Patent ID: 7561200

Claim:
A method for inspecting equipment, the method comprising, storing in a portable instrument (a) application instructions for receiving, storing and analyzing focal plane array imaging sensor data to derive at least one imagery indication of equipment health, (b) application instructions for receiving, storing, and analyzing dynamic sensor data to derive at least one dynamic indication of equipment health wherein the analyzing dynamic sensor data includes one or more analyzing techniques selected from the following group: Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) vibration analysis, waveform vibration analysis, spectral vibration analysis, stress wave analysis, transient analysis, sonic analysis, ultrasonic analysis, FFT flux analysis, and FFT current analysis, and (c) application instructions for correlating at least one imagery indication of equipment health with at least one dynamic indication of equipment health; while on a route or survey, receiving and storing focal plane array imaging sensor data and dynamic sensor data at approximately the same time in the portable instrument using at least a portion of the application instructions; deriving at least one imagery indication of equipment health comprising thermographic image data from the imaging sensor data using at least a portion of the application instructions; deriving at least one dynamic indication of equipment health comprising an ultrasonic dB value from the dynamic sensor data using at least the dynamic signal analysis portion of the application instructions, wherein the at least one imagery indication of equipment health and the at least one dynamic indication of equipment health are derived from the imaging sensor data and the dynamic sensor data that were acquired at approximately the same time; and correlating the thermographic image data with the ultrasonic dB value to assess performance of a valve.