FT 39 AUTOMATIC ALARM SYS

AUTOMATIC FIRE DETECTORS

(Lifting Air Detector)
OBJECTIVE 1. To explain the fundamentals of lifting air detectors their function and operation.

REFERENCE 2. a. b. Manual of Fireman ship Book 9. Fire College Notes.

CONTENTS

3.

Modern Development of Detectors: a. Lifting Air Detectors.

Combined Heat and Smoke Detector 4. A laser produces a beam light which does not spread out. It travels throughout its path as a narrow pencil beam. Special gallium arsenide lamps produce a suitable beam for fire detection purposes although not a proper laser beam. 5. The detector projects a light beam across the detected space just below the ceiling. It is then reflected back by a corner cube mirror on to a suitable photo-electric cell. A fire below the beam produces air turbulence which causes the reflected beam to dance and produce an alternating current output from the PE cell. Certain output frequencies can be identified as being caused by a fire situation and the alarm is caused to sound. 6. Smoke reduces the light falling on the PE cell and this also can be caused to sound the alarm. 7. It has now been found possible to employ the same detection technique without using a laser beam or a corner cube reflector. The Beam Master detector produced by Chubb uses an infra-red beam to sense both the absorption effect of smoke and air turbulence produced by a fire.

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8.

Detectors Using Thermo-electric Effects: a. Thermo-Electric Voltage Detector.

If two metals are joined and alternate junctions are maintained at different temperature electric pressure is generated. This can be used to operate an alarm system when a particular temperature is reached. b. Resistance/Temperature Detector. When a metallic conductor is heated its resistance increases. By means of a wheatstone bridge circuit this resistance change can be used to operate an alarm. The principle employed is similar to that used in a gas detector. A bridge circuit is shown in Fig. Thermostats are semi-conducting circuit elements whose resistance changes quickly once a particular temperature has been reached. These can be used like ordinary resistors to operate an alarm system. c. Electrical Line Detectors.

The insulation of the wiring used may be made to serve as a heat detector. This may be achieved by either: (1) Using insulation which melts at a specific temperature causing a short which operates the alarm. (2) Using insulation whose resistance capacitance or inductance varies with temperature leading to an alarm being sounded. d. Tagushi Type. Certain special materials have an electrical resistance varies with specific stimuli for instance a temperature change, light or heat radiation. Such materials are called semi-conductors.

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e. One such semi-conductor responds to the oxygen content. Any situation which affects this content will cause a resistance change. The presence of a flammable atmosphere will reduce this oxygen content and by connecting the Tagushi detectors are less reliable than the catalysis type but can be very much cheaper. Their tack of reliability arises from the fact that smoke or steam may cause a reduction in the oxygen content and therefore excite a response. f. Particular situation in which a gas detector could have application are mines, flammable gas and liquid storage areas, mobile home and for the protection of engine rooms in ships and similar installations where ventilation may be restricted.

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