Fire Alarm Control Panels
The communication channel allows
Conventional
Traditional fire alarm
panels installed prior
to 1998 were
conventional zone
panels. In a zoned
system, fire alarm
devices in a common area or floor of a facility
are connected to the same alarm initiating
circuit. Each zone requires its own circuit
conductor. This arrangement allows alarm
annunciation to be reported by areas of the
building to identify which device is in alarm.
Conventional panels are often used in small
facilities where a few zones can provide
sufficient alarm annunciation.
Addressable
With the advent of
microprocessors and
digital electronics,
addressable fire alarm
control panels and
devices have become
more common than
conventional systems for medium and large-
sized facilities. They have become more cost
effective in some small applications as well.
Addressable fire alarm systems use digital
encoding and multiplex technology to more
accurately identify alarm locations and device
conditions. Each fire alarm device in a system
is programmed with a unique address.
The fire alarm control panel is capable of
communicating with a single address or a
group of addresses depending on the functions
required. The communication is often
multiplexed over a common cable, sometimes
referred to as the signaling line circuit (SLC).
This arrangement significantly reduces the
amount of cabling necessary to install the
system.
two-way communication, thus enabling the
fire alarm control panel to control as well as
monitor fire alarm devices.
A significant component of addressable fire
alarm system is the software programming
necessary to make the system function
correctly. The programming allows for flexible
applications where you want to have specific
control over the inputs and outputs.
The communication technologies employed in
addressable systems allow for advanced
features to accommodate sensitivity changes
due to age and accumulation of dust prior to
maintenance. These features are not available
with the standard conventional system.
Fire Alarm Devices
Automatic Detection
Components of a fire consist of:
 Smoke (particulate and aerosol)
 Heat
 Light Radiation
 Fire detection devices are built to
detect one or a combination of these
components. While all components are
necessary for a fire to exist, all components
may not exist at a detectable threshold.
Detectors will be selected that will detect
the elements that may exist in a fire for the
ambient conditions that are present. It also
should be realized the similar non-fire
components might exist in the same
ambient conditions, which could cause
unfavorable false alarm conditions.
 Devices used for fire detection include
smoke detectors, thermal detectors, flame
detectors, fire-gas detectors, and other
devices.
 Smoke detectors sense visible or
invisible particles of combustion generated
by burning, smoldering, or the incipient
stage of combustion. These devices fall into
 two categories -- photoelectric and
ionization.
 Thermal detectors sense the high
temperature or the temperature rise caused
by a fire.
 Flame detectors sense the radiation
produced by a fire.
 Fire-gas detectors sense the gases
produced by a fire.
 Other detectors sense some
phenomenon other than smoke, thermal,
flame, or fire-gas to detect a fire.
Smoke Detectors
There are three types of smoke detectors:
Ionization, photoelectric, and combination.
Ionization
The ionization smoke detector is widely used.
Its capability to detect
smoke originating
from fire is best
utilized for clean-
burning fires that
produce small particles
during combustion.
The ionization smoke detector consists of an
alpha particle producing a radioactive source,
a smoke chamber, and charged detector plates.
 The alpha source causes the air within
the smoke chamber to become ionized and
conductive
 As smoke particles enter the smoke
chamber, the smoke particles attach
themselves to the ionized air molecules and
the air in the chamber becomes less
conductive
 When the air conductivity within the
chamber drops below a predetermined
level, the alarm is triggered
Advantages of Ionization Smoke Detectors:
 Detects invisible products of
combustion -- It can detect fires that are in
the incipient stage or detect other aerosol-
type smoke products
 Quick acting -- Provides for earlier
detection than other types of smoke
detectors or thermal detectors
 Disadvantages of Ionization Smoke
Detectors:
 May provide false detection if used
where volatile solvents, conductive
material dusts, or high humidity are present
 Detects the presence of smoke only,
not toxicity
 Has a potential for high false alarm
rate
 Typical locations or hazards for
ionization detection:
 Clean rooms
 Computer rooms
 Mechanical air ducts
 Locations where sensitive detection
methods are needed
Photoelectric
A photoelectric
smoke detector is the
most common smoke
detector used today.
It detects smoke by
using either the principle of light obscuration
or light scattering. Its capability to detect
smoke originating from fire is best utilized for
fires that produce large particles during
combustion.
