Equipment temperature control system, equipment temperature control program, marker material for equipment temperature control system

Abstract

To provide a facility temperature management system capable of highly accurately detecting abnormal temperature changes without being affected by ambient temperature.SOLUTION: A facility temperature management system 1 of the present invention includes a first marker 31 and a second marker 41. The facility temperature management system 1 includes: imaging means 50, marker discrimination means 61, facility surface temperature calculation means 61, ambient temperature determination means 61, and temperature difference calculation means 61. The marker discrimination means 61 discriminates the type of a marker imaged by the imaging means 50. The facility surface temperature calculation means 61 calculates a surface temperature of a facility 10 when an imaged marker is the first marker 31. In the case of the second marker 41, the ambient temperature determining means 61 calculates a surface temperature of the second marker 41, and determines an ambient temperature based on the calculated surface temperature. The temperature difference calculation means 61 calculates the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the facility 10 and the ambient temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment temperature control system and an equipment temperature control program for controlling the surface temperature of equipment. Mu It is related to. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, equipment such as paint drying ovens has been used to dry paint applied to workpieces such as automobile bodies. For this reason, hot air is constantly supplied to the drying oven to ensure that the paint dries reliably. However, due to deterioration of the drying oven, cracks may develop in the exhaust duct (not shown) or the oven wall, causing the hot air inside the oven to leak to the outside through the cracks. Therefore, a technology has been proposed to detect hot air leaks by periodically capturing images of the oven surface with a thermal camera to check the surface temperature (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP-A-10-111714 (Fig. 1, etc.) [Patent Document 2] JP-A-6-138003 (Fig. 1 etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the ambient temperature around the drying oven (equipment) changes with the seasons, and the surface temperature of the drying oven measured by the thermal camera also changes accordingly, so even if the surface temperature is checked, it may not be possible to accurately detect abnormal temperature changes.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an equipment temperature control system and an equipment temperature control program that can detect abnormal temperature changes with high accuracy without being affected by the ambient temperature. M The purpose is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 is an equipment temperature management system characterized in that it comprises a system for managing the surface temperature of equipment, the system comprising a first marker for measuring the surface temperature of the equipment that is provided in contact with the surface of the equipment, and a second marker for measuring the ambient temperature that is provided at a distance from the surface of the equipment, the first marker and the second marker having different identifiable geometric features, an imaging means for capturing an image of a first area including the first marker and a second area including the second marker to obtain a visible image and a thermal image, a marker discrimination means for discriminating the type of marker captured by the imaging means based on the geometric features captured in the visible image, an equipment surface temperature calculation means for calculating the surface temperature of the equipment based on the thermal image in which the first marker is captured if the marker is determined to be the first marker, an ambient temperature determination means for calculating the surface temperature of the second marker based on the thermal image in which the second marker is captured if the marker is determined to be the second marker, and determining the ambient temperature based on the calculated surface temperature, and a temperature difference calculation means for calculating the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the equipment and the ambient temperature.

[0007] In the invention described in claim 1, the surface temperature of the equipment is calculated based on the thermal image showing the first marker, and the ambient temperature is determined based on the thermal image showing the second marker. Then, the temperature difference between the surface temperature and the ambient temperature is calculated, thereby canceling the change in surface temperature caused by the change in ambient temperature. Therefore, if the surface temperature is measured in this state, abnormal temperature changes can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the ambient temperature.

[0008] The imaging means may be a fixed type or a non-fixed type, but it is preferable to use a non-fixed type. Non-fixed type imaging means are generally cheaper than fixed types, so the surface temperature of the equipment can be managed at low cost. Furthermore, when using a non-fixed type imaging means, it is possible to image all markers with one imaging means by moving the imaging location. This eliminates the need to install multiple imaging means to image each marker. Therefore, compared to using a fixed type imaging means, the cost required to manage the surface temperature of the equipment can be significantly reduced.

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the ambient temperature determination means calculates the average value of temperatures at multiple points on one of the second markers and determines the calculated average value as the ambient temperature.

[0010] In the invention described in claim 2, the average value of the temperatures at multiple points on one second marker is used as the ambient temperature. Therefore, even if there is variation in the surface temperature of the second marker, the variation is averaged out, and the ambient temperature can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the second markers are provided at multiple locations, and the ambient temperature determination means calculates an average value of the surface temperatures of the multiple second markers and determines the calculated average value as the ambient temperature.

