PyrOptic can check hundreds of electrical contacts and connections in milliseconds, presenting a real world alternative to thermal imaging.This is achieved by simply monitoring optical loop continuity which can be broken at any monitored point should the temperature threshold be exceeded.

The Problems With Thermal Imaging

Safety
Thermal imaging routines often expose more than just the thermographer to safety risks such as electrical personnel who may be required to remove panels from live equipment to conduct the inspection. Open electrical equipment can expose personnel to high incident energy (arc flash) risk amongst other hazards. Where thermal imaging windows are used, they can interfere with type test certification of switchgear. Special training and PPE are used to help reduce risk however these are poor solutions on the hierarchy of controls, especially now that various online monitoring systems exist that can eliminate the task.

PyrOptic eliminates these safety risks by automatically monitoring for abnormal temperatures, it’s that simple.

Accessibility

Infrared radiation cannot directly penetrate metalwork. Therefore the use of thermal imaging equipment, which only measures the surface temperature of components, is not a viable method for diagnosing internal faults in metal clad switchgear. It is possible for thermal imaging cameras to see through special viewing windows; however, these are not fitted as standard to switchgear and can interfere with type test certification and the internal arc management of switchgear. Detection of faults using infrared techniques also requires line of sight which further limits application and would require extensive use of viewing windows to identify defects in all compartments. These constraints, coupled with the small number of faults attributable to overheating means that the practicality and usefulness of employing the technique on metal clad switchgear is very limited. (Effective Condition Assessment of Medium Voltage Switchgear, Maintenance and Asset Management Article)

PyrOptic eliminates accessibility issues and can be installed deep inside compartments, even directly in oil immersed environments! A single 1mm diameter fiber optic core is all that is required to link virtually any number of PyrOnodes to form a comprehensive protection network. Each PyrOnodes is also very compact with dimensions of 6.4mm diameter and 22mm long.

Cost

Time-studies indicate that traditional open-panel inspections are very time-consuming.The man-hour costs can easily run to over $600 per panel. PPE suit-up and dress-down time is another costly task associated with traditional inspections. Costs can quickly exceed thousands of dollars per inspection cycle (10 Things You Need To Know About Infrared Windows, IRISS).

PyrOptic is an extremely low cost, virtually zero maintenance solution that protects monitored equipment 24/7 for decades. Depending on your current inspection intervals, a PyrOptic system can easily attain positive return on investment in under 12 months.

Summary

PyrOptic is the first of its kind solution to eliminate thermal imaging and other routine inspection activities in electrical equipment. It is compact, simple and rugged, it can even be installed directly in oil filled equipment. The optical loop is formed by a tough, high temperature plastic fiber optic (POF) with Nylon 12 outer jacket, the same material used in automotive fuel systems for its high chemical resistance and low moisture absorption. The POF can be applied directly to live electrical components. Air gap segmentation in the optical loop can be introduced using lenses allowing service at virtually any voltage level. This feature also eliminates potential tracking paths and allows the optical loop to exist between stationary and moving objects.

Online temperature monitoring of electrical contacts and connections can eliminate the need for various routine inspection tasks. There are many drivers to conduct inspections including regulatory, safety, cost management and reliability. PyrOptic has completely changed the process of managing the risk pertaining to electrical connection failures. The switchgear monitoring system has the ability to manage risks round the clock by using a new concept that leverages optical loop integrity.This concept is scalable, versatile, economical and highly reliable.

PyrOptic offers the most reliable, economical and distrubutable fibre optic temperature Sensor for electrical connections in the market. Our PyrOptic system consists of one or more PyrOnodes linked by a continuous length of plastic fiber optic (POF).For more details about please switchgear temperature monitoring visit our website.

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