GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE PART 1 OF 2

PART 1 : TYPE OF DETECTORS

PART 2: PLACEMENT OF DETECTORS
COMPILED FROM HONEYWELL PRESENTATION ON YOU TUBE
BY IR. TAN YOKE LEE
MIEM, MI-FIRE E
yokeleetan71@gmail.com
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE

FOR INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSE, FIRE IS NOT THE ONLY CONCERN. SOMETIMES, WE WANT TO DETECT
BOTH GAS AND FIRE. SOME GASES ARE TOXIC , SOME ARE FLAMMABLE WHILE OTHERS ARE BOTH TOXIC AND
FLAMMABLE.

THERE ARE 3 HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH GAS, NAMELY FIRE/ EXPLOSION, TOXICITY AND ASPHYXIATION.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE CONCEPT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS SMOKE OR HEAT DETECTION.

IN ORDER TO DESIGN A GOOD SYSTEM FOR GAS AND FIRE DETECTION IN AN INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL FACILITY, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO KNOW EXACT TYPE OF GAS WE ARE TRYING TO DETECT. SOME FUELS DO NOT PRODUCE VISIBLE FLAMES
AND CARBON SOOTS OR CARBON MONOXIDE.

IN ACTUAL FACT, YOU NEED TO HAVE LAYERED DETECTIONS INCORPORATING GAS DETECTION AND FIRE DETECTION.
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON/ HYDROGEN FIRE

FOR EXAMPLE HYDROGEN FIRE IS NOT VISIBLE TO HUMAN EYES, ESPECIALLY IN DAYLIGHT. AT NIGHT TIME, YOU JUST GET
TO SEE A DULL BLUISH FLAME.

THERE IS NO CARBON SOOTS, CARBON MONOXIDE OR PARTICLES. YOU GET WATER FOR COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF
HYDROGEN IN OXYGEN.

2H2(g) + O2(g) → 2H2O(g) + energy

SO IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO USE NORMAL PHOTOELECTRIC SMOKE

DETECTORS.
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE

TYPES OF GAS DETECTORS IN THE INDUSTRY

1. CATALYTIC BEAD DETECTORS WHICH ARE USED FOR HYDROGEN, ACETYLENE AND
CARBON DISUPLPHIDE (FLAMMABLE GAS)
• CATALYTIC BEAD DETECTORS ARE POINT DETECTORS. THEY ARE CHEAP, AND
FAIRLY ACCURATE OVER SENSOR DETECTION RANGE THAT IS CALIBRATED TO A
CERTAIN GAS. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARE NOT FAIL SAFE BEING SUBJECTED
TO CATALYTIC POISONING FROM SULHPURS, PHOSPHORS, LEAD, CHLORINE,
ETC, REQUIRES O2 FOR OPERATION, CANNOT TELL WHICH GAS IS DETECTED
AND CONSUMES POWER SUPPLY.
2. NON DISPERSIVE INFRA RED DETECTOR (FLAMMABLE GAS)
• THERE ARE THE LAMPS AND THE SENSORS, AND RELY ON THE HYDROCARBON
GAS BLOCKING THE INFRA RED SPECTRUM. UNFORTUNATELY CERTAIN GAS
SUCH AS HYDROGEN DO NOT ABSORB ANY OF THE INFRA RED SPECTRUM.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS MORE EXPENSIVE BUT CONSUMES LESS POWER, IS NOT
SUBJECTED TO CATALYTIC POISONING, LINEAR FOR METHANE HYDROCARBON
UP TO 100% BUT NON LINEAR FOR OTHER HYDROCARBON PRODUCT, HAS A
LIFE SPAN OF ABOUT 5 YEARS, IS MORE EXPENSIVE AND ACCURACY IS VERY
STABLE.
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE
TYPES OF GAS DETECTORS IN THE INDUSTRY

INFRA RED OPEN PATH GAS DETECTOR (FLAMMABLE GAS)

THE PREVIOUS SECTION WAS FOCUSING ON POINT DETECTOR. OPEN PATH GAS DETECTOR IS A LINE DETECTOR JUST
LIKE A BEAM DETECTOR IN SMOKE DETECTION IN A BUILDING.
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE
TYPES OF GAS DETECTORS IN THE INDUSTRY

3. PHOTO IONISATION DETECTOR (FLAMMABLE GAS)

THE TECHNOLOGY DEPENDS ON THE ABILITY OF THE GAS TO BE DETECTED TO BE IONIZED WITH SET EV ENERGY.
HOWEVER, IT CAN ONLY DETECT THE PRESENCE OF GAS WITH EV ENERGY LOWER THAN SET POINT OF 10.6 BUT
CANNOT IDENTIFY WHICH TYPE OF GAS. IT IS RELATIVELY CHEAP, UV LAMP IS SELF CLEANING, DOES NOT REQUIRE O2
FOR OPERATION AND IS LINEAR OVER THE DETECTION RANGE BUT READINGS ARE RELATIVE TO ISOBUTYLENE GAS
WHICH IS USED FOR CALIBRATION.
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE
TYPES OF GAS DETECTORS IN THE INDUSTRY

4. ELECTOCHEMICAL CELLS GAS DETECTOR (TOXIC GAS)

THE DETECTOR IS RELATIVELY CHEAP, SENSITIVE TO

PPM CONCENTRATION, FAIRLY LINEAR OVER RANGE
OF OPERATION AND FAIL SAFE.

