- Author
-
Conti, R. S.
|
Litton, C. D.
- Title
- Comparison of Mine Fire Sensors. Report of Investigations.
- Coporate
- Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA
- Report
-
RI 9572,
May 1995,
14 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
mine fires
|
fire detection systems
|
heat detectors
|
evaluation
|
fire alarm systems
|
fire research
|
smoke
|
carbon monoxide
|
gas detectors
|
safety
- Identifiers
- Point Type Heat Sensors (PTHS); underground fire sensors
- Abstract
- This U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) report discusses the results of research conducted in the Bureau's experimental mine at its Laky Lynn Laboratory to determine the alarm times of smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) sensors and a point type heat sensor (PTHS) to slowly developing coal conveyor belt fires. The tests were conducted at air velocities of 0.44 and 0.97 m/s. The data clearly indicate that smoke sensors provide earlier warning of fire than 10 ppm CO sensors and that 10 ppm CO sensors provide earlier warning that PTHS. A success rate of 1.0 (indicating detection of every test fire) was obtained for both smoke and CO sensors. For the PTHS, the success rate was 0.57 at the low air velocity decreasing to 0 at the higher air velocity.