English Thermal Imaging specialists, Thermoteknix Systems Ltd are regarded as one of the world

The VisIR camera is a real-time, hand-held thermal imaging camera used primarily for monitoring industrial plant equipment for hotspots, taking both infrared and visible still images simultaneously, as well as for scientific and R & D applications.  

Metro’s carriages are not set up for technical surveys of this type so a customized system using a standard pan/tilt photography tripod and bracket was used to mount the camera on the roof of the train. 

The camera's real time image output signal was converted from LVDS output into IP Packets by a Pleora iPort GigE engine and fed into a laptop over a CAT5 Ethernet link.  The data was captured and viewed using Thermoteknix  proprietary ThermaGRAM® product – a software program for real time data IR data acquisition, viewing and temperature analysis.  The resulting data is an impressive sequence of thermal images showing the overhead cables in real time as the train travelled along the track (Fig 1).  This survey system is designed to run overnight while the railways are not in service.  On the first night of trialling the system, around 90km of track were surveyed with the train running at around 30km per hour.

The trial identified hotspots on the overhead cables requiring engineering services to prevent electrical failure but just as interestingly, quite a number of birds’ nests were also detected which could be a safety hazard.  In order to pinpoint the precise location of the potential problem hotspots, a GPS system was used with the clock on the camera synchronized with the GPS.  Waypoints were marked wherever a hotspot was recorded and the times were used to marry up the image with the waypoint.  Metro Rail are delighted with the initial results of the trial and are now in discussions to introduce the system throughout the rail network of South Africa.

For further information, contact - Thermoteknix Systems Ltd, Teknix House,
2 Pembroke Avenue, Waterbeach, Cambridge, CB25 9QR, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1223 204000 Fax: +44 (0)1223 204010
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Web: www.thermoteknix.com