FIRE DETECTORS

Fire detectors are useful devices that save lives and material possessions by intimating about fire before it
gets violent. They have become a part and parcel of every factory, office and even residential buildings.
The primary function of a fire detector is to detect fire and to kick off a desired action in immediate
response. They can of many types depending upon the working principle.

Heat Detectors

As the name indicates, heat detectors sense the presence of fire as the temperature of surroundings
exceeds a predefined value or the rate of temperature rise shoots up. Normally, heat detectors are of
mechanical type. In a mechanical type heat detector, a conductor is attached to a spring-loaded plunger.

As the temperature of the surroundings rises, the conductor either melts or expands to release the tension
of the spring. The spring, once released, completes a switch circuit which intimates about fire.
Alternatively, heat detectors can be of electronic type, in which thermoelectric voltages are produced and
signaled as the temperature increases.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors measure the concentration of solid or liquid particles in a specified area. As the
concentration of these particles in air increases beyond a certain value, it notifies about the fire. Smoke
detectors can be of ionization type or photoelectric type.

An ionization type smoke detector comprises an ionization chamber and a radioactive source of
ionization. There are two plates in the chamber which are oppositely charged by a battery. The radioactive
substance such as Americium radiates alpha radiations which ionize the oxygen and nitrogen in the air.

The positively charged, nitrogen and oxygen atoms move towards negative plate while free electrons travel
towards the positive plate. This generates a small amount of continuous electric current. As the smoke
enters the sensing chamber, its particles neutralize the ions thus impeding their travel towards oppositely
charged plates. The drop in electric current triggers a fire alarm.

Another type of smoke detector is a photoelectric type smoke detector. It uses a light source and a light
sensitive receiver such as a photocell. The two are arranged in such a way that light does not fall upon the
receiver under usual conditions. The smoke particles when present reflect the light towards the receiver.
When sufficient light is reflected upon the photocell, an alarm is triggered.

Flame Detectors

Flame detectors sense the occurrence of fire by sensing the presence of light. It uses a light sensitive
receiving element for fire detection. The advantage of a flame detector is that it is capable of detecting fire
within milliseconds and can activate explosion suppression system thus enabling to curb fire while it is in
initial stages.
Responses of Fire Detectors

Once the fire is detected, the immediate response of the detector is to trigger a desired responsive action.
The immediate responsive action depends upon the overall design of fire prevention system. It can be
activation of audible and visual alarms. In some arrangements, fire detectors can transmit signals to
remote monitoring stations. It can even activate fire extinguishing systems and emergency shutdown of
equipments and processes that might increase the severity of fire.

Safety with Fire Detectors

Fire detectors can detect fire by sensing the presence of overheat, smoke or flame. Upon detecting fire,
they intimate about the emergency by triggering a fire alarm and sending a signal to remote stations. In
some emergency response systems, they also activate the emergency shutdown of energized equipment
and initiate the fire fighting system in place. Timely intimation of fire can save lives and avoid material
losses effectively.