Application Note

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Application Note

From the Fluke Digital Library @ www.fluke.com/library

By using a dot-matrix display

for the thermometer’s screen,

designers were able to match the

tool’s three buttons to intuitive

on-screen menus. They hoped

that beta testers would be able

to use the menus without help

and adapt the tool’s settings for

specific measurement scenarios.

For example, infrared readings

are essentially a measurement

of surface temperature, and their

accuracy depends on the type

of surface being measured, a

phenomenon called emissivity.

Users of earlier infrared ther-

mometers had complained that

they didn’t know the different

emissivity values for different

surface materials, such as alumi-

num or copper. Even if they did

know, users couldn’t figure out

how to change the values in the

thermometer. So, the new Fluke

568 contains an on-board table

Infrared, non-contact thermom-

eters are mainstays for check-

ing equipment temperatures to

spot emerging problems before

they lead to shutdowns. When a

new Fluke infrared thermometer

appears that’s more capable,

rugged, and easier to use, that’s

good news to FlukePlus mem-

bers. Hundreds of members

entered a contest to be first to

put the new Fluke 568 Ther-

mometer through its paces, as

official beta-testers. This story

describes how one of the win-

ning testers used the tool.

Test points

Fluke engineers designed the

Fluke 568 to set a new stan-

dard among hand-held infrared

thermometers as a highly accu-

rate, rugged tool with advanced

features that people can easily

understand how to use.

Tests: Electrical and mechanical

component operational temperature

checks and temperature comparison

over time

Tool: Fluke 568 Infrared/Contact

Thermometer

Tester: Todd Woelk, Electrical

and Instrumentation Supervisor,

Equa-Chlor

Testing Functions

Case Study

Reviewer gives Fluke 568

Infrared two thumbs up for

maintenance and

system monitoring

This is a 700 hp motor used to run the Equa-Chlor hydrogen compressor. Woelk has had

typical readings around 75 °F to 80 °F. He is measuring the external surface of the motor,

compressor, and gearbox.

Summary of content (3 pages)

PAGE 1
Reviewer gives Fluke 568 Infrared two thumbs up for maintenance and system monitoring Application Note Testing Functions Case Study This is a 700 hp motor used to run the Equa-Chlor hydrogen compressor. Woelk has had typical readings around 75 °F to 80 °F. He is measuring the external surface of the motor, compressor, and gearbox.
PAGE 2
Meet the tester This is the 13.8 KV feeder connections to the 30 MW dc rectifier. These temperatures vary greatly, depending on ambient air and plant load. of common values and the new menus should make them easy to find—but this would be the true test. (Users that know the emissitivity of the materials they want to measure can still enter an exact value numerically.) In addition to adjustable emissivity, to get an accurate reading, an infrared thermometer needs a high distance-to-spot ratio.
PAGE 3
This is the plant’s harmonic filter bank. Woelk is checking capacitors, insulators, and terminations. The temperatures of these connections varies with ambient air and plant load. Fluke was curious whether the intense electromagnetic field would affect the thermometer’s firmware, and Woelk was likewise interested in finding a tool that could withstand it. Woelk saved that part of the plant until the end of his tests, just to be sure, but the 568 performed just fine.