Patent ID: 7255783

Claim:
A process for determining whether to inspect an aluminum electrolysis cell for a crust hole the process comprising: (a) operating an aluminum electrolysis cell having hooding connected therewith; (b) confining fumes evolved from the aluminum electrolysis cell via the hooding; (c) moving a crane adjacent to the aluminum electrolysis cell, the crane having an infrared sensor mounted thereto; (d) sensing infrared radiation on the outer surface of the hooding with the infrared sensor to obtain a thermal image of the hooding; (e) sending the thermal image to a data processor; (f) extrapolating an actual temperature of the hooding from the thermal image of the hooding via the data processor; and (h) when the actual temperature varies from a target hooding temperature by more than a preselected limit, inspecting the crust of the aluminum electrolysis cell for a crust hole.