Developing an IEEE Continuous Thermal Monitoring Standard and a Major Company’s Protection of Their Electrical Assets: Exploring Continuous Thermal Monitoring for Electrical Connections and Components

摘要

The process of initiating an IEEE standard is not well understood by many. The objective of this paper is to follow the development of an IEEE Standard Working Group (WG) and the initial efforts to develop an IEEE Standard for continuous thermal monitoring (CTM). This also investigates methods to monitor the operating condition of equipment connections as an alternative to infrared (IR) thermography surveys. It includes a review of methods that can capture data for analysis, trending, and predictive maintenance for personnel safety and extended equipment reliability. Maintenance of electrical switchgear and motor control centers (MCCs) is critical to elevating safety and assuring facilities’ uptime in all industries. Key concerns in every company’s electrical distribution system include the connections and terminations of electrical equipment.