A thermal imager is an extremely expensive and difficult-to-manufacture device that finds its application in many areas and fields of activity. But what makes a thermal imager an important device, and how does it work?
Thermal imagers: principle of operation and production features
A thermal imager is a special device used to monitor the temperature distribution on a surface or inside an object. The work of a thermal imager is directly related to thermography - the scientific method of obtaining images in infrared rays.
An infrared camera in a thermal imager captures the warm radiation of an object in a non-contact manner, converting it into a digital signal, which is then transmitted to the device and displayed on the monitor as a thermal image.
One of the main problems in the production of thermal imagers is the high cost of materials for assembling the matrix and lens, which, in fact, make up 90% of the cost of the final product. Matrices are produced for a very long time and require highly specialized specialists, and in the production of lenses such expensive materials as silicon or germanium are used.
Thermal imagers of the third generation are especially expensive, that is, stationary thermal imagers that are used in industry and construction: in their production, semiconductor matrices and microbolometers made of silicon are used.
A thermal imager is often confused with a night vision device. A night vision device enhances the light entering the field of view, sometimes blinding when bright objects meet, and a thermal imager simply captures the thermal energy of an object and transmits it.
Areas of application of thermal imagers
Thermal imagers have a wide range of applications both in large enterprises and in small organizations. In these cases, they are most often used to monitor the temperature of objects and help in troubleshooting the wiring system.
The thermal imager is widely used in construction: for example, when constructing large structures, the thermal imager helps to detect sources of heat loss, assess the insulating properties of the structure and individual materials, on the basis of which to draw a conclusion about the quality of building materials.
Rescuers and firefighters also use thermal imagers: in conditions of strong smoke and poor visibility, thermal imagers help to identify fire sources, analyze the situation and find an escape route. Also used when searching for missing people in forests or under collapsed buildings.
An interesting fact: for the first time in the field of medicine, thermal imagers began to be used in the USSR - already in the 80s, thermal imagers were used to diagnose diseases, in neurosurgery, as well as to isolate people with influenza from a crowd of people.
Thermal imagers used in military equipment and weapons are currently receiving special and most widespread use. For example, sights equipped with a thermal imager make it possible to detect enemy personnel at any time of the day, despite the camouflage used by the enemy. Thermal imagers are also used in helicopters and armored vehicles - where they work as one of the elements of the sighting system.
Sights with a thermal imager for automatic weapons exist, but, due to their high cost, have not found application either in Russia or anywhere else.
