Transient Strike Detector for Fire Alarm Circuitry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fire alarm systems lack a means to continuously monitor and record transient electrical energy strikes, which can cause premature failure and make it difficult to determine the cause of system failures, as existing stress tests only evaluate performance at specific times and do not account for actual events.
Innovation Solution
A transient electrical energy strike detector integrated with the fire alarm system's circuitry, using a processor and memory to identify, record, and increment counts for voltage fluctuations outside a predefined range, including magnitude, duration, and date of each strike, and provide alerts for potential failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stress tests are performed to evaluate protection circuitry performance, then the reliability of the fire alarm system is improved, but there is no continuous monitoring capability to detect actual transient energy events
Solution Approach 1:
The pulse detector is integrated into the fire alarm panel circuitry to continuously monitor for transient energy strikes before they cause damage. The system preemptively detects voltage fluctuations and records strike data, enabling maintenance before failure occurs rather than waiting for stress tests or actual failures to reveal problems.
2Area of stationary object
If field wiring is extended to cover large structures, then the coverage area is improved, but the susceptibility to transient electrical energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pulse detector acts as an intermediary monitoring device integrated into the fire alarm panel circuitry. It continuously watches for transient energy strikes on the field wiring without interrupting the wiring's primary function of providing fire alarm coverage across large structures.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If fire alarm systems operate for extended periods, then the system lifespan is improved, but the risk of premature failure from accumulated transient strikes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pulse detector provides continuous feedback by monitoring and recording the number and severity of transient energy strikes accumulated over time. This feedback enables operators to assess the actual stress on protection circuitry and schedule maintenance based on real strike data rather than relying solely on time-based replacement schedules.
Data Source
AI summary
A transient electrical energy strike detector is disclosed. The detector may be integral with the circuitry of a fire alarm panel of a fire alarm system and may identify and record transient electrical energy strikes sustained by the electrical protection circuitry of the system. Particularly, voltage fluctuations in the fire alarm panel circuitry that are outside of a predefined operating voltage range may be identified by the pulse detector as representing transient electrical energy strikes. The pulse detector may increment a counter upon the occurrence of each identified transient energy strike, and may maintain a comprehensive record of such strikes in a memory unit, including a magnitude, duration, time, and date of each strike.