Thermographic inspection of electrical equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174134-B2
Application number	US-202016990450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Dec 21, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A thermographic inspection system is provided for inspecting electrical equipment. The system may be used while the electrical equipment is energized to monitor active performance of the equipment. The system may be used to monitor temperature differences of various components in the equipment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of inspecting electrical equipment, comprising:
energizing electrical components enclosed within an electrical cabinet;
inserting a thermographic sensor through a port in the electrical cabinet while preventing human access inside of the electrical cabinet;
imaging at least two electrical components with the thermographic sensor with a single image while the electrical components are energized;
identifying respective regions of interest of the at least two electrical components in the single image;
identifying a first region of interest around a first electrical component by detecting a hottest point in the respective regions of interest in the single image and detecting a first temperature boundary around the first electrical component;
identifying a second region of interest around a second electrical component by detecting a hottest point in the respective regions of interest in the single image outside the first region of interest and detecting a second temperature boundary around the second electrical component;
comparing a temperature data of the at least two electrical components from the single image, wherein the temperature data comprises data within the first temperature boundary and the second temperature boundary; and
generating a warning when a variation in the temperature data of the at least two electrical components relative to each other is higher than a threshold,
wherein the thermographic sensor is attached to a portion of a robot sized to pass through the port in the electrical cabinet, the port being sized to prevent human access inside of the electrical cabinet.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the robot being configured to move within the electrical cabinet.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
withdrawing the thermographic sensor through the port after imaging the at least two electrical components.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
recording the single image, reimaging the at least two electrical components with another single image more than one week after the imaging, comparing temperature data of at least one of the electrical components in the single image and the another single image, and generating a warning when a variation in the temperature data of the at least one electrical component relative to the single image and the another single image is higher than a threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
removably fixing the thermographic sensor to a same location for the imaging and reimaging, and removing the thermographic sensor from the electrical cabinet between the imaging and reimaging.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two electrical components comprise a matching component from each of three different phases.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying the single image, or an equivalent image thereof, comprising a plurality of the electrical components on a human viewable display, and receiving a human defined identification of the at least two components.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
adjusting a temperature color range of the single image, or the equivalent image thereof, on the human viewable display in response to human input.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature data of the at least two electrical components comprises an average temperature within each of the temperature boundaries.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a third region of interest around a third electrical component by detecting a hottest point in the respective regions of interest in the single image outside of the first region of interest and the second region of interest and detecting a third temperature boundary around the third electrical component, the at least two electrical components including the third electrical component,
wherein the first, second and third regions of interest each being on a matching component from each of three different phases.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single image comprises at least five temperature color ranges, and each of the five temperature color ranges covers between 5° C. and 15° C.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two electrical components comprise a matching component from each of three different phases, and the method further comprising:
withdrawing the thermographic sensor through the port after imaging the matching components, wherein the thermographic sensor is attached to a portion of a robot sized to pass through the port in the electrical cabinet, the port being sized to prevent human access inside of the electrical cabinet.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
displaying the single image, or an equivalent image thereof, comprising a plurality of the electrical components on a human viewable display, adjusting a temperature color range of the single image, or the equivalent image thereof, on the human viewable display in response to human input, and receiving a human defined identification of the matching components.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
identifying the respective region of interest on each of the matching components by detecting the temperature boundary on or around each of the matching components, the temperature data comprising data within the temperature boundaries.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the temperature data of the matching components comprises an average temperature within each of the temperature boundaries.

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising withdrawing the thermographic sensor through the port after imaging the at least two electrical components, wherein the thermographic sensor is attached to a portion of a robot sized to pass through the port in the electrical cabinet, the port being sized to prevent human access inside of the electrical cabinet, and further comprising recording the single image, reimaging the at least two electrical components with another single image more than one week after the imaging, comparing temperature data of at least one of the electrical components in the single image and the another single image, and generating a warning when a variation in the temperature data of the at least one electrical component relative to the single image and the another single image is higher than a threshold.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising removably fixing the thermographic sensor to a same location for the imaging and reimaging, and removing the thermographic sensor from the electrical cabinet between the imaging and reimaging.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag
• ABB Schwiez AG

Inventors

• Kozel Tomas
• Rossano Gregory
• Wang Jianjun

Classifications

• G01J5/48

  Thermography; Techniques using wholly visual means · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• G01J5/041

  Mountings in enclosures or in a particular environment · CPC title

• G01J5/025

  Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface · CPC title

• G01J5/0096 Primary

  for measuring wires, electrical contacts or electronic systems · CPC title