[0012] In the invention described in claim 3, second markers are provided at multiple locations around the equipment, and the average surface temperature of each second marker is calculated, thereby making it possible to obtain the ambient temperature of the entire equipment, rather than just the ambient temperature near a single second marker. Therefore, even if there is variation in the temperature around the equipment, the variation is averaged out, and the ambient temperature can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0013] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 3, it is provided with a display means for displaying the visible image and the thermal image, and the display means displays an image indicating a temperature obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the surface temperature of the equipment as a corrected visible image.

[0014] In the invention described in claim 4, an image showing the temperature obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the surface temperature of the equipment, that is, an image in which changes in surface temperature caused by changes in ambient temperature are canceled, is displayed on the display means, rather than an image showing the surface temperature of the equipment. This allows the worker to accurately recognize which part of the equipment's surface has a large temperature change, that is, which part of the equipment's surface is experiencing an abnormal temperature change.

[0015] The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 4, the second marker is a marker member having a geometric pattern made of multiple colors of different brightness displayed on the surface of a base made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

[0016] In the invention described in claim 5, the base constituting the second marker is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, so the surface temperature of the second marker easily follows the ambient temperature. As a result, by capturing an image of the second marker with an imaging device, the surface temperature of the second marker can be accurately calculated based on the second marker captured in the thermal image. Furthermore, the geometric pattern displayed on the surface of the base is made up of multiple colors with different brightness levels, making the geometric pattern easy to recognize and, ultimately, easy to distinguish from other markers with different geometric features.

[0017] The highly thermally conductive material constituting the substrate is preferably a metal, such as copper (thermal conductivity: 403 W / m·K), aluminum (thermal conductivity: 236 W / m·K), zinc (thermal conductivity: 116 W / m·K), iron (thermal conductivity: 83.5 W / m·K), nickel (thermal conductivity: 91 W / m·K), cobalt (thermal conductivity: 69 W / m·K), magnesium (thermal conductivity: 156 W / m·K), chromium (thermal conductivity: 90.3 W / m·K), or alloys thereof. The thermal conductivity of the material constituting the substrate is preferably 50 W / m·K or higher, and more preferably 100 W / m·K or higher.

[0018] The invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that in claim 5, the second marker has a surface of the base subjected to anti-reflection treatment.

[0019] For example, if the second marker reflects ambient heat, the amount of heat reflection varies depending on the imaging angle relative to the second marker. Therefore, even if the second marker is imaged by an imaging device, it may be impossible to accurately calculate the surface temperature of the second marker reflected in the thermal image. Therefore, the invention described in claim 6 applies an anti-reflection treatment to the surface of the base constituting the second marker. This makes the second marker less likely to reflect heat and is less affected by the amount of heat reflection, allowing the surface temperature of the second marker reflected in the thermal image to be accurately calculated. Examples of anti-reflection treatments include applying a matte paint to the surface of the base or increasing the surface roughness of the base.

[0020] The invention as set forth in claim 7 is characterized in that the device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further comprises a warning means for issuing a warning when the temperature difference range is outside a predetermined range.

[0021] In the seventh aspect of the present invention, a warning is given when the temperature difference is outside the predetermined range, so that the operator can be sure to notice that the change in the surface temperature of the equipment is too large. As a result, it becomes possible to quickly respond to the abnormality in the surface temperature.

[0022] Examples of the warning means include light-emitting means such as a lamp that emits light (lights up, flashes, etc.) to warn that the temperature difference range is outside the specified range, audio output means such as an alarm that emits audio (warning sound, etc.) to warn that the temperature difference range is outside the specified range, and display means such as a liquid crystal display device that displays (letters, symbols, pictures, etc.) to warn that the temperature difference range is outside the specified range.

