Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) short wave infrared (SWIR) cameras are useful tools for high temperature thermography applications, where object temperatures are above 100 degrees Celsius. Some examples of these applications include industrial furnace monitoring, hot end glass bottle inspection, and detection of slag impurities in molten metal.
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Thermal emissions above 100 degrees celsius can be imaged with a shortwave infrared camera. |
Thermography, synonymous for thermal imaging, is simply defined as the use of an infrared sensor to detect radiation emitted from an object in the 0.9 to 14 micron region of the spectrum. Any object higher in temperature than absolute zero will emit radiation. The amount of detectable radiation depends on the temperature and emissivity of the object, as well as the type of sensor used for imaging. In general, higher temperatures amount to more radiation and shorter peak wavelength emission. This is illustrated via the curve in the figure above. InGaAs SWIR cameras are able to detect emitted radiation specifically in the 0.9 to 1.7 micron region. In practice, InGaAs is used to image thermal radiation from objects ranging in temperature from 100 degrees C to above 1600 degrees C. For more information and examples of thermographic applications, go to industrial furnace monitoring, hot end glass bottle inspection, and detection of slag impurities in molten metal.
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Black body source set to 120 degrees C with room lights on (left) and off (right) imaged with the SU320MX camera. |
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