Spot type photoelectric smoke detectors using
the light obscuration principle have a light
emitting device, usually a light-emitting diode
(LED), a smoke chamber, and a photosensitive
device that receives the light directly from the
light source and produces a monitored current.
Smoke that enters the smoke chamber reduces
the intensity of tech light reaching the
photosensitive device, which reduces the
monitored current. When the intensity drops
below a certain level, the sensor control
circuitry detects a drop in the current produced
by the photosensitive device. When the current
falls below a preset threshold, the smoke alarm
is triggered.
Spot type photoelectric smoke detectors that
use the light scattering principle are
constructed similarly to the detectors that use
the light obscuration principle except that the
photosensitive device is set so that it cannot
see the light source directly. When smoke
enters the chamber, the smoke particles reflect
the light from the source into the
photosensitive receiver. When sufficient light
intensity is detected, the alarm is triggered.
Advantages of Photoelectric Smoke
Detectors:
 Sensitive to visual particles of smoke
 Detects smoldering low heat fires
 Provide early warning
Disadvantages of Photoelectric Smoke
Detectors:
 Early contamination by dust causing
reduced sensitivity
 Detects presence of smoke, not
toxicity
 Must be cleaned on a regular basis
 Has a potential for high false alarm
rate
 Typical locations or hazards for
photoelectric detection:
 Office areas
 Clean rooms
 Raised floor spaces
 Atriums and corridors
 Meeting rooms
 Computer rooms
 Telecommunications rooms
 Electrical equipment rooms
 Sleeping rooms
 Storage closets
Beam Detector
Beam smoke
detectors are line-
type photoelectric
detectors consisting
of a separate light
source and
photosensitive
receiver. These devices are usually installed in
large open areas where there is an
unobstructed line of sight between the light
source and the receiver and where the use of
spot-type detectors would be economically
unfeasible due to the number of detectors
required.
Advantages of Beam Smoke Detectors:
 Cover a large area economically
 Quick acting
 Disadvantages of Beam Smoke
Detectors:
 Unobstructed LoS between the light
source and the receiver
 Correct alignment needs to be
maintained
 Typical locations or hazards for beam
detectors:
 High atriums
 Manufacturing spaces
Air Sampling Smoke Detectors
For environments where detection of smoke is
most critical, an air-sampling system provides
the earliest possible detection. An air sampling
or aspirating type fire detection system is a
self-contained smoke detection package
compromised of five primary components:
 Air-sampling system
 Aspiration system
 Filter assembly
 Detector
 Control system
It uses a network of pipes to
continuously draw air
samples and direct them to a
central smoke detector.
The system operates with a network of
sampling pipes that extend into the protected
area. The pipes are usually made of a
thermoplastic material. An internal aspirator
continuously draws air into the piping
network. The systems use either a filter
assembly or laser particle counting technology
to filter out airborne dust and debris particles,
which helps to eliminate false readings.
Typical locations or hazards for Air-Sampling
smoke detectors:
 Telecommunications areas
 Computer rooms
 Data centers
 Hospitals
 Clean room environments
 Atriums
 Cold storage areas
 Power stations
 Mines
 Paper and timber mills
 Museums
 Art Galleries
 Cathedrals
Thermal Detectors
Fixed Temperature
 Fixed Temperature Thermal Detectors
can respond to:
 Fixed temperature limit
 Rapid rate of change of the
temperature in the protected area
 Combination of these types of
detection
Typical fixed temperature spot-type smoke
detectors contain a bimetallic switch element
that closes at a specified temperature limit.
The switch is normally composed of two
metals, each having a different temperature
coefficient of expansion. As this bimetallic
element heats the
metal with higher
coefficient of
expansion, it causes
the switch to bend or
curve, closing the
switch; thus
indicating an alarm condition.
Line type thermal detectors are cables that
detect heat along their entire length. A line
type thermal detector may consist of two wires
that are separated by an insulator. After the
heat builds to a certain level the insulation
melts, allowing the wires to touch and current
to flow, initiating an alarm.
Bimetallic spot and coaxial style thermal
detectors are self restoring. Fusible link and
melting insulation types of line thermal
detectors are not self-restoring.