[0023] The invention described in claim 8 is an equipment temperature management program that causes a processor to control an equipment temperature management system equipped with an imaging means that captures images of a first area including a first marker for measuring equipment surface temperature that is provided in contact with the surface of the equipment and a second area including a second marker for measuring ambient temperature that is provided away from the surface of the equipment to acquire visible images and thermal images, and to execute the following steps: a marker discrimination step of discriminating the type of marker captured by the imaging means based on geometric features that appear in the visible image; an equipment surface temperature calculation step of calculating the surface temperature of the equipment based on the thermal image in which the first marker appears, if the marker is determined to be the first marker; an ambient temperature determination step of calculating the surface temperature of the second marker based on the thermal image in which the second marker appears, if the marker is determined to be the second marker, and determining the ambient temperature based on the calculated surface temperature; and a temperature difference calculation step of calculating the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the equipment and the ambient temperature.

[0024] In the invention described in claim 8, in the equipment surface temperature calculation step, the surface temperature of the equipment is calculated based on the thermal image showing the first marker, and in the ambient temperature determination step, the ambient temperature is determined based on the thermal image showing the second marker. Then, in the temperature difference calculation step, the temperature difference between the equipment surface temperature and the ambient temperature is calculated, thereby canceling out changes in the surface temperature caused by changes in the ambient temperature. Therefore, by measuring the surface temperature in this state, abnormal temperature changes can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the ambient temperature.

[0025] Also, a reference invention relating to a marker member for the equipment temperature control system. The gist of this is that the marker element is imaged by an imaging means and used in an equipment temperature control system that manages the surface temperature of the equipment, and has a geometric pattern made up of multiple colors with different brightnesses displayed on the surface of a base made of a material with high thermal conductivity, and is treated with an anti-reflection coating.

[0026] reference In this invention, the base of the marker member is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, so the surface temperature of the marker member easily follows the ambient temperature. As a result, by capturing an image of the marker member with an imaging device and acquiring a thermal image, the surface temperature of the marker member, and therefore the ambient temperature, can be accurately calculated based on the marker member captured in the thermal image. Then, by calculating the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the equipment and the ambient temperature, changes in the surface temperature of the equipment due to changes in ambient temperature are canceled out. Therefore, by measuring the surface temperature of the equipment in this state, abnormal temperature changes can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the ambient temperature. Furthermore, because the geometric pattern displayed on the surface of the base is made up of multiple colors with different brightness levels, the geometric pattern is easy to recognize and, ultimately, can be easily distinguished from other markers with different geometric characteristics. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] As described above in detail, claims 1 to 8 According to the invention described in the above, abnormal temperature changes can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the ambient temperature. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an equipment temperature management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] Photograph showing a first visible image of a first area including a first marker. [Figure 3] Photograph showing a second visible image showing a second area including a second marker. [Figure 4] Photograph showing the first thermal image. [Figure 5] Photograph showing the second thermal image. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for managing the surface temperature of a drying furnace. [Figure 7] Photograph showing the corrected visible image. [Figure 8] 10 is a table showing the measurement results of the temperature of each part and the calculation results of the temperature difference. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the facility temperature management system 1 of this embodiment is a system for managing the surface temperature of a drying furnace 10 (facility). The drying furnace 10 is used to dry paint applied to the surface of a workpiece W1 (an automobile body in this embodiment) that has passed through a paint booth (not shown). The drying furnace 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape using a wall material such as a steel plate, and includes a ceiling 11, a floor 12, and a pair of side walls 13. Furthermore, a heat insulating material (not shown) is attached to the entire inner surface of the drying furnace 10. A conveyor 21 is provided on the floor 12 of the drying furnace 10. The conveyor 21 is a device that transports multiple carts 22, each carrying the workpiece W1, along a transport direction (to the right in FIG. 1).

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of first markers 31 for measuring equipment surface temperature are provided along the conveyance direction on the sidewall 13 of the drying oven 10. Each first marker 31 is provided at a specific measurement point A1 to A13 in the drying oven 10. Each first marker 31 has a different identifiable geometric feature for each measurement point A1 to A13, and is a two-dimensional plate-like member attached to the surface 10a of the drying oven 10. That is, each first marker 31 is provided in contact with the surface 10a of the drying oven 10. The first marker 31 in this embodiment is a marker member (ArUco marker) having a geometric pattern 34 made of two colors (white and black) of different brightness displayed on the surface 33 of a rectangular base 32 made of a material with high thermal conductivity (aluminum).

