Colorlight CLIR - Manual (Page 4)

Page 4
CL IR
MANUAL
1. CL IR
– SEARCHLIGT WITH THERMAL CAMERA
1.1 Introduction
Dear Customer.
Thank you for choosing a searchlight from Colorlight.
Our products are built by hand and the components are chosen with a focus on performance
and quality.
We hope that you will be totally satisfied with your searchlight.
CL
IR
: Colorlight searchlight with integrated Infra-red thermal camera.
The thermal night vision camera unit from FLIR
®
is placed in a robust, modern designed
housing mounted on top of the searchlight middle part; this means that the camera always
follows the searchlights horizontal movement from the joystick.
The thermal camera is mounted in a special tilt unit witch make it easy to adjust the camera
vertically from the operator panel.
The front is provided with a germanium window with an integrated temperature-controlled and
self-regulating heating element, the element will prevent condensation and ice build-up on the
front window that would otherwise disrupt the cameras line of sight.
The infrared thermal camera provides a clear picture based on temperature differences, even in
total darkness. This is possible since the camera is sensitive to thermal infrared radiation.
By design, the camera image will freeze momentarily on a periodic basis, this can also be heard
as quiet clicking noise from the camera housing.
A shutter activates inside the camera and provides a target of uniform temperature, allowing the
camera to correct for ambient temperature changes and provide the best possible image.
General technical description of infrared imaging
All objects with a temperature over the absolute zero point -273 C (0 degree K) generates
infrared radiation. The hotter the temperature, the more infrared radiation.
The IR sensor also sense differences of the materials emissivity, reflection and transmission.
Emissivity
– the materials capability to emit infrared radiation. Reflection – the material
capability to reflect infrared radiation. Transmission
– the material capability of transmitting
infrared radiation.
To keep it very simple
Materials with a temperature over -273 C will be detected by the thermal sensor and different
materials with same temperature will appear different on the monitor due to the different
properties in the materials.
Weak point with thermal sensor
Rain, fog, snow reduces the optical sight and it also effect the range of IR detection. Depending
distance, size of object and level of temperature (IR radiation) there is no simple answer how
much the detection range is affected
– but it is affected.
A combined solution with thermal sensor and visible light will support your improved visibility
depending the actual conditions during your operations.