Product category:
Fire and Smoke Protection, Detection and Alarms
News Release from: Apollo Fire Detectors | Subject: What's new in fire detection?
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 07 December 2004
What's new in fire detection?
Rowland Davies, Marketing Manager, Apollo Fire Detectors, considers the latest developments in fire detection technology.
Three forces drive the development of new fire detection products: practical, social and legislative In practical terms, fire system components need to be designed for speed of installation and ease of maintenance
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 1 Oct 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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They also need to be discreet - architects and occupants don't want devices that detract from aesthetics.
Social factors include the response to a real or perceived need, such as the reduction of nuisance alarms to prevent wasting fire brigade resources and save the time/costs involved in unnecessary evacuations.
On the other hand, the public's fear of all things radioactive has seen the fall from grace of the ionisation detector; a tried and tested ally in the fight against fire.
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However, it is legislation and standards that have the most potential to influence product development.
A new piece of legislation can change everything from the type of sensor used in a detector to the response times required from the control panel.
New Interfaces.
The continuing development of interface units amply demonstrates the practical and legal influences on product development.
Legislation dictates that a fire detection system is safety-critical and should therefore be entirely separate from other building services.
In practice, however, it makes sense for the fire system to interface with other critical pieces of equipment such as elevators, air conditioning systems and extraction fans.
This practical requirement led to the introduction of standard interfaces, which have now evolved further with the introduction of interfaces with built-in isolators.
These improve installation time and cost by removing the need for separate isolators to be installed on either side of the interface unit.
A recent addition from Apollo is the Mains Switching Input/Output Unit, which can receive information from devices (inputs) and operate equipment on command from the control panel (outputs).
This loop-powered interface controls equipment on the mains supply directly and eliminates the need for an intermediate relay to switch off 240V equipment in an emergency.
Addressing market gap.
One fascinating example of recent product development is the entry-level analogue addressable fire system.
Analogue addressable technology was originally the means of providing sophisticated fire detection in larger, more complex installations where pinpoint accuracy and phased evacuation are essential.
However, a demand has now emerged somewhere between the intelligent fire detection system and the conventional fire system.
Entry-level analogue addressable fire detection systems have been introduced to fill this gap.
These systems offer access to the main benefits of analogue systems without the commitment to complex design and commissioning.
The range of products is generally limited to those that are essential for straightforward fire protection and commissioning.
Apollo's entry-level XPlorer range, for instance, comprises an optical smoke detector, a standard and high temperature heat detector and two types of base.
There is also an Isolator, an Output Unit and a Switch Monitor.
What's New? A number of panel and detector manufacturers have begun to reappraise the conventional fire detection system.
They are reapplying all their knowledge about practical, social and legislative requirements to reinvent conventional technology.
As a consequence, the next generation of conventional fire detectors is new: aesthetically, mechanically and electronically.
Physical design considerations include making fire detectors 'less obtrusive': the new conventional breed is even lower in profile than some existing intelligent detectors.
The question of nuisance alarms has also had an influence on physical design: detector housings are being developed to enable maximum air circulation while keeping dust at bay.
The working area within the base is also under scrutiny: more space to manoeuvre should make installation quicker and easier.
Mechanically, the base of a detector is the most time-consuming piece to install.
Poor terminal design and layout have been largely at fault.
We now have the opportunity to minimise the number of fixing points required and to optimise the position of terminals.
However, it is from the field of electronics that the new generation of conventional fire detectors benefits most.
Whilst most small to medium installations do not need constant electronic monitoring and analysis, there is no reason why their conventional fire detection system should not benefit from electronic intelligence.
For example, Apollo's Orbis range of conventional fire detectors (introduced last year) features a Start-UpTM phase at commissioning, which gives visual confirmation that the detectors are wired to the correct polarity.
An inbuilt test facility enables fast testing to ensure that smoke and heat detectors are working correctly.
Orbis detectors are also equipped with drift compensation and a transient rejection facility to filter out temporary high readings and reduce false alarms.
Summary.
New product development does not continue in one direction alone.
The resurgence of interest in conventional technology is an indication that the fire detection industry is willing to take the lessons from its past and reapply them to the product development loop.
It is a combination of willingness to learn and inventiveness that has enabled the industry to keep on meeting the demands of the marketplace - whether the impetus is practical, social or legislative.
More importantly, we have applied what we know to what we wish to achieve most - the saving of lives.
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