[0032] 1 and 3, a second marker 41 for measuring the ambient temperature is provided on the side wall 13 of the drying oven 10. The second marker 41 is provided at a location in the factory that is not affected by sunlight, specifically, at a specific measurement point A0 in the drying oven 10. The second marker 41 has identifiable geometric characteristics different from those of the first markers 31, and is a two-dimensional plate-like member suspended from a beam 15 of a marker support frame 14 installed near the side wall 13. The second marker 41 is provided at a position 100 mm or more away from the surface 10a of the drying oven 10.

[0033] The second marker 41 of this embodiment is a marker member (ArUco marker) having a geometric pattern 44 made of two colors (white and black) of different brightness displayed on the surface 43 of a rectangular base 42 made of a material with high thermal conductivity (aluminum). Furthermore, the surface 43 of the base 42 is subjected to an anti-reflection treatment (specifically, a matte coating). In this embodiment, the surface 33 of the base 32 of the first marker 31 is not subjected to an anti-reflection treatment, but may be subjected to an anti-reflection treatment. If the first marker 31 is subjected to an anti-reflection treatment, the first marker 31 can be used as both the first marker 31 and the second marker 41.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the facility temperature management system 1 includes a thermal camera 50, which is a non-fixed (i.e., portable) imaging device. The thermal camera 50 simultaneously captures a first visible image 51a (see FIG. 2) and a first thermal image 52a (see FIG. 4) by capturing an image of a first region 31a (see FIG. 2) including a first marker 31. The thermal camera 50 also simultaneously captures a second visible image 51b (see FIG. 3) and a second thermal image 52b (see FIG. 5) by capturing an image of a second region 41a (see FIG. 3) including a second marker 41. The thermal camera 50 then outputs image data of the captured visible images 51a, 51b and thermal images 52a, 52b. The visible images 51a, 51b are color images, and the thermal images 52a, 52b are infrared images.

[0035] Next, the electrical configuration of the facility temperature control system 1 will be described.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the facility temperature control system 1 includes a personal computer (not shown), which includes a control device 60 (processor) that controls the entire system. The control device 60 is configured using a well-known computer including a CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, etc. The CPU 61 is electrically connected to a keyboard 64, a display 65 (display means), and an alarm 66. In this embodiment, the thermal camera 50 is electrically connected to the CPU 61 by connecting the thermal camera 50 to the control device 60 via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable. The RAM 63 stores visible images 51a and 51b and thermal images 52a and 52b acquired by the thermal camera 50. The ROM 62 stores a program for controlling the facility temperature control system 1 (facility temperature control program).

[0037] Next, a method for controlling the temperature of the drying furnace 10 will be described.

[0038] First, an operator holds the thermal camera 50 and captures images of the surface 10a of the drying furnace 10 at each of the measurement points A0 to A13, acquiring visible images 51a, 51b and thermal images 52a, 52b at each of the measurement points A0 to A13. That is, the thermal camera 50 of this embodiment is a handheld camera that simultaneously captures the visible images 51a, 51b and the thermal images 52a, 52b along a common optical axis. The operator periodically (e.g., monthly) captures images of the measurement points A0 to A13.

[0039] Then, each time the image capturing of each measurement point A0 to A13 is completed, the operator connects the thermal camera 50 to the personal computer control device 60 using a USB cable. At this point, the thermal camera 50 outputs the image data of the acquired visible images 51a, 51b and thermal images 52a, 52b to the CPU 61. The CPU 61 then stores the visible images 51a, 51b and thermal images 52a, 52b represented by the input image data in the RAM 63. Furthermore, the CPU 61 controls the display 65 to display the visible images 51a, 51b and thermal images 52a, 52b stored in the RAM 63.

[0040] Next, the CPU 61 controls the surface temperature of the drying oven 10 based on the equipment temperature management program stored in the ROM 62. First, the CPU 61 performs a marker discrimination step to discriminate the types of the markers 31 and 41 captured by the thermal camera 50 based on the geometric features captured in the visible images 51a and 51b. In other words, the CPU 61 functions as a "marker discrimination means."

