The fully-radiometric, high performance Raytek ThermoView™ Ti30 thermal imager is providing safety for linemen as well as saving money for Wood County Electric Coop, according to Chief Operating Officer Robert Norman.
Wood County Electric Coop in Quitman, TX purchased a Thermoview Ti30 after discovering that some of its lightening arresters were failing prematurely. Lightening arresters monitor the amount of voltage in a power line. If the voltage is higher than 7,200 volts, it will short circuit the system and divert a lightening strike from the equipment into the ground. But, if the arrester fails to detect the high voltage, there could be serious consequences.
“This is a safety issue for the service person working on or around the equipment,” Norman said. "When the arresters fail unexpectedly, there is the potential for a catastrophic failure and portions of porcelain could spray."
To ensure safety, Norman’s crew is surveying several thousand arresters, and halfway through the project about 7 percent have been found to be 15 to 20 degrees above ambient temperature, making them suspect for failure.
Designed for predictive maintenance applications, the ThermoView Ti30 thermal imager scans targets quickly and smoothly, includes software for analysis and reporting, and comes with all the accessories needed to get the imager up and running quickly. A two-day imaging training session is also included.
“We always knew that we could also use thermal imaging for other maintenance,” he said. “Now when there’s an arrester near a transformer, we’re doing both at the same time and have been able to avoid future problems.”
For more information call Raytek toll free in the US at (800) 866-5478/(831) 458-1110 (Intl) or...
Request ThermoView Ti30 information online
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8/06/04
Posted by maintenance-tips at August 23, 2004 11:09 AM