- Author
-
Grosshandler, W. L.
- Title
- Proceedings of the 1995 Workshop on Fire Detector Research.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
-
NISTIR 5700,
June 1995,
43 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
fire detection systems
|
fire detectors
|
certification
|
test fires
|
smoke detection
|
gas detectors
|
halon alternatives
- Abstract
- A workshop was convened February 6 and 7, 1995, to identify the needs of users and specifiers of fire detection systems which are not currently being met by the U.S. fire protection industry; to highlight future needs which may result from new developments in the construction, transportation, and manufacturing sectors, or from regulatory changes; to identify generic, technological barriers which may limit the U.S. fire protection industry from fully meeting the users' needs; and to develop a research agenda and recommend priorties to enable U.S. industry to overcome these technological barriers. A series of experts from industry, government, certifying organizations and academia were invited to review the various applications for fire detection systems and to discuss recent developments that could impact the future of the industry. The speakers were divided into focused panels of users and specifiers, systems and components manufacturers, regulators and certifiers, and researchers. Small working groups were convened after the panel discussions to identify critical research issues, concentrating on sensors, signal processing, systems integration and regulations. The ultimate goals of a comprehensive and integrated research program were identified and include a lower ratio of false-positive-to-actual-fire indications, pre-fire warning for protection of high value operations, more fool-proof installation and maintenance methods, component compatibility for system upgrade, a wider range of fires detectable, reliable detection of noxious fire precursors, faster and more precise response of fire detection systems customized to particular processes, earlier warning in connection with halon-alternative suppression systems, situation monitoring following automatic suppression, means to evaluate system trade-offs with the advent of performance-based standards, combination gas sensors for fire/environmental monitoring, and the capability for partial integration of fire detection with other building control functions. Technological barriers which might inhibit attainment of these goals and a research plan to enable the barriers to be breached are discussed.