[0041] 6, the CPU 61 performs processes such as binarization, contour extraction, and intersection calculation on all of the visible images 51a, 51b stored in the RAM 63, and controls the extraction of the markers 31, 41 in each of the visible images 51a, 51b. In the following step S20, the CPU 61 calculates the ID numbers (0 to 13) of the extracted markers 31, 41 from the shapes of the geometric patterns 34, 44. The ID numbers (0 to 13) are numbers associated with the measurement points A0 to A13.

[0042] If the calculated ID number is any one of "1" to "13," the CPU 61 determines that the captured marker is the first marker 31. In this case, the CPU 61 performs the process of step S30 (equipment surface temperature calculation step) and calculates the surface temperature of the drying oven 10 based on the first thermal image 52a in which the first marker 31 appears. More specifically, the CPU 61 measures the temperature of a pixel (point) located on the surface 33 of the first marker 31 among the pixels of the first thermal image 52a. Then, the CPU 61 determines the temperature of the measured pixel as the surface temperature of the drying oven 10. In other words, the CPU 61 functions as an "equipment surface temperature calculation means."

[0043] Furthermore, if the calculated ID number is "0," the CPU 61 determines that the captured marker is the second marker 41. In this case, the CPU 61 performs the process of step S40 (ambient temperature determination step), calculates the surface temperature of the second marker 41 based on the second thermal image 52b in which the second marker 41 is captured, and determines the ambient temperature based on the calculated surface temperature. Specifically, the CPU 61 measures the temperature of each of a plurality of pixels (points) located on the surface 43 of the second marker 41 among the pixels of the second thermal image 52b. The CPU 61 then calculates the average value of the temperatures of the measured pixels and determines the calculated average value as the ambient temperature. In other words, the CPU 61 functions as an "ambient temperature determination means." In this embodiment, the CPU 61 determines that the captured marker is the second marker 41 if the calculated ID number is "0." However, it is also possible to set the CPU 61 to determine that the captured marker is the second marker 41 if the ID number is other than "0."

[0044] Then, the CPU 61 performs the process of step S50 (temperature difference calculation step) to calculate the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the drying furnace 10 calculated in step S30 and the ambient temperature determined in step S40. That is, the CPU 61 functions as a "temperature difference calculation means." The temperature difference is calculated when the surface temperature of the drying furnace 10 is higher than the ambient temperature. The CPU 61 also sequentially executes the processes of steps S10 to S30 and S50 at all measurement points A1 to A13 to calculate the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the drying furnace 10 and the ambient temperature.

[0045] In the next step S60, the CPU 61 controls the display 65 to display an image showing the temperature obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the surface temperature of the drying oven 10. In other words, an image in which changes in the surface temperature due to changes in the ambient temperature have been canceled out. The CPU 61 also compares the current corrected visible image 53 with a corrected visible image 53 acquired previously (e.g., three months ago). Specifically, the CPU 61 calculates the difference between the temperature at each pixel of the current corrected visible image 53 and the temperature at each pixel of the previously acquired corrected visible image 53. The CPU 61 then determines whether to set color images 54 and 55 depending on the level (magnitude) of the difference. Specifically, if the temperature indicated by the current corrected visible image 53 is higher than the temperature indicated by the previously acquired corrected visible image 53, for example, if the temperature rise is 50°C or more, the color image 54 is red. If the temperature rise is 10°C or more but less than 50°C, the color image 55 is blue. On the other hand, if the temperature rise is less than 10° C. or if the temperature indicated by the current corrected visible image 53 is lower than the temperature indicated by the previously acquired corrected visible image 53, the color images 54 and 55 are not set.

[0046] Next, the CPU 61 controls the display 65 to display the set color images 54, 55. Specifically, the CPU 61 controls the display 65 to superimpose the color images 54, 55 on the corresponding locations (pixels) on the corrected visible image 53. As a result, the portions of the surface 10a of the drying oven 10 at the corresponding measurement points where a large temperature rise has been determined are displayed in different colors. This allows the operator to accurately recognize which portions of the surface 10a of the drying oven 10 have experienced a large temperature rise, i.e., which portions of the surface 10a of the drying oven 10 are leaking hot air.

[0047] Furthermore, if it is determined that the temperature difference is outside the predetermined range (higher than 10°C in this embodiment), the CPU 61 determines that an abnormality has occurred and outputs a drive signal to the alarm 66, thereby controlling the alarm 66 as a warning means. This warns the operator that there is a high possibility that hot air is leaking from the drying furnace 10 due to the high temperature of the surface 10a of the drying furnace 10.

