New Sensor Technology

For almost thirty years, the fire detection industry has relied on the same basic sensor technologies to detect the products of fire. Of course there are very good reasons for using technologies that are tried and tested. New and unproved is not a phrase you want to hear in a life-critical context. You might tolerate a new car with a minor fault , for example, but a warning light causes inconvenience rather than harm. The fire industry doesnt have the luxury of refining its products through market feedback: we are, after all, in the business of saving lives. That said, the industry should not be deterred from developing new and better ways of sensing fire hazards, but there are some basic principles we should keep in mind when assessing or applying new technology. Chief among these is to remember that obtaining a fire alarm when one is needed is far more important than eliminating every possible chance of a false alarm. As a leading fire detector manufacturer, Apollo is well-placed to spot sensor technologies and assess their potential for fire detection. There is currently an upsurge of interest in sensor technologies from other industries particularly chemical sensors. Having proven themselves reliable in other arenas, particularly in the detection of toxic and combustible gases, there is strong interest in transferring this sensor technology to fire detection applications. The potential is enormous. Chemical sensors respond to a wide range of gases. Transferred to fire detection, this could mean using just one sensor type to identify a whole range of fires. Because they respond to traces of gas, chemical sensors could pick up the products of combustion far earlier than traditional heat and smoke sensors, giving more precious time for evacuation or remedial action. John Eastwood, Apollos Product Manager, says: Long-life chemical sensors could bring major benefits to fire detection technology. However, unlocking the potential of such devices in fire situations requires a lot of investment, rigorous testing and trials, and an ability to convince the industry that it really is the right way to go.