SF6 escapes shown as a live plume on screen, without de-energising the installation.
Passive imaging tuned to SF6
The TC706 uses passive thermal imaging in the 9.8-11.2 µm band, where SF6 absorbs strongly, so a leak appears on screen as a live plume and its exact point of origin can be located at a distance, with no power outage.
The cooled QWIP detector of 320 × 256 delivers high image quality and accurate temperature measurement (−40 °C to +500 °C), so the same instrument also covers routine thermographic inspections.
Features and advantages
- Long-distance location of leaks on energised equipment.
- Cooled detector with thermal sensitivity (NETD) ≤ 0.025 °C.
- No specific background or auxiliary light needed for on-site checks.
- Handle and viewfinder rotate together for easy observation at any angle.
- Compact and light (3 kg): single-person field use.
- Voice and video recording for complete survey reports.
Applications and detectable gases
Applications
- SF6 leak surveys in gas-insulated substations and circuit breakers.
- Preventive inspection of energised switchgear.
- Environmental protection: tracing emissions of greenhouse gases.
Detectable gases
Besides SF6, the camera visualises acetic acid, ammonia, FREON-12, cyanoacrylate, ethylene, chlorine dioxide and MEK, among other gases absorbing in its spectral band.
Field documentation
Findings are stored as radiometric images and video with voice annotation; the built-in visible camera and HDMI output complete the reporting workflow.
Rotating handle and viewfinder for awkward inspection angles
| TC706 — TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Detector | Cooled QWIP, 320 × 256 |
| Spectral range | 9.8-11.2 µm (peak 10.55 µm), tuned to SF6 absorption |
| Thermal sensitivity (NETD) | ≤ 0.025 °C at 30 °C |
| Field of view / min. focus | 14.5° × 10.8° / 0.5 m, or 24° × 18° / 0.3 m |
| Spatial resolution (IFOV) | 0.79 or 1.13 mrad |
| Frame rate, focus and zoom | 60 Hz; automatic, motorised or manual focus; 1-4× electronic zoom |
| Built-in visible camera | 1.3 MP CMOS |
| Displays | 0.6-inch HD colour OLED viewfinder with zoom; 5-inch HD colour touchscreen, 800 × 600 |
| Temperature range | −40 °C to +500 °C |
| Accuracy | ±2 °C or ±2 % of reading, whichever is greater |
| Analysis functions | Up to 10 spots, 5 areas (max/min/average), 2 lines; profile, isotherm, difference, alarms (voice, colour) |
| Image control | 11 palettes; automatic/manual contrast and brightness |
| Corrections | Emissivity 0.01-1.0; background temperature; atmospheric transmittance |
| Storage | 8 GB SD card, over 6000 images; manual/automatic capture; continuous infrared and visible video |
| File formats | Infrared JPEG (14-bit with measurement data) and MPEG-4; visible JPEG / MPEG-4; 40 s voice notes |
| Image improvement | Averaging (S2, S4, S8, S16) and spatial filter |
| Laser pointer | 1 mW / 635 nm (red) |
| Power supply | Rechargeable Li-Ion battery, 3 h continuous; smart charger or on-line adaptor; external 10-15 V DC |
| Environment | −15 °C to +50 °C; ≤ 90 % RH (non-condensing); IP54 |
| Weight and dimensions | 3 kg; 335 × 160 × 172 mm |
| Interfaces | HDMI video output, USB 2.0, audio output |