Why IR Thermometers are NOT Ideal for In-the-Pipe Measurement (and Why HANI’s Are)
Getting the accurate temperature of media that is flowing through a pipe is a serious pain in the neck. And for industrial and manufacturing professionals, there really only has been, up until now, one viable option: immersion sensors.
But invasive, in-pipe immersion sensors, although highly accurate, can cause some serious logistical headaches for systems managers and operators. They are difficult, time-consuming, and costly to install, they are invasive to the system and require direct contact with the process media – meaning there is an increase in risk of contamination – and, once they are installed into a location within a system, they cannot be relocated without repeating the entire installation process.
For many industry professionals, immersion sensors are simply viewed as a ‘necessary evil’: all of the headaches are worth it because accuracy is that important.
But for others, those headaches are too much to deal with and they find themselves seeking out alternative shortcuts.
One common alternative temperature measurement process that systems managers and operators turn to for in-pipe media temperature measurement, and one that DOES NOT work, is to use industrial infrared handheld thermometers.
Industrial Infrared Handheld Thermometers
Industrial infrared handheld thermometers are extremely useful devices, and they enable quick, accurate temperature measurement from a distance without requiring direct contact with the object being measured.
Quick. Accurate. Non-contact.
From the outset, it seems like infrared thermometers are an ideal solution for in-the-pipe media temperature measurement.
However, although they may sound good, industrial infrared thermometers are not ideal for this type of temperature measurement.
For one, infrared thermometers, while designed for surface temperature measurement, are not well suited for the surfaces of most industrial pipes. Shiny surfaces, like metal pipes, are too reflective, and objects that are highly reflective and have low emissivity will affect the accuracy of an infrared thermometer.
In addition, infrared thermometers measure only surface temperature. This is not the targeted measurement. Industry professionals are looking for the temperature of the media flowing within the pipe. Infrared thermometers are only capable of measuring surface temperature.
HANI: The Shortcut That Works
The HANI Clamp Temperature Sensor is the shortcut that actually works.
It’s quick. From unboxing to being measurement-ready, the HANI takes about 10 seconds to install – just wrap the sensor strap around the desired pipe and pull the quick-latch mechanism, automatically setting the tension for the specified pipe diameter.
It’s accurate. The HANI measures temperature of media inside the pipe with as much accuracy and with the same high-performance as invasive, immersion temperature sensors.
It’s non-contact. The HANI is a groundbreaking temperature measurement device that accurately measures the temperature of media flowing through a pipe without requiring any direct contact with the media.
With Omega’s HANI, industry and manufacturing professionals now have an alternative option to unwanted (but often necessary) invasive temperature sensors.
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