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Joshua B. Dinaburg

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand the operating principles of traditional beam smoke detectors Response to various stimuli

How to simulate fault and fire alarm responses

Impacts of minor misalignments

Understand the unique function of the dual wave imaging detector Particulate discrimination

Obstruction identification

Misalignment notification

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BACKGROUND

OSID Detector operates using unique principle compared to more traditional beam detection devices Dual wavelength beam v. single wavelength beam Imaging array v. single sensor Emitter to Imager v. Emitter/Detector to Reflector

Full Scale tests of relative fire detection and nuisance source rejection conducted for Xtralis Simultaneous fire exposures Solid objects Dust Water Mist Angular Misalignment

2

OVERALL APPROACH

Expose detectors to various stimuli and record responseDetectors included:

Xtralis OSID OSI-10 long range detector

Three traditional beam detection devices (A, B, C)

Single beam wavelength

Emitter/Detector send signal to reflector panel design

Detectors installed at or near maximum listed distance 328 ft (100 m) for traditional beam detectors A, B, and C

492 ft (150 m) for OSI-10

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FIRE TESTING: SETUP

4

• Detectors installed with common beam crossing point at height of 35 ft

• Fires at floor below point

FIRE TESTING: SETUP

5

• Detector Settings:• 35% sensitivity (Beam A 50%)

• 30 sec alarm delays (Beam B, Beam C)

• All other settings default/not available

DETECTOR VERIFICATION

6

• Verified that detectors did not “cross-talk” through daily fire/fault responses

• Detector operation verified at installation and daily before testing

• Initial installations performed by experienced contractors

• Baseline signal strength used to verify alignment

• Manually trigger fire alarm response

• Blocking portion of reflector for traditional beam devices

• Using red test filter for OSID detector

• Manually trigger fault response

• Fully blocking reflector for traditional beam devices

• Fully blocking emitter for OSID detector

FIRE TESTING: SOURCES

A range of fire sizes, smoke production rates, and source materials evaluated

Range of fire/smoke sizes selected to find detection threshold Fire size for all detectors to

alarm

Fire size for none or one detector to response

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n-Heptane

DieselBoxes w/ peanuts

ABS Plastic

Empty boxes

FIRE TESTING: SOURCES

n-Heptane pan fires (12”x12” to 22”x22”)

Diesel pan fires (2”x4” to 15”x15”)

Cardboard boxes w/ polystyrene packing peanuts (empty to ½ full)

ABS plastic sheets 8”x16”x3/8” (1 and 4 vertical sheets)

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n-Heptane

DieselBoxes w/ peanuts

ABS Plastic

Empty boxes

FIRE TESTING: RESULTS

DNA – Did not alarm * BEAM A at 50% sensitivity per manufacturers requirements

OSI-10 alarmed to most fires (earliest response to all fires)

OSI-10 DNA to small diesel pool and empty boxes (all DNA)9

Detector

N-Heptane Diesel Boxes ABS

12”x

12”

15”x

15”

22”x

22”

2”x4

”

6”x6

”

15”x

15”

4 Em

pty

2 –

1/8

full

2 –

¼ fu

ll

2 –

½ fu

ll

1 sh

eet

4 sh

eets

OSI-10

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

Beam A*

DNA

DNA

DNA

DNA

DNA

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

DNA

DNA

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

Beam B

DNA

DNA

DNA

DNA

DNA

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

DNA

DNA

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

Beam C

DNA

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

DNA

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

DNA

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

FIRE

NUISANCE TESTING: SOLID OBSTRUCTION

DNA – Did not alarm * Beam A at 50% sensitivity per manufacturer

Solid cardboard placed partially and completely obstructing beam path at reflector (or OSID emitter)

Tested at ceiling level while installed in fire test locations

No detectors respond when blocked by 33%

OSID detector did not enter a fire alarm when partially obstructed

Emitter blocked partially from top/bottom/left/right10

DetectorPartial Obstruction

(% obstructed) Full Obstruction

OSI-10 DNA (up to 67%) FAULT

Beam A* FIRE (80%) FAULT

Beam B FIRE (67%) FAULT

Beam C FIRE (67%) FAULT

NUISANCE TESTING: CEILING LEVEL

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• Initial dust and water mist exposures conducted at ceiling level• Simultaneous exposures to all devices at fire test location

• Individual exposures oriented down specific beam paths

NUISANCE TESTING: CEILING LEVEL

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• Dust/mist could not be sustained long enough to maintain clouds at the ceiling level• Alarm level obscurations were reported by Beam B and C

• Obscuration level could not be sustained to overcome alarm delays using setup

NUISANCE TESTING: FLOOR LEVEL

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• Detectors installed at floor level (3 ft) at max distance

• Evaluated independently (not simultaneous exposure)

Dust exposures tested simultaneously in fire installation locations at ceiling level – no alarms produced