[0048] Next, a method for verifying the temperature control of the drying furnace 10 and the results thereof will be described.

[0049] First, the surface temperature of the drying oven 10 was measured in each of the winter, intermediate, and summer seasons (see the "Surface temperature (measured value)" column in FIG. 8). After measuring the ambient temperature in each of the winter, intermediate, and summer seasons, the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the drying oven 10 and the ambient temperature, i.e., the corrected surface temperature, was calculated (see the "Surface temperature (corrected)" column in FIG. 8). The temperature inside the drying oven 10 (inside the equipment) was always set to 250°C. FIG. 8 is a table showing the measurement results of the temperature of each part and the calculation results of the temperature difference.

[0050] As a result, it was confirmed that the seasonal temperature difference (summer-winter) of the surface temperature (measured value) before correction reached as much as 29.1°C. On the other hand, the seasonal temperature difference (summer-winter) of the surface temperature after correction was suppressed to 0.9°C, so it was confirmed that the true surface temperature of the drying oven 10 could be measured. Therefore, it was confirmed that hot air leakage can be accurately detected by checking whether the range of the corrected surface temperature (i.e., the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the drying oven 10 and the ambient temperature) is outside a predetermined range (for example, 10°C or more). The temperature values ​​of each part shown in FIG. 8 may be displayed on the screen of the display 65.

[0051] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0052] (1) In the equipment temperature management system 1 of this embodiment, the surface temperature of the drying oven 10 is calculated based on the first thermal image 52a in which the first marker 31 is captured, and the ambient temperature is determined based on the second thermal image 52b in which the second marker 41 is captured, and then the temperature difference between the surface temperature and the ambient temperature is calculated. This cancels out changes in the surface temperature caused by changes in the ambient temperature, so by measuring the change in the surface temperature in this state, it is possible to detect hot air leakage from the drying oven 10 with high accuracy without being affected by the ambient temperature.

[0053] (2) In this embodiment, the base 32 constituting the first marker 31 is made of aluminum, which has high thermal conductivity and heat resistance capable of withstanding temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius (at least 100 degrees Celsius or higher). This allows the surface temperature of the first marker 31 to easily follow the surface temperature of the drying oven 10. Similarly, the base 42 constituting the second marker 41 is also made of aluminum. This allows the surface temperature of the second marker 41 to easily follow the ambient temperature. As a result, by capturing images of the markers 31 and 41 with a thermal camera 50, the surface temperature and ambient temperature can be accurately calculated based on the markers 31 and 41 captured in the thermal images 52a and 52b. Furthermore, because the bases 32 and 42 are not made of flammable materials such as resin, the markers 31 and 41 can be suitably used in the drying oven 10 that uses hot air.

[0054] (3) For example, if the second marker 41 reflects ambient heat, even if the second marker 41 is captured by an imaging device, the surface temperature of the second marker 41 captured in the second thermal image 52b may not be accurately calculated. Furthermore, the calculated surface temperature of the second marker 41 may vary depending on the angle at which the thermal camera 50 captures the image of the second marker 41. Therefore, in this embodiment, an anti-reflection treatment is applied to the surface of the base constituting the second marker 41. This makes the second marker 41 less likely to reflect heat. Furthermore, even if the angle at which the second marker 41 is captured changes, the error in the resulting surface temperature is reduced. Therefore, the surface temperature of the second marker 41 captured in the second thermal image 52b can be accurately calculated.

[0055] (4) In this embodiment, the second marker 41 is provided at a position 100 mm or more away from the surface 10a of the drying furnace 10, and is therefore less susceptible to the influence of the surface temperature of the drying furnace 10. Therefore, the surface temperature of the second marker 41, and therefore the ambient temperature, can be accurately calculated.

[0056] (5) For example, it is conceivable to install a temperature sensor at each of the measurement points A0 to A13 and use each temperature sensor to measure the surface temperature and the ambient temperature of the drying furnace 10. However, in this case, each temperature sensor must be electrically connected to the personal computer (CPU 61). Moreover, the temperature sensors are located up to several hundred meters away from the personal computer. Therefore, the task of installing each temperature sensor at each of the measurement points A0 to A13 is tedious.