HOWEVER, IT IS SENSITIVE ALSO TO OTHER GASSES

OTHER THAN TARGET GAS, SUBJECTED TO
CONTAMINATION BY ALCOHOL AND OTHER
SUBSTANCE AND SOME SENSORS SUCH AS NO ARE
VERY SENSITIVE TO TRANSIENT CHANGES TO
HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE.

REQUIRES MINIMUM OXYGEN LEVEL FOR

OPERATION.
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE

THERMAL AND FLAME DETECTION FOR FIRE

1. THERMAL HEAT DETECTOR CAN BE USED BUT MUST BE POSITIONED ABOVE THE POSSIBLE LOCATION OF FLAMES
SUCH AS ATMOSPHERIC TANK CONTAINING FUEL. IT IS NOT VERY SUITABLE WHEN THE POSSIBLE LOCATIONS OF
FLAMES ARE NOT EASILY IDENTIFIABLE OR PROJECTED. IN ADDITION CERTAIN GASSES LIKE HYDROGEN PRODUCE
VERY LOW IR RADIATION AND THUS MAY NOT ACTIVATE THE HEAT DETECTOR UNTIL THE FLAME IS VERY LARGE.
2. UV FLAME DETECTOR IS USEFUL FOR GASSES THAT DO NOT PRODUCE SUFFICIENT IR RADIATION. UV FLAME
DETECTORS USE ANODE/CATHODE GEIGER-MUELLER TYPE VACUUM TUBES, A TECHNOLOGY DATING BACK TO THE
EARLY 20TH CENTURY, TO SENSE UV RADIATION EMITTED BY A FLAME. UV RADIATION ENTERS THE VACUUM TUBE
THROUGH A QUARTZ WINDOW AND STRIKES THE CATHODE. THE ENERGY FROM THE UV PHOTON RELEASES A
PHOTO ELECTRON AND CREATES AN ELECTRICAL IMPULSE AS IT TRAVELS TO THE ANODE. SINCE HYDROGEN FLAMES
RADIATE ENERGY MAINLY IN THE UV BAND, UV FLAME DETECTORS EXCEL AT FAST DETECTION OF HYDROGEN
FLAMES. WITH THE ABILITY TO SPOT A 24-INCH PLUME FLAME UP TO 50 FEET AWAY, UV FLAME DETECTORS ALSO
OFFER A GOOD DETECTION RANGE. ON THE OTHER HAND, UV FLAME DETECTORS ARE SENSITIVE TO ARCS, SPARKS,
WELDING, LIGHTNING AND OTHER UV-RICH NON-FLAME SOURCES. THESE UV EMITTERS CAN CAUSE UV FLAME
DETECTORS TO SET OFF FALSE ALARMS, WHICH CAN HAVE EXPENSIVE CONSEQUENCES AND REDUCE PEOPLE’S
SENSITIVITY TO REAL POTENTIAL HAZARDS. THEREFORE, UV FLAME DETECTORS ARE BEST SUITED FOR LOCATIONS
ISOLATED FROM SOURCES OF FALSE ALARMS, SUCH AS ENCLOSED ROOMS.
GAS AND FIRE DETECTION FOR HYDROCARBON FIRE

THERMAL AND FLAME DETECTION FOR FIRE

3. COMBINATION OF UV/ IR DETECTOR WHICH IS LESS SUBJECTED TO FALSE ALARM.

4. MULTI INFRARED SPECTRUM FLAME DETECTORS USE A COMBINATION OF IR SENSOR
FILTERS AND SOFTWARE ANALYSIS TO BOTH SEE FLAMES AND REDUCE FALSE
ALARMS. SOME MIR FLAME DETECTORS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO
DETECT THE LOW-LEVEL RADIATION FROM HYDROGEN FLAMES USING A UNIQUE
SET OF IR FILTERS. THESE SPECIAL DEVICES OFFER VERY GOOD DETECTION RANGE;
EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIMUM IR FILTER SET, SOME MIR FLAME DETECTORS CAN
DETECT A 24-INCH HYDROGEN FLAME AT DISTANCES UP TO 125 FEET, DOUBLE THE
RANGE OF A UV FLAME DETECTOR. MIR FLAME DETECTORS ALSO OFFER A GOOD
RESPONSE TIME, BUT DO NOT SET OFF FALSE ALARMS WHEN EXPOSED TO ARCS,
SPARKS, WELDING AND LIGHTNING. IN ADDITION, THEY PROVIDE SOLAR RESISTANCE
AND ARE INSENSITIVE TO ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS AND MOST BLACKBODY RADIATION,
THINGS THAT MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT OTHER DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES. ON THE
DOWNSIDE, THE RANGE OF MIR FLAME DETECTORS IS REDUCED BY THE PRESENCE
OF WATER OR ICE ON THE LENS. TO MITIGATE THIS PROBLEM, SOME DETECTORS
ARE EQUIPPED WITH LENS HEATERS THAT MELT ICE AND ACCELERATE EVAPORATION
OF WATER.