NUISANCE TESTING: DESCRIPTIONDUST EXPOSURE Portland ASTM C150 Type I-II

and Arizona A4 tested

Released from flour sifter over fan directed down beam path 20 ft from detector

WATER MIST Water ejected through

atomizing nozzle using 2000 psi pressure washer

Spray directed over reflector (OSID emitter)

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NUISANCE TESTING: DUST EXPOSURE

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Dust Type

Exposed Detector Response

Approx. Duration of

Dust Exposure

(sec)Cement

Beam AFIRE 30

Arizona FIRE 15Cement

Beam BFIRE 30

Arizona DNA (75% Obsc., dust not sustained for 30 sec) 15*Cement Beam C FIRE 30Arizona DNA (75% Obsc., dust not sustained for 30 sec) 15*Cement

OSI-10FAULT 30

Arizona DNA (sufficient obscuration for fault but not enough duration to produce response) 15*

DNA – Did not alarm * Arizona dust ejected through sifter quickly, insufficient amount to sustain over alarm delay time

Dust resulted in sufficient reduction in signal strength to cause fire alarm in all three traditional beam detectorsOSID detector entered fault condition to dust exposure, both UV and IR signals decrease proportionally to distinguish larger dust particles v. smaller smoke

NUISANCE TESTING: WATER MIST

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DNA – Did not alarmWater mist resulted in sufficient reduction in signal strength to cause fire alarm in all three traditional beam detectorsOSID detector did not alarm to water mist

Insufficient obscuration to produce fault, both UV and IR decrease therefore additional mist would probably cause fault, not fire response

Detector ResponseBeam A FIREBeam B FIREBeam C FIREOSI-10 DNA

NUISANCE TESTING: OSID RESPONSE

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Solid

Obs

truc

tion

-FAU

LT R

ESPO

NSE

-Re

d Te

st F

ilter

-FIR

E AL

ARM

Wat

er M

ist-N

o Re

spon

se

Cem

ent D

ust

-FAU

LT R

ESPO

NSE

A4 R

oad

Dust

-No

Resp

onse

*

*A4 dust sufficient obscuration to fault but exposure too short to overcome delay time

UV beam attenuationIR beam attenuation

• UV = IR FAULT• Solid Obstructions• Water Mist ( at higher

concentration than tested)• Cement Dust• A4 Road Dust (for longer

duration than tested)• UV >> IR FIRE

• Red Filter• 12 of 14 fire sources tested

Sign

al A

tten

uatio

n0%

10

0%

NUISANCE TESTING: ANGULAR MISALIGNMENT

Incrementally adjust horizontal alignment between detector and reflector/emitter Increment angle at 0.5o until detector responds with fire/fault

Signal strength decays with angle of misalignment Fire/Fault

OSID reduce UV/IR at same level Fault Response only

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0102030405060708090

100

-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6

Beam

Att

enua

tion

(%)

Misalignment (degrees)

Generic Beam Detector Response to Misalignment

NO RESPONSE

FAU

LT

FAU

LT

NUISANCE TESTING: ANGULAR MISALIGNMENT

All three traditional beam detectors enter fire alarm when slightly misaligned (fault at greater angles – signal decays with angle)

OSI-10 detector enter fault indication when slightly misaligned (no fire alarm produced up to 5o misalignment)

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Detector Response Angular Misalignment

Beam A FIRE 1.5° - 2.0°FAULT 5.0°

Beam B FIRE 1.0°FAULT 5.0°

Beam C FIRE 1.0°FAULT 5.0°

OSI-10 (100 m distance) FIRE Fire alarm not producedFAULT 1.0°

OSI-10 (150 m distance) FIRE Fire alarm not producedFAULT 0.5° - 1.0°

DATA SUMMARY

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Detector

Fire

s (A

larm

/Tot

al)

Dust

Wat

er M

ist

Solid

O

bstr

uctio

ns

Mis

alig

nmen

t

OSI-10 12/14 Fault± None± Fault* Fault*

Beam A 5/14 Fire Fire Fire/Fault¶ Fire/Fault¶

Beam B 5/14 Fire Fire Fire/Fault¶ Fire/Fault¶

Beam C 9/14 Fire Fire Fire/Fault¶ Fire/Fault¶

± - Desired response to dust/mist is unclear between fault or noneDesired response is dependent on continued ability to detect fires (not tested)

* - Fault indicated as GREEN condition for solid obstruction and misalignmentThese conditions prevent proper detection and a fault is a necessary response

¶ - Fire response obtained to partial obstructions or slight misalignmentFault (desired condition) to full obstructions or more severe misalignment

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CONCLUSIONSTraditional beam smoke detectors Produce fire alarm when measured light signal reduced Produce fault response when light signal completely cut off No ability to distinguish between various sources of partial or total

blockage Signal reduction from misalignment interpreted as fire when partial

or fault when fully misalignedDual wave imaging detector Discriminate between large (dust, water) and small (smoke)

particles by comparing attenuation of UV and IR response Identify solid obstructions by equal ratio attenuating UV and IR

response Identify misalignment using imaging array – locate and report fault

as misalignment

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