Thermal baseline factors in nuclear power plants

The author discuses how the inclusion of infrared imaging into the predictive maintenance program at the Davis-Besse nuclear power station has led to a program that may assist other nuclear sites in implementing an infrared (IR) program for predictive maintenance. The nuclear industry is using various forms of IR technology for troubleshooting and preventive maintenance at many sites. The ease of producing and analyzing a thermogram (from either a video tape or a computer digital file) provides the basis for data trending and documentation to support a predictive program