[0057] In contrast, in this embodiment, the markers 31 and 41 installed at each measurement point A0 to A13 are imaged by a thermal camera 50, and the surface temperature and atmospheric temperature of the drying furnace 10 are calculated based on the imaged markers 31 and 41. In this case, the non-fixed thermal camera 50 is simply connected to a PC via a USB cable, eliminating the need to electrically connect multiple markers 31 and 41 to the PC, making it easy to obtain the surface temperature and atmospheric temperature. Furthermore, the CPU 61 in this embodiment automatically reads the ID numbers of the markers 31 and 41 imaged by the thermal camera 50, automatically determines whether they are first markers 31 for measuring the equipment surface temperature or second markers 41 for measuring the atmospheric temperature, and automatically calculates the surface temperature and atmospheric temperature. This eliminates the need for an operator to manually identify the markers or calculate the surface temperature and atmospheric temperature. This further reduces the operator's workload.

[0058] The above embodiment may be modified as follows.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the CPU 61 calculates the average value of the temperatures of multiple pixels (points) on one second marker 41 and determines the calculated average value as the ambient temperature. However, the second markers 41 may be provided at multiple locations around the drying oven 10, and the CPU 61 may calculate the average value of the surface temperatures of each second marker 41 and determine the calculated average value as the ambient temperature. In this way, the ambient temperature of the entire drying oven 10 can be obtained, rather than the ambient temperature near one second marker 41. Therefore, even if there is variation in the temperature around the drying oven 10, the variation is averaged out, and the ambient temperature can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the CPU 61 calculates the average value of the temperatures of multiple pixels (points) in one second marker 41 and determines the calculated average value as the ambient temperature. However, the CPU 61 may also determine the maximum or minimum value of the temperatures of each pixel in one second marker 41 as the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the CPU 61 may calculate the temperature of one point (e.g., pixel) in one second marker 41 and determine the calculated temperature as the ambient temperature.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the markers 31, 41 display geometric patterns 34, 44 made up of two colors (white and black) with different brightness levels, but geometric patterns made up of three or more colors may also be displayed.

[0062] The markers 31 and 41 in the above embodiments are two-dimensional ArUco markers, but may be other two-dimensional markers such as QR Code (a registered trademark of Denso Wave Inc.) or AprilTag. Also, other two-dimensional objects such as pictures, letters, and symbols may be used as markers. Furthermore, three-dimensional objects such as parts present on the surface of equipment may be used as markers.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the alarm 66 is activated to warn the operator when the surface temperature of the drying oven 10 exceeds a predetermined range (here, 10°C) above the ambient temperature. However, the alarm 66 may be activated to warn the operator when the surface temperature exceeds a predetermined range (for example, -10°C) below the ambient temperature. In this way, it becomes possible to detect cold air leaks within equipment, for example, in a chemical plant.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the thermal camera 50 was used as the imaging means, capturing images of the first region 31a including the first marker 31 and the second region 41a including the second marker 41 to obtain visible images 51a, 51b and thermal images 52a, 52b. However, the imaging means may be composed of a visible image imaging camera (imaging means) that captures the visible images 51a, 51b, and a thermal image imaging camera (imaging means) that is provided separately from the visible image imaging camera and captures the thermal images 52a, 52b. It is preferable that the visible image imaging camera and the thermal image imaging camera are positioned as close to each other as possible.

[0065] In the above embodiment, all of the measurement points A0 to A13 were imaged by the non-fixed thermal camera 50. However, some of the measurement points A0 to A13 may be imaged by a fixed thermal camera, or all of the measurement points A0 to A13 may be imaged by a fixed thermal camera.

[0066] Although the thermal camera 50 in the above embodiment transmits image data to the control device 60 via a USB cable, other means may be used to transmit image data to the control device 60. For example, the thermal camera 50 may transmit image data to the control device 60 via communication means such as Bluetooth (a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.), infrared communication, or an internet line (such as a telephone line).

[0067] The equipment temperature control system 1 in the above embodiment is a system for controlling the surface temperature of the drying furnace 10, but it may also be a system for controlling the surface temperature of other equipment such as production equipment, utility equipment, chemical plants, etc. that perform heating and cooling.

