties.
Identification of heat losses in the premises.
Diagnosis of fence structures.
Fire prevention.
Detecting a gas leak from a gas pipeline.
Control of technological processes.
Checking electrical equipment.
Checking the performance of thermal routes.
Identification of cold air leaks.
Control of thermal insulation of pipelines.
Checking equipment filled with oil.
Checking the generator stator.
Control of gas and chimneys.

Any object emits electromagnetic waves in a very wide frequency range, including waves in the infrared spectrum, the so-called "thermal radiation". In this case, the intensity of thermal radiation directly depends on the temperature of the object, and only to a very small extent depends on the illumination conditions in the visible range. Thus, with the help of a thermal imaging device, additional information that is inaccessible to the human eye and devices can be collected and visualized about any observed object. This opens up a number of unique opportunities for various fields of activity: accurate measurements, process control, and of course - security.

The principle of operation of modern thermal imagers is based on the ability of certain materials to detect radiation in the infrared range. By means of an optical device, which includes lenses made using rare materials that are transparent to infrared radiation (such as germanium), the thermal radiation of objects is projected onto an array of sensors that are sensitive to infrared radiation. Further, complex microcircuits read information from these sensors and generate a video signal, where a different color of the image corresponds to a different temperature of the observed object. The scale of correspondence of the color of a dot on the image to the absolute temperature of the observed object can be displayed over the frame. It is also possible to indicate the temperatures of the hottest and coldest point in the image. Depending on the model, thermal imagers differ in the size of the measured temperature step. Modern technologies make it possible to distinguish the temperature of objects with an accuracy of 0.05-0.1 K.

Many thermal imaging devices are also equipped with memory devices for recording the received video image of the thermal radiation pattern, high-performance microprocessors that allow real-time minimal analytics of the infrared radiation image obtained as a result of scanning. Quite often, the configuration of the combined use of a thermal imager and a video camera is used, which generally makes it possible to obtain an image of an object in the "extended" range of the combined infrared and visible spectra, and in adverse conditions (for example, lack of object illumination) to observe the object in at least one of the ranges. IR or visible range can either be superimposed on each other or broadcast separately. Special software allows you to set up the operation of the thermal imaging complex, coordinating the work of all its components as efficiently as possible.

Image accuracy and other characteristics of a thermal imager are usually determined by the scope of its use. In scientific laboratories, more complex structures are used, which, due to their narrow specialization, have the smallest step of the measured temperature. To ensure safety at various facilities, models are used that capture thermal radiation with a slightly lower accuracy, but operate over a wider frequency range and with more than sufficient accuracy to effectively perform their functions. In any case, the principle of operation of a thermal imager - the measurement and visualization of thermal radiation - is in demand in all spheres of modern society.

Thermal Imager Specifications

The main technical characteristics of a thermal imager, which experts pay attention to, are such parameters as the type of matrix, focal length, matrix sensitivity, viewing angles and temperature range of operation. Of course, these are just the main parameters, there are others.

Since for each model, based on its purpose, the characteristics are individual, you can learn more about them in our catalog.

Device types

A thermal imager is such a popular and multifunctional device that it has two technological design options:

Stationary. Devices in this category are intended for use in industrial plants to control technological processes. A nitrogen cooling system is a fairly common device that such a thermal imager is equipped with. The characteristics of its operating temperatures are very impressive: from -40 to +2000 ° C. As a rule, these systems are based on devices assembled on matrices of semiconductor photodetectors.

Portable (portable). Innovative developments made it possible to move away from the use of bulky cooling equipment, moving on to the production of thermal imagers based on uncooled silicon microbolometers. Such devices have all the advantages of their predecessors, which include, for example, a small temperature step during measurement (0.1 °C). It is also possible to use a thermal imager of this class for complex evaluation work that requires both ease of use and portability of the device. Many portable thermal imagers have the ability to connect to a PC for online data processing.

The principle of operation of the thermal imager

The thermal imager operation algorithm consists of three stages:

Fixation of IR radiation.
Convert it to temperature values.
Formation of a thermogram - a thermal image of an object that displays the temperature distribution on the surfaces of objects.

And these actions happen instantly.

Despite the rather complicated principle of operation of the thermal imager, the scheme of the portable device is not too cumbersome.

We present three options for implementing a thermal imager at home below - choose which one you like best. And sensors for thermal imagers and other elements of the device can be bought ready-made.

Option number 1. Do-it-yourself thermal imager from the camera

Scope of homemade thermal imager

If you have an unnecessary DSLR at your disposal, about $ 40 for an IR filter, the desire and the ability to disassemble the camera, then, of course, it is worth trying this option.

Option number 2. Do-it-yourself thermal imager using an infrared thermometer and an Arduino board

The Arduino board is a software and hardware tool designed for non-professional users to build simple systems from the field of automation and robotics.

