Smoke Detector Using Transient Recorder for Fire Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smoke and fire detectors based on scattered light or linear transmission measurements are limited in accurately determining the location and extent of a fire within a monitored space, often requiring precise installation and lacking the ability to differentiate between fire causes and obstacles, which hinders effective response and fire location estimation.
Innovation Solution
A smoke and/or fire detector equipped with a light transmitter, receiver, and evaluation unit that utilizes a transient recorder to record and digitize multiple light signals at high sampling rates, allowing for precise time determination and differentiation between hard and soft objects, enabling accurate distance determination and smoke classification, including the detection of fire type and extent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If scattered light measurement is used to detect smoke, then smoke detection sensitivity is improved, but the ability to determine fire location and extent is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement path is segmented into multiple discrete sampling points along the light beam trajectory. Each sampling point records light signals independently, allowing the system to determine both smoke detection sensitivity at each point and the spatial distribution of smoke density throughout the monitored space, thereby resolving the contradiction between detection sensitivity and location information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-point scattered light measurement to a multi-point spatial distribution measurement by adding the spatial dimension along the light beam path. This dimensional expansion enables simultaneous acquisition of smoke concentration data (from scattered light) and location information (from the spatial distribution pattern of measurements).
2Area of stationary object
If linear transmission measurement is used to monitor large spaces, then the monitoring coverage area is improved, but the ability to determine fire location and cause is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The linear transmission measurement is segmented into multiple discrete sampling points along the light beam path. Each sampling point independently measures light transmission and records signals, enabling the system to identify both the overall monitoring coverage area and the specific locations where smoke or obstacles are present, thus resolving the contradiction between coverage area and location identification.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sampling points act as intermediaries between the light source and the evaluation unit. These intermediaries capture localized information at each point along the transmission path, allowing the system to distinguish between different causes (smoke vs. obstacles) and determine their locations while maintaining comprehensive monitoring coverage.
3Loss of information
If multiple detectors are deployed to determine fire location through time delay, then fire location estimation is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sampling points are merged into a single integrated detector unit that performs all measurements and evaluations locally. This consolidation eliminates the need for a network of separate detectors while maintaining the ability to determine fire location through spatial analysis of signals from multiple sampling points within the same device, thus reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single detector unit performs multiple functions: it conducts scattered light measurement for smoke detection, performs linear transmission measurement for location determination, and analyzes time delays for fire cause identification. This multi-functionality replaces the need for multiple specialized detectors, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining location estimation accuracy.
4Measurement precision
If high sampling rate is used to record light signals, then time determination precision is improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The evaluation unit extracts and processes only the critical information from the high-rate sampled signals, such as peak positions, signal thresholds, and time delays, while filtering out redundant data. This extraction approach maintains high time determination precision through accurate sampling while reducing data processing complexity by focusing computation on essential parameters rather than processing all sampled data points.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides more detailed information on fire location and extent, enabling better estimation and response, as well as distinguishing between different types of fire incidents, facilitating more direct and effective fire combating measures.
Implementation Method 1
having an evaluation unit for evaluating the time of flight of the received light signal
Implementation Method 2
having a light receiver for generating a received light signal from the transmitted light signal remitted or reflected in the monitored zone
Implementation Method 3
having a light receiver for generating a received light signal from the transmitted light signal remitted or reflected in the monitored zone
Data Source
AI summary
A smoke and/or fire detector for the detection and distance measurement of smoke (36) in a monitored zone (2), having a light transmitter (4) for transmitting a transmitted light signal (8), having a light receiver (6) for generating a received light signal (10) from the transmitted light signal (8) remitted or reflected in the monitored zone (2), and having an evaluation unit (12) for evaluating the time of flight of the received light signal (10), wherein the evaluation unit (12) has a transient recorder (14) and wherein the transient recorder (4) is configured to record multiple received light signals (10) of a single transmitted light signal (8) successively following in time in a time period and the evaluation unit (12) is configured to evaluate the received slight signals (10).