A new generation of beam detectors has been developed in response to the particular needs of chemical, oil and gas plants, but they are also suitable for mills, warehouses and other environments in which a dust or gas could form and then trigger an explosion, for example in rice and cereal stores and in gas power stations.
These beam detectors have the important feature of being able to detect two phenomena: the presence of smoke in the initial phase of a fire and the overheating of an area due to the start of a fire that develops heat even in the absence of visible smoke. This technology guarantees prompt detection even when the environment to be protected contains materials of different types that may behave in totally different ways in the initial phase of a fire.
The greatest difficulties for normal operation in such hazardous areas are to ensure consistent signalling in different conditions and to allow maintenance intervals that do not lead to excessive downtime, with consequent costs for end users, or the interruption of the fire-protection coverage of the system itself. Indeed, the wall-to-wall-type installation of these beam detectors allows for simple maintenance without interference in plant operations.
The transmitter and receiver units allow you to work in complete safety, avoiding disturbances caused by the interference of all translucent surfaces such as channels, pipes and electrical conduits at height, whilst ensuring the best mechanical stability.
A dedicated remote-control panel allows all programming, checking and testing operations to be carried out directly from a safe area.
If there are problems caused by the presence of vapours or acid substances, such as in the storage systems of special and/or toxic materials, it is possible to install the detectors within protective enclosures that preserve their integrity without any decrease in the useful optical range or sensitivity, both for smoke and fire.
These beam detectors will also signal a decrease of the IR power caused by the deposit of dirt or dust, sending a dedicated maintenance request to the control panel to aid the management of maintenance. In this phase, the detector remains active and the signalling of any alarm always has priority over that of the maintenance request. In addition, routine maintenance intervals are longer than for any other detection system, bringing savings on plant-management costs.
Furthermore, this new line of beam detectors can be equipped with special tools and accessories to satisfy the different needs from plant to plant.
All these models of beam detector are certified to EN standards, ATEX classification, SIL2 and 3 and with protection rating IP66.
For more information, go to www.setronicverona.com
About the Author
Paolo Borloni joined Setronic in 2003 after 20 years’ experience in fire and security. He is responsible for research and development and the certification of detectors, and assists the project engineer in the choice and correct installation of the beam detectors. He is also a member of Standard Italian organization and CEN TC72.
