LAND, an industry expert in thermal imaging technology, has provided real-time visualisation of the grate and boiler sidewalls using mid-wavelength thermal imaging. This allows operators to monitor slag build-up, optimise drying, burning, and burnout zone temperatures, and predict maintenance, outages, and cleaning schedules to reduce downtime and improve safety.

The LAND solution, the MWIR-b-640, is designed for tough, high-temperature applications and features a replaceable lens window on the borescope tip. The intuitive ImagePro software provides continuous temperature values from the grate and early alarms on small tube leaks and temperature variations, leading to process optimisation.

LAND has released a new application note highlighting the use of fixed thermal imaging solutions in improving combustion efficiency and reliability in grate incinerators.

Energy from Waste (EfW) plants face challenges due to the heterogeneous nature of fuel, including slag build-up, boiler tube failures, and difficulty optimising the combustion reaction.

James Cross, Head of Industry Management at LAND, said: "We knew EfW was a potential application for LAND’s portfolio of pyrometers and thermal imagers, but we didn’t realise just how much interest the industry would show. Our CDB pyrometer is installed in the roof of many grate furnaces, but introducing thermal imaging has been a really interesting experience: operators are typically immediately impressed with the thermal image clarity and then start digging into the data to identify grate temperatures, slag build-up, and potential leaks."