FIRE DETECTION

TECHNOLOGY
RISHAV RAJ
A1904017040
SMOKE DETECTORS
• A smoke detector is an electronic fire-protection device that automatically senses the
presence of smoke, as a key indication of fire, and sounds a warning to building
occupants.
Smoke detector types
• There are two basic types of passive smoke detectors: photoelectric (optical) and
ionisation (physical process). A combination of the two types of alarm (dual sensor
smoke alarm) is recommended for maximum protection from both fast flaming and
slow smouldering fires.
• Combined optical smoke and heat alarms and combined smoke and carbon monoxide
alarms are also available.
• A photoelectric detector senses sudden scattering of light when smoke enters the
detector chamber, triggering the alarm.
• Photoelectric smoke detectors respond an average of 15 to 50 minutes faster to fire in
its early, smouldering stage, before it breaks into flame, then ionisation alarms. They
can be installed near kitchens. Some dual optical models are available.
• Ionisation smoke alarms are highly sensitive to small smoke particles and typically
respond about 30 to 90 seconds faster to fast flaming fires than photoelectric smoke
alarms, but not to smouldering fires. They may be too easily set off if they are
installed too close to kitchens, or garages.
• Ionisation alarms carry a small amount of radioactive material between two
electrically charged plates, which ionises the air and causes current to flow between
the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing
the flow of current and activating the alarm.

photoelectric smoke detector Ionisation smoke detector

Aspirating smoke detectors
• There is also an increasing number of aspirating smoke detectors (ASD) on the
market – more advanced, highly-sensitive, technologies that provide earlier warning
detection and are used as part of active fire protection.
• ASD systems work by drawing in air from each room through small, flexible tubing.
The air is then analysed to identify the presence of minute smoke particles in a
continuous process. They are not reliant on room air flow, so can detect smoke before
it is even visible.
Auto-aligning optical beam smoke detectors
The latest type of intelligent smoke detector is a laser-assisted infrared optical beam
smoke detector that self-aligns in less than a minute. They are used to protect large
commercial and public spaces such as theatres, shopping malls and sports centres with
large skylights, lofty ceilings or condensation issues.
Smoke detector installation and maintenance
• Mains-powered alarms must be installed by a qualified electrician or installation
professional.
• Domestic smoke alarms are much easier to install as no wiring is required, but they
must be installed and maintained correctly and checked regularly.
• Smoke detectors have an average life of about eight to 10 years. Detectors need to be
checked periodically, ideally once a week, and the batteries changed when required,
at least once a year.  A hard-wired smoke detector can last 10 years.

HEAT DETECTOR
It is a special safety device that responds to a rise in temperature and gets activated
in case of a fire. Unlike smoke detectors, they do not respond to smoke and thus are
designed to save property rather than life. Thanks to a heat alarm you can get extra
time to put off a fire or evacuate people from a building.

How does a heat detector alarm work?

Heat sensors trigger an alarm by either melting a low fusing alloy or bending a
bimetallic strip.
Depending on its construction, a heat sensor alarm can be electronic or mechanical
(mechanical alarms, in their turn, can be pneumatic or bi-metallic). An electronic
heat detector alarm contains a thermistor which changes resistance as the
temperature increases.  
LED indicators on electronic heat detectors blink to indicate proper standby
operation.

Bi-metallic mechanical alarms have a strip which is made of two different metals.
Due to a change of temperature metal distorts and closes a contact. Pneumatic
detectors consist of a chamber filled with air and a movable diaphragm into which
the chamber is put. As the temperature rises, the chamber with air expands and
deforms the diaphragm. This triggers a set of contacts that alert of the danger.
Some heat detector alarms respond to the rapid increase in temperature. They are
known as rate-of-rise sensors (ROR). When the temperature starts rapidly
increasing by about 12°F – 15°F per minute, the alarm is activated. It is important
to make sure that  ROR alarms are not installed in the areas with a natural rapid
increase in temperature that goes above the trip point, such as attics.
Fixed-temperature heat sensors, on the other hand, alert to the dangerous situation
when a particular temperature is exceeded. They usually get activated when the
temperature rises above 135 degrees. Fixed-temperature alarms are considered to
be less reliable than ROR alarms because of the thermal lag. In other words, the
detector may alarm you when the actual temperature is much higher than the pre-
set threshold.
MULTI-SENSOR DETECTOR
• Multi-sensor alarms (or multi-criteria alarms) detect more than one fire phenomena,
for example optical and heat detection. They may also include other detection
capabilities, such as carbon monoxide detection.
• A multi-sensor alarm provides early warning of fire and can significantly reduce the
number of unwanted false alarms in certain circumstances.
• Research by BRE, published in 2014, suggested that replacement of existing
detectors in Kings College London with intelligent multi-sensor detectors could
reduce false alarms by 69%, and that in the general building stock, the increased use
of multi-sensor detectors may avert false alarms from common causes such as
cooking fumes, steam and so on. Ref The causes of false fire alarms in buildings.
• Intelligent multi-sensor alarms are independently addressed and continuously
monitored to verify correct operation. They may also have adjustable
sensitivity settings and drift compensation to account for environmental conditions.
This can help identify when an alarm is genuine, as opposed to resulting from
a maintenance issue or incorrect setting.

FLAME DETECTOR
A flame detector is a sensor designed to detect and respond to the presence of
a flame or fire, allowing flame detection. Responses to a detected flame depend on
the installation, but can include sounding an alarm, deactivating a fuel line (such as
a propane or a natural gas line), and activating a fire suppression system. When
used in applications such as industrial furnaces, their role is to provide confirmation
that the furnace is working properly; it can be used to turn off the ignition system
though in many cases they take no direct action beyond notifying the operator or
control system. A flame detector can often respond faster and more accurately than
a smoke or heat detector due to the mechanisms it uses to detect the flame.