IR Program at Rio Grande Power Plant Detects Dangerous Gas Leaks:

At the Rio Grande Power Plant in El Paso, Texas, a trained team of thermographers use thermal imaging cameras to detect wayward flue gas. Any gas that goes out of the stack, whether it is burned, raw or the product of emissions, is considered flue gas. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only allows for very low emissions levels, forcing power plants to make sure that they are meeting environmental standards. Hot spots on a boiler wall can indicate failed or missed refractory, which compromise the efficiency of the boiler and damage the environment with high emission levels.

IR scans and surveys are completed on a monthly schedule so that baseline temperatures and potential problems can be monitored. On a regular basis, temporary fixes and adjustments allow engineers to prevent failures and make repairs during scheduled downtimes. The ability to see what would go unnoticed by the naked eye has saved the Rio Grande Power Plant valuable time, effort and money.

Courtesy of Phillip Romero, El Paso Electric Company, in Inframation 2003 Proceedings