Where can such a thermal imager be used?

Option number 3. Improved homemade thermal imager for shooting static objects

The camera plays the role of a kind of viewfinder of the scanned area, as well as the source of the original image, any cheap webcam can handle this role (the smaller it is, the better).

Assembly

We place the Arduino board in a case with a battery compartment.
We fix the servo motor with superglue or epoxy in the front empty space of the board.
We place the second servomotor in the rotary device and fix the entire structure.
We connect the infrared thermometer to the Arduino by connecting Ground to GND, SDA to PIN4 VIN to 3.3V and SCL to PIN5. We will also install a 4.7 kΩ resistor by connecting SDA to 3.3V and SCL to 3.3V.
We make connection of Laser Card or laser pointer. This is to keep track of where the scan is currently taking place.
We install the webcam so that its direction exactly coincides with the direction of the IR sensor and laser.

And that's all. You made a thermal imager with your own hands!

What is good for

conclusions

From the options for assembling home-made thermal imagers that we have described, two conclusions arise:

It is quite possible to make a thermal imager yourself.
A homemade thermal imager has a very narrow scope.

With the constant rise in the cost of heating housing, the idea arises to reduce heat loss in it. The thermal imager in this case can become an indispensable tool. But how to use it and, most importantly, how to correctly interpret the results? This was explained in detail by the representative of the French branch of Trotec, which produces thermal infrared cameras, Didir Vayzherber.

In what type of room can a thermal imager be used?

Thermal infrared cameras can be used in poorly insulated homes to diagnose heat leakage. This will allow you to perform high-quality insulation work in order to save energy. This type of camera can also be used to check the correct installation of window frames, if there are suspicions of defects in the installation. As a rule, this device shows all temperature changes on the surface of the walls of a house or apartment. In addition, a thermal imager can check the property for sale before making a deal.

Good thermography is done both indoors and outdoors with an approximate percentage of 30% outdoor photos to 70% indoor photos. The most important are the internal images, which are closest to the thermographic elements.

How is the diagnosis carried out?

The camera shows all temperature changes on the surface of the material. For example, you can control the insulation of doors and door frames, or the strengthening and sealing of window frames. By scanning, you can check the insulation of the upper floor under the roof (part of the room is scanned at an angle). It is preferable if the camera is indoors. It can be installed permanently. In this case, she plays a protective role. It is possible to move the camera from place to place, provided that the roof and windows are well insulated.
However, glass thermography cannot be performed because the infrared radiation from the camera used in the building does not pass through the window glass (infrared rays are reflected from the glass as from a mirror).

How should the camera be positioned to observe the object?

For best thermal scanning, the camera should be positioned as perpendicular to the object as possible. Thermography of the roof from the floor is nonsense. For more accurate and detailed reading of information, the camera should be placed as close as possible to the object.

thermal bridges. Do they show too wet areas or other room problems?

A thermal imaging camera can indeed reveal wet areas on a building. Wet material is more conductive and will have a different temperature than similar dry material.
As a preventive measure, an infrared camera can check electrical panels to ensure proper functioning of electrical installations. The camera will show if there are areas of abnormal overheating and high temperatures that are outside the standards. Scanning household electrical networks will help to avoid fires and power outages.
The thermal imaging camera is also widely used in the detection of leaks in electrical and communication networks located under the floor. In this case, the floor does not need to be dismantled for diagnosis.

How to decipher the results and how to account for updates?

Inside the building, the temperature differences of the walls and roof are especially taken into account. In some places of the room, such as corners, it is always colder than in the center. Using a thermal imager, it is determined whether this difference is acceptable (within 2-3 degrees) or too large. For example, if at the outside air temperature is 0 degrees, the internal temperature of the walls is 20 degrees, and in the corners it is 8 or 12 degrees, then the camera shows the lack of thermal insulation. All temperature tolerances are specified in the camera manual.

What is the best time of day to use an infrared camera?

The best time for thermography is early morning before sunrise. You can also work in the evening, depending on the conditions. But you need to avoid too sunny days, when the surface of the roof and walls is very hot.

Under what conditions can the thermography readings of a dwelling be distorted?

Avoid outdoor thermography in dense fog or rain. In this case, part of the infrared radiation will be absorbed by water particles, and the readings may be distorted. In addition, it is not recommended to take thermography on a sunny day, as the whole building, especially the sunny side, gets very hot, and the values will also be greatly distorted.

What is better, buy or rent an infrared camera for self-diagnosis?

Prices for infrared cameras start at 60,000 rubles. Renting an inexpensive thermal imager for three days will cost approximately 5,500 rubles. The cost of a full diagnosis, which will be carried out by professionals, is about 20,000 rubles.