fire detecting one may be more difficult than you think optical flame detectors have long suffered
from limitations inherent in their design or the technology they use this means that
a fire can go undetected or that the detector frequently alarms when the fire is not present
for example ultraviolet detectors will false alarm when lightning or electric arc welding
is present single frequency infrared detectors can be susceptible to modulated hot surfaces such as
engines or even peak UV IR detectors combine the benefits of ultraviolet and infrared technologies
but still false alarm when both radiation sources are present other multi spectrum
infrared detectors have improved resistance to false alarms but with hidden penalties their
effectiveness varies from one type of fire to the next and they become desensitized by
modulated infrared sources or reflected sunlight it's a tough job but the need is clear despite
the clutter of these deceptive sources a new level of performance must be attained where
the detector is not tricked into false alarm yet always detects a fire Daktronics has the
solution the X 3301 protector providing the world stent in multi spectrum infrared flame detection
your safety is our mission since 1973 Daktronics has been the leader in protecting high hazard
applications all over the world as a result we are unparalleled in flying detection research design
and fabrication expertise we are continuing that tradition today with the evolution of the most
advanced multi spectrum infrared detector in the world the X 3301 protector protector represents
the ultimate in optical flight detection providing new levels of flame sensitivity
while ignoring false alarm sources altogether protector features greater sensitivity to all
fires an extended field of view optimized false alarm rejection true optical integrity
self checking and a new robust package design let's look at each of these now in more detail
all fires are not the same in fact there is a continuum of hydrocarbon emissions related to
fuel types diesel fuel fires are dirty producing billowing black smoke heptane burns somewhat
cleaner while methanol flames are blue at the base and nearly invisible at the tip protector
can detect all of these files and at greater distances than ever before possible testing by
factory neutral approvals to the 2000 edition of the standard 3260 has verified that a one-foot
square heptane fire can be detected at over 200 feet this range has also been verified
against a 2 foot square jp-5 fire further tests have demonstrated that a one-foot square diesel
fire will be detected at 150 feet and a 30 inch methane at 100 feet in addition to detecting
standard fires at long distances protector also provides superior detection at short
distances this is crucial to early detection of accidental fires that will often develop quickly
into catastrophic events protector can identify such a fire shortly after it starts while it
is still quite small thereby minimizing damage that is so disruptive to processes and products
protector has a consistently larger area of coverage than any other detector in the world
here's what we mean the maximum on axis range of a conventional detectors field of view is about
50 feet off axis these detectors lose sensitivity at about 25 feet as a result any fires that occur
outside this view will not be detected testing has shown that protector has an on axis range
of up to 210 feet with off axis sensitivities up to 100% a huge increase in the overall area
of coverage what's important to remember is that this increase is consistent across all types of
fire in fact protector is the first detector to be tested and verified by FMA against multiple
fuel types per standard 30 to 60 mm addition the benefit of this is a significant cost of
coverage reduction in this case for example one protector is needed to cover one side of
the enclosure while a second protector covers the other side since many applications require voted
coverage only two more protectors are needed to complete the system at the lowest possible cost
if however for conventional detectors are used to do the same job large areas of non coverage
are clearly visible even after adding six more detectors a large unprotected area remains in
the center of the room providing voted coverage of this room would require so many more detectors
that it's clearly an unemotional armed sources are everywhere in your facility some are fairly
obvious while others are not other multi spectrum detection strategies reduce the
number of alarms to these false sources but the detectors are easily desensitized by modulated
IR backgrounds such as reflected sunlight to better understand this look at this chart showing
the spectral emissions of a hydrocarbon flame note the characteristic carbon dioxide peak at
the four point four micron region when infrared background is present at high levels this peak
actually becomes lost amid the interference virtually blinding the detector to a fire
protector uses patented electronic optical and signal processing technologies to see
the fire amid this IR clutter how protect our utilizes three regions of the infrared spectrum
to gather data within its field of view this data is continually analyzed using patented
advanced signal processing algorithms supported by an embedded 32-bit microprocessor wavelength
flickered intensity and time domain are just a few of the discriminators used to evaluate what
the detector sees the advanced effectiveness of the protector technology has been verified by
independent third party testing this documentation shows that protector provides a level of combined
false alarm rejection and detection performance that is truly revolutionary to the industry
Daktronics pioneered optical integrity in the 1970s protector extends this technology
providing a calibrated IR source for each sensor to accurately mimic the infrared signature of a
fire non calibrated test systems that use over powered internal or external sources
or different wavelength from an actual fire will fail to appropriately indicate fault
conditions other features are protectors pol I system include non-contact magnetic read
switch activation to eliminate time-consuming inaccurate tests with expensive external sources
also if I are absorbing material reduces protectors detection range less than 50% a
fault is signaled complimenting the calibrated hawai system is a microprocessor control active
heating system to help prevent the build-up of IR absorbing ice or water films other detectors
are compromised when these extreme environmental conditions occur not protector it keeps working
because the heating system allows the detector to self clear these blinding
materials the result sustained performance with no manual clearing of ice or snow
the physical design of the ex 3301 has been optimized for high performance and ease of
installation and is available in either 316 stainless steel or low magnesium copper free
aluminum a dedicated wiring compartment has rated both exp and exp to allow for the lowest cost
installation that meets individual customer requirements all electronic components are
physically isolated in a separate sealed compartment for maximum environmental
integrity the modular design allows substitution of detection technologies or on-site maintenance
without disconnecting field wiring DnB testing has confirmed that our stainless steel swiveled
minimizes the detrimental effects of vibration while assuring the detector is properly aimed
at a hazardous area convenient markings on the horizontal and vertical aiming members
facilitate proper siting when this capability is combined with an optional laser aiming tool
complete detection coverage can be assured at easily verified as you obscene flame detection is
tricky business but mostly it's serious business protector offers you a level of safety never
available before along with significant battery protector provides the lowest cost of coverage
you buy fewer units to do the job because an extended field of view and uniform fuel detection
capability produce installation costs because you mount fewer units using hardware designed to
simplify the process increase plant availability because there are no false alarm interruptions to
disrupt operations reduce maintenance expenses because protector features heated optics with
true self checking optical integrity all this and maximum fire protection regardless of the
conditions so come to the experts who pioneered the industry to get the best combination of flame
detection and false alarm rejection available in the world get the Daktronics difference with the
ex 3301 protector step up to the world stem in multi spectrum infrared flame detection