Advantages of Fixed Thermal detection:
 Lower cost than smoke detector units
 More reliable than smoke detector
units
 Not affected by dusty or dirty
environments
 Minimal maintenance
Disadvantages of Fixed Thermal detection:
 Slower to respond than smoke
detectors
 Will not detect products of combustion
 Only suitable for protection of
property
Rate of Rise
Rate-of-Rise Thermal Detectors measure the
rate at which the air temperature changes
during a fire event. Measuring the change in
temperature provides a faster alarm response
than measuring the temperature level in a
space.
The rate-of-rise detector measures the change
in the temperature of the space through the use
of a differential pressure switch. This switch
contains an air chamber separated for the air in
the ambient space by a
flexible diaphragm. As air
in the ambient space
changes temperature, the
air pressure increases,
creating a differential
pressure across the
diaphragm.
The air chamber is constructed with a
calibrated leak so that normal temperature and
pressure fluctuations within the room space
adjust across both sides of the diaphragm and
will not cause the alarm contacts to close.
During a fire, the air temperature rises at a rate
faster than normal, causing an increase on the
room side of the diaphragme diaphragm. The
leak cannot compensate, and therefore the
diaphragm moves and closes the detector
contacts.
Combination rate-of-rise and fixed
temperature thermal detectors are also
manufactured and have both technologies built
 in.
Advantages of Rate-of-Rise Thermal
detection:
 Responds faster than the fixed
temperature detector
 Not affected by dusty or dirty
environments
 More reliable than smoke detector
units
 Less expensive than smoke detector
units
 Minimal maintenance
Disadvantages of Rate-of-Rise Thermal
detection:
 Slower to respond than smoke
detectors
 Will not detect products of combustion
 Only suitable for protection of
property
Rate Compensated
Rate-compensated thermal detectors are
devices that are designed to activate at a
predetermined temperature in a space
regardless of the rate at which the temperature
in the space increases. This is accomplished by
compensating for the thermal lag between the
room temperature and the interior of the
device.
Construction consists of an outer metal tube
that expands at a fixed rate. Within this tube,
alarm contacts close when a certain expansion
distance is reached, but this expansion is
opposed by another metal device.
At a slow rate-of-rise in temperature, the outer
tube expands drawing the contacts closer
together. The inner metal device exerts a
counter force, keeping the contacts separated
until the entire device has been heated to its
rated temperature.
At a rapid rate-of-rise in temperature, the outer
tube expands faster than the inner device can
compensate. Therefore, the alarm contacts
close when the entire device has been heated
to a lower level, thus compensating for thermal
lag.
Advantages of Rate Compensated Thermal
detectors:
 Responds accurately and positively to
fire threats
 Virtually eliminates false alarms
 Not affected by dusty or dirty
environments
 More reliable than a smoke detector
 Less expensive than smoke detector
units
 Minimal maintenance
Disadvantages of Rate Compensated
Thermal detectors:
 Slower to respond than smoke
detectors
 Will not detect products of combustion
 Only suitable for protection of
property
Flame Detector
Flame detectors
are used to detect
the light radiation
component of a
fire. Typical
detectors of this
type detect the wavelength of either IR or UV
or a combination of the two. These detectors
are extremely fast acting and are used in areas
where rapidly occurring fires or explosions
could occur.
Advantages of Flame Detection:
 Extremely fast acting
Disadvantages of Flame Detection:
 Narrow field of vision
 Expensive
 Requires unobstructed field of view
 Difficult to maintain
Typical Uses:
 Fuel loading docks
 Industrial process spaces
 Other hazardous areas where a fast
developing fire could occur
Fire-Gas Detector
These detectors respond to the various gases
produced during the combustion process.
 Carbon monoxide
 Carbon dioxide
 Steam
 Other elements

The Fire-Gas detector employs two types of

technology to predict the fire. One method
uses a semiconductor material that changes the
metals conducting potential in a fire situation.
The other method uses a catalytic element
encased in an aluminum bead.

Advantages of Fire-Gas Detection:

 Detects products of combustion
 Sensitive enough to detect levels of
gases produced between the occurrences of
detectable particulate levels and detectable
heat levels
 Detects gases prior to reaching lethal
levels
Disadvantages of Fire-Gas Detection:
 Can be prone to false alarms
 Must be mounted at a low level,
leaving it susceptible to damage
 Can be poisoned
 Not suitable for areas where CO and
CO2 and produced as part of the functions
within the area
 Cannot be considered as a universal
replacement for smoke and/or thermal
detectors
 High cost