Silicon-based thermopile IR arrays are the most affordable, robust thermal imaging sensors available. Thermopile imaging arrays, from our partner, Heimann Sensor, are more compact, affordable and scalable in production than other infrared imaging technologies. Heimann offers the worldwide first fully monolithic thermopile arrays in TO-8, TO-39 and TO-46 housing.
The sensors are available in a variety of array formats, packages, digital or analog output, and with integrated lenses. The sensors are tailored to your FOV requirements, without the need for expensive, bulky external optics. Further, they can be factory calibrated, and do not need a shutter or non-uniformity correction greatly simplifying the design of your sensor system.
To generate a thermal image, many individual thermopile pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional array. Starting with low resolution of 8×8 and 16×16 pixels, we also provide thermopile arrays with 32×32, 80×64 and 120×84 pixels. This allows our customers to generate thermal images with different spatial resolution for different applications. One of the main fields of interest of our customers include person detection in automation and security applications. Another area is hot spot detection, which includes a wide field of applications from engineering to fire suppression to industrial safety up to consumer goods.
Although the basic principles of non-contact infrared temperature sensing and infrared thermal imaging are the same, we want to offer a few additional basics of thermal imaging as well. This includes a brief overview of the most important basics, which are essentially the same for infrared thermal imaging as for normal visible light cameras. In addition, we provide helpful hints about the most important characteristics that should be considered for spatial temperature measurements.
Intrusion Detection, the automated sensing of a new person or animal into a surveilled area, is one of the main applications of low-resolution thermopile arrays like Heimann Sensor’s 32×32 or 80×64 array. It is used for safety and security as well as for making life easier and more comfortable. Examples are smart buildings with functions like smart HVAC control and smart lighting for energy savings. The same system can be used as a security alarm. Other functions include wellness checks of invalids and older people living alone, fire prevention and elevated body temperature detection.
The advantages of low-resolution thermopile arrays for these applications are:
No privacy issues
Independent illumination (day/night)
Not affected by smoke in case of fire or while cooking
Detection of stationary people (e.g., while sitting/sleeping)
Low-cost
Please see the Person Detection Application Note for a brief overview of some possible applications and discuss the potential benefits of using infrared thermopile arrays.
Because thermopile arrays gather thermal images, it follows that they can be easily employed for hot spot detection applications. There are many fields in which the information about existing or developing hot spots is useful regarding fire prevention, predictive maintenance and energy savings. Typical applications for fire prevention and detection are stove top monitoring and fire risk detection in waste sorting plants, transportation or public spaces. Examples for predictive maintenance are bearing temperature monitoring, observation of electrical components and connections as well as hot spot detection in photovoltaic plants.
