- Author
-
Grosshandler, W. L.
- Title
- Assessment of Technologies for Advanced Fire Detection.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Book or Conf
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Heat and Mass Transfer in Fire and Combustion Systems. HTD-Vol. 223. Winter Annual Meeting. November 8-13, 1992,
Am. Soc. of Mechanical Engineers, New York, NY,
Anaheim, CA,
Cho, P.; Quintiere, J., Editors,
1-10 p.,
1992
- Keywords
-
fire detection
|
technology assessment
|
optical measuring instruments
|
combustion products
- Identifiers
- intelligent detection systems; applications assessment; smoke sensors; chemical sensors; optical sensors; acoustic sensors
- Abstract
- The majority of fires are sensed either by the heat or the smoke they produce at a set location in space, with an alarm signal being issued when a threshold temperature or particulate level is exceeded. Many of these sensors are inexpensive and perfectly suitable for certain applications, but issues such as false alarms and increased performance can necessitate alternative sensing techniques. Advances in sensor technology, in microelectronics, and in our understanding of ignition and flame spread provide an opportunity to greatly enhance the performance of fire detection systems in traditional applications. Technological advances have also led to new situations with unique protection requirements at a time when environmental considerations have eliminated our most effective suppressants (halons), making the early detection of a fire even more critical. This article describes some of these developments, suggests possible applications, and indicates limitations to the technologies which need to be overcome before exploitation is feasible.