Flame Detection - the perfect solution for detecting fast-flaming fires in high risk areas.

High risk areas; waste recycling, turbine rooms and flammable storage areas

Flame Detection units are optical devices, designed to ‘see’ flaming fires in a specified risk area. (such as a waste bunker or item of machinery)

Flame detection is usually installed in high risk applications where flaming fires may be expected and speedy detection is essential. Flame detection will respond immediately to the presence of a flame but will ignore the presence of smoke/heat.  They are extremely resistant to false alarms and are robust and reliable.

How does Flame Detection Work?

Flame detectors look for the specific frequencies of UV (Ultra Violet) and/or IR (Infra-Red) radiation to detect a flaming fire.
The radiation produced by flames fall within a unique range of frequencies/wavelengths – the detectors only operate within these ranges to help eliminate the risk of false alarms.

The key points you need to know are:

  • UV-only detectors are prone to false activation’s. They are best suited to dark/enclosed areas.
  • IR2 or IR3 detectors are more versatile and more resistant to false alarms than UV detectors. They are also able to remain effective in high levels of obscuration.
  • UV/IR3 Flame detectors are very reliable in outdoor areas, or areas with a lot of natural light shining in.
  • A flame detector contains multiple sensors (e.g. a UV/IR2 has one UV sensor and two IR sensors).  All of these sensors must recognize the fire condition simultaneously to activate the detector.

Flame Detectors for Waste Recycling Fire Protection:

Flame Detection is a reliable and cost-effective solution for protecting open risk areas at waste recycling facilities.  They are commonly used for activating automatic fire suppression systems.

Flame Detection is not always suitable for the protection of waste recycling process lines.  The speed that the material moves at through these areas means that the detector could be unable to spot the fire before it has passed – going on to cause more damage further down the line.  Ember/Transit detectors are best for process areas.

  • We typically recommend IR3 Flame detectors for waste recycling applications. IR3 detectors offer very speedy (although very accurate) fire detection, and will not be accidentally triggered by activities such as arc welding and flashing lights etc.
  • However, if there is a lot of natural light entering the building, IR3 Flame detectors could be prone to false alarms.  In this case, we would use UV/IR2 Flame Detectors which are resistant to sunlight.
  • The detector lenses should be cleaned regularly to ensure they continue to perform at their optimum level. This can make maintenance quite hasslesome in many applications.
  • Flame usually have a maximum range of 25m and a 90 degree field of view from the detector. This allows for a fairly substantial field of protection from a single detector.
  • One downside of using flame detectors is that they give no situational awareness of the risk that has been detected (unlike video fire detection). However, this could be partially overcome by the use of an accurate zone plan or addressable fire alarm system.
  • Flame detectors are ideal for the speedy detection of a fire in a specified risk area and are commonly used in conjunction with a fire suppression system

There are a range of different types of flame detector for various applications.  As described above, flame detectors look for different spectrum’s and patterns of light which are unique to flames.  UV light can be blocked by dirt obscuration, whereas IR radiation can be ‘seen’ through much heavier layers of dust and dirt.  That said, any obscuration on the detector lens will inevitably reduce the sensitivity of the detector.

  • UV Flame Detectors are great for outdoor areas but can be prone to false alarms.
  • UV/IR Flame Detectors are great for outdoor areas and are much more resistant to false alarms, due to the fact that two different spectrum’s of light are being looked for.
  • IR2 Flame Detectors are excellent for indoor areas and are very resistant to false alarms.  They are very tolerant of dust obscurantist.
  • IR3 Flame Detectors are the best choice for indoor and high risk areas, particularly where there is a lot of activity which could cause a false alarm.  They are great for high risk areas like waste recycling facilities.

Contact us today to discuss your fire detection requirements.

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