ТЕРМОГРАФІЧНИЙ МОНІТОРИНГЯК ІНСТРУМЕНТ ДІАГНОСТУВАННЯ СТАНУ ТЕПЛОВОЇ ІЗОЛЯЦІЇ ОБЛАДНАННЯ ТЕЦ

Purpose. Substantiation, development and implementation of a comprehensive engineering methodology for remote non-destructive monitoring of the state of thermal insulation of technological equipment and branched pipelines of thermal power plants based on quantitative thermographic monitoring to increase energy efficiency and operational reliability of energy enterprises. Methodology. The study is based on a comprehensive approach that combines the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and the theory of heat and mass transfer to describe the processes of radiation-convective heat transfer at the interface of the outer surface of the protective insulation casing with the environment. Results. A step-by-step calculation algorithm has been created that transforms the array of radiation temperatures of each pixel of the thermogram into true values of surface temperatures, and then into quantitative indicators of total specific heat losses. A four-level classification of the technical condition of insulating structures has been developed based on the coefficient of exceeding the standard heat losses, which allows to clearly differentiate the condition of the object from serviceable to emergency. Tools for graphical interpretation of monitoring results in the form of digital maps of thermal defects with the calculation of the integral indicator of excess heat power losses have been proposed. Scientific novelty. The mathematical apparatus of quantitative infrared thermography has been improved by implementing an algorithm for separate calculation of the convective and radiation components of the heat flow on metal protective casings with a low degree of blackness, which allowed to reduce the error in determining the actual energy losses from 30–50 % to 7–10 %. Practical significance. The developed methodology allows to quickly carry out an express assessment of the condition of thermal insulation of large areas of complex equipment without stopping the technological process and destroying structures. The practical use of digital defect cards provides automated conversion of lost Watts of thermal power into financial losses from overconsumption of conventional fuel at the enterprise.