Fire Friday #3: Channels
One of the advantages of fiber optic Linear Heat Detection (LHD) is not only the comparatively long range, but also the possibility of connecting multiple sensor cables. While fiber optic monitoring solutions for other applications often use 6 -, 8 - or even 12 - and 16 - channel versions, the number of measuring channels in AP Sensing's fire detection system is limited to a maximum of 4 - and not without reason.
Measuring channels are usually measured sequentially, i.e. the measuring time increases linearly with the number of measuring channels. Now we know that the response time of a fiber optic LHD system is determined only to a small extent by the measurement time (environmental factors, as well as the sensor element, have a much greater influence here), but measurement time can become a limiting factor with many measurement channels. By limiting the number of measuring channels to a maximum of 2 or 4 channels, we prevent the measurement time from becoming a limiting factor in the response time and thus enable the full potential of LHD.
Another aspect that is influenced by the number of channels is monitoring reliability. National standards such as TS54-14 limit the monitoring area of a fire detection system, as the failure of a multi-channel system (e.g. 4 x 10 km range) then leads to the failure of a large monitoring area. Thus, it becomes necessary to counter the risk of failure by using multiple systems. AP Sensing offers a wide range of highly reliable fire detection systems that precisely meet the needs of various applications through different ranges and quantities of measurement channels. Different redundancy concepts also help to further optimize the operational reliability of the fire alarm system.
Visit our fire detection webpage for more information on AP Sensing's LHD solution.
Response time, spatial resolution, and alarm zone configuration: what is important when selecting a Linear Heat Detection system? Find out more in our weekly series.