FIRE & ELECTRICAL SAFETY
BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO ASPIRATION
Traditional fi re detectors can be too sensitive for environments that are thick with particles. Could advances in aspirating detection technology be the answer? Richard Paine, Product Marketing Manager at Notifi er by Honeywell sheds some light.
Aspirating fire detection systems were once thought to only be suitable for clean room environments, such as chemical manufacturing or data processing rooms. Warehouses, cold stores and wash-down facilities were thought too challenging for a technology with such a high level of detection sensitivity.
In a waste recycling plant, for example, the air is often thick with all kinds of particles as materials are sorted and transported by vehicles in enclosed areas. In food processing facilities, there are high levels of water vapour, while in cold stores, freezing moisture can ice up beam detectors in conventional systems.
“ASPIRATING SYSTEMS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE DIRT, MIST OR FROST IN A DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT.”
Conditions such as these have made it difficult for system designers trying to provide adequate fire detection coverage that does not involve constant false alarms or cleaning of detectors.
However, the latest advances in technology have made aspirating systems ideal for these types of premises, where they bring real benefits in early detection and false alarm reduction. This boosts the options available for effective and affordable fire detection solutions in previously tricky environments.
Unlike more traditional fire detectors which use light beams, heat, infra-
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red or carbon monoxide gas sensors, aspirating systems analyse air after drawing it down a network of pipes to a detector. This means the detector is not subject to the dirt, mist or frost in a difficult environment.
Advanced three-stage filters remove dirt and dust by way of patented particle separators to eliminate large particles. An in-line filter then further cleans the air and within the chamber, advanced algorithms analyse signals from a combination of laser and LED light. This dual-vision technology is able to confirm the presence of smoke while eliminating the possibility of false alarms due to nuisance particles. Moisture is drained away before it reaches the detection chamber.
The adjustable sensitivity and remote monitoring capability make aspirating systems supremely adaptable. They are now well-suited for use in lift voids or above electrical transformers, for example, or installed above suspended ceilings where they are less obtrusive than standard smoke detection devices.
The latest aspirating systems detect a fire at the earliest possible stage – up to 300 times faster than beam detectors – and use enhanced analysis to reduce false alarms.
The early warning these devices deliver gives time for assessment and prevents costly downtime. This is particularly ideal for managers with responsibility for large sites with numerous and hard-to-reach areas. Where aspiration detectors form an integrated part of an addressable fire detection system, they can be managed easily from a central control
panel or other smart or mobile device. This avoids the need to go to the device location, thereby reducing response times and cutting maintenance costs.
Aspirating systems also offer big advantages when it comes to maintenance. In a high bay warehouse or a shopping centre, for example, maintaining a traditional system with point detectors in the rafters requires wheeled towers and substantial disruption. In a lift shaft, it would require a lift engineer as well as a fire engineer.
Yet with an aspirating system, the work is conducted at the detector and the pipes flushed out with compressed air or vacuum. Compliant with the three classes of sensitivity in European safety standard EN 54-20, aspirating systems can operate in spaces that are up to 43m from floor to ceiling.
The unobtrusive nature of aspirating systems, using pipes rather than point detectors, also makes them suitable for historic buildings where aesthetic considerations are important.
The technology has certainly become more versatile since the 1980s when it was first introduced in the telecoms sector. Its quick set-up, flexibility and reliability, coupled with ease of maintenance and robustness mean it is now part of the standard suite of solutions for challenging and extreme environments.
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resystems.co.uk
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