[0068] Next, in addition to the technical ideas set forth in the claims, the technical ideas grasped by the above-described embodiments will be listed below.

[0069] (1) An equipment temperature management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the temperature difference is a temperature difference calculated when the surface temperature of the equipment is higher than the ambient temperature.

[0070] (2) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the first marker is a marker element having a geometric pattern made of multiple colors of different brightness displayed on the surface of a base made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

[0071] (3) In the technical concept (2), the first marker is characterized in that the surface of the base body is subjected to an anti-reflection treatment.

[0072] (4) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the first marker and the second marker are provided at each specific measurement point in the equipment, and the first marker and the second marker are assigned an ID number corresponding to each measurement point. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1...Facility temperature control system 10...Drying furnace as equipment 10a...Surface of equipment 31...First marker 31a...First area 41...Second marker 41a…Second area 42...Base 43...Surface of the substrate 44...Geometric pattern 50...Thermal camera as an imaging tool 51a...First visible image as a visible image 51b...second visible image as a visible image 52a...First thermal image as a thermal image 52b...Second thermal image as thermal image 53...Corrected visible image 60...Control device as a processor 61... CPU as marker discrimination means, equipment surface temperature calculation means, ambient temperature determination means, and temperature difference calculation means 65...Display as a display means 66...Alarm as a warning means

Claims

1. A system for managing the surface temperature of equipment, a first marker for measuring a surface temperature of the equipment, the first marker being in contact with the surface of the equipment; and a second marker for measuring an ambient temperature, the second marker being spaced apart from the surface of the equipment, the first marker and the second marker having different identifiable geometric features; an imaging unit that captures an image of a first region including the first marker and a second region including the second marker to obtain a visible image and a thermal image; a marker discrimination means for discriminating the type of the marker captured by the imaging means based on the geometric features shown in the visible image; an equipment surface temperature calculation means for calculating a surface temperature of the equipment based on the thermal image in which the first marker appears when the equipment is determined to be the first marker; and an ambient temperature determination means for calculating a surface temperature of the second marker based on the thermal image in which the second marker appears when the equipment is determined to be the second marker, and determining an ambient temperature based on the calculated surface temperature. a temperature difference calculation means for calculating a temperature difference between the surface temperature of the equipment and the ambient temperature; An equipment temperature control system comprising:

2. 2. The equipment temperature management system according to claim 1, wherein the ambient temperature determining means calculates an average value of temperatures at a plurality of points on one of the second markers and determines the calculated average value as the ambient temperature.

3. The second markers are provided at a plurality of locations, The ambient temperature determining means calculates an average value of the surface temperatures of the plurality of second markers and determines the calculated average value as the ambient temperature. The facility temperature management system according to claim 1 .

4. a display means for displaying the visible image and the thermal image, The display means displays an image indicating a temperature obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the surface temperature of the equipment as a corrected visible image. The facility temperature management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. 5. An equipment temperature management system according to claim 1, wherein the second marker is a marker member having a geometric pattern made of multiple colors of different brightness displayed on the surface of a base made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

6. The facility temperature management system according to claim 5, wherein the second marker has a surface of the base body that is subjected to an anti-reflection treatment.

7. The facility temperature management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a warning unit that issues a warning when the temperature difference range is outside a predetermined range.

8. a processor for controlling an equipment temperature management system including an imaging means for capturing visible and thermal images of a first area including a first marker for measuring the equipment surface temperature that is provided in contact with the surface of the equipment and a second area including a second marker for measuring the ambient temperature that is provided apart from the surface of the equipment; a marker discrimination step of discriminating the type of the marker imaged by the imaging means based on geometric features shown in the visible image; an equipment surface temperature calculation step of calculating a surface temperature of the equipment based on the thermal image in which the first marker appears when the marker is determined to be the first marker; and an ambient temperature determination step of calculating a surface temperature of the second marker based on the thermal image in which the second marker appears when the marker is determined to be the second marker, and determining an ambient temperature based on the calculated surface temperature. a temperature difference calculation step of calculating a temperature difference between a surface temperature of the equipment and the ambient temperature; A facility temperature control program to implement the above.

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