Aspirating smoke detectors- These are complex active fire detection devices that make it possible to issue a reliable warning or alarm signal at the earliest stages of signs of fire. Aspirating fire smoke detectors consist of a detector unit with an aspirator and a piping system with air intake openings through which air samples from the controlled area are delivered to the detection device (Fig. 1). This design of the detector makes it possible to isolate the measuring chamber as much as possible from external influences. High sensitivity, which in some models reaches values ​​of 0.0015%/m (0.000065 dB/m), is many times greater than the parameters of point detectors and is achieved through the use of ultra-sensitive optical density meters. Aspiration detectors are used to monitor not only premises, but also equipment, air conditioning units and air ducts. The use of aspirating detectors ensures the highest level of fire protection any object, and the specifics of the design and additional accessories allow them to be used even where the use of other types of detectors would be ineffective or simply impossible.

On at the moment technical requirements aspiration detectors are installed in GOST R 53325-2009 “Fire fighting equipment. Technical means fire automatics. General technical requirements. Test methods". In this article we will not dwell on technical specifications, but let’s look at possible areas of application and advantages of installing aspiration detectors on various types of objects.

In Russia, the basic requirements for the design and installation of aspirating fire detectors are determined by the Code of Practice SP 5.13130.2009 “Systems fire protection. Fire alarm and fire extinguishing installations are automatic. Design norms and rules." And here the first point is the recommendation to install aspirating detectors to protect large open spaces. Such premises include atriums, production workshops, warehouses, trading floors, passenger terminals, gyms, stadiums, etc. According to clause 13.9.1, aspiration detectors of class A can be installed in rooms with a height of up to 21 m, class B - up to 15 m, class C - up to 8 m. In the case of using aspiration detectors in rooms with a height of over 12 m , unlike linear smoke detectors, the installation of a second tier of detectors is not required. Building structures usually impose certain restrictions on the installation locations of linear smoke detectors in such rooms, they are forced to install them at some distance from the ceiling, which in turn seriously reduces the level of fire protection of the room and the facility as a whole. Aspiration detectors do not have these disadvantages. A pipeline with air intake holes can pass directly under the ceiling and go around obstacles, while expanding the controlled area and reducing the likelihood of false alarms.

Moreover, in accordance with SP 5, it is allowed to integrate air intake pipes into building structures and finishing elements. This application option allows you to protect premises with high requirements to design, for example, historical buildings, museums, premises with large area glazing, etc. Moreover, elements of the fire alarm system in in this case are truly invisible, and the level of fire protection remains at its highest high level.

Air intake pipes can be laid in both horizontal and vertical planes, which makes it possible to determine best option access to the detector for maintenance and repair and place it in the most convenient place for this. Suppose you want to monitor limited, hard-to-reach spaces, such as behind suspended ceiling and under the raised floor, cable channel, interior space units and mechanisms, such as escalators or conveyor lines. And here, according to SP 5, the use of aspirating fire detectors is allowed. It is allowed to control both the main and dedicated space of the room, i.e. in the case of monitoring the ceiling space, the pipes of the aspiration detector are located behind the suspended ceiling, and additional capillary tubes lead the air intake holes into the main space. Special attention attention should be paid to the issue of protecting expensive equipment and material assets. The use of highly sensitive aspirating detectors when protecting, for example, servers or data arrays, makes it possible to detect even overheating of individual components electronic device. The advantage of aspiration detectors is that a pipe or capillary outlet with an air intake hole is supplied directly to the protected object. Figure 3 shows an example of protecting equipment cabinets. Server rooms, data centers, warehouses with rack storage and other facilities where it is extremely important to detect and eliminate the source of fire at the earliest stage in order to prevent major damage are equipped in the same way.

There are often objects that are difficult to control using traditional methods due to harsh conditions such as dust, dirt, extreme temperatures, high humidity, electromagnetic interference, high air flow velocities, etc. The use of aspiration detectors here is also in an efficient way protection. Since air samples from controlled volumes are taken through small openings, air flows from ventilation and air conditioning systems do not affect detection ability. That is why it is possible to place the air intake pipes of the aspiration detector directly in the air ducts and on the air intake grilles. If the operating conditions are associated with significant contamination or dust, then additionally installed in the pipeline system external filters(Fig. 4).

Protecting the measuring chamber of the device from foreign particles entering it reduces the likelihood of false alarms and extends the service life of the system. In the most severe conditions, for example, in waste treatment plants or industrial production, the pipeline is additionally purged in the opposite direction. To do this, a valve is installed that, when blowing, cuts off part of the pipe to the detector block, after which the contaminants are blown out of the pipeline. And in some cases, when blockages in pipes may occur too often, it may be advisable to implement automatic cleaning of the pipe system.

Rice. 3. Pipe placement when protecting equipment cabinets

Rice. 4. Three-level replaceable filter for air purification

Rice. 5. Condensate extraction device (FAS*ASD*WS)

Rice. 6. Example of a pipeline with condensation protection device

In case of control of zones with changing temperature or incoming fresh air Condensation may form in the aspiration system, which may impair the functionality of the detector unit. However, there is a solution for this case too. Piping in high humidity areas
equipped with an additional device for collecting condensate (Fig. 5).

In addition to protecting the detector unit from moisture, such devices may have a filter for additional protection from solid particles. It is installed at the lowest point of the pipeline (Fig. 6). And additional turns of the pipe at an angle of 45° allow access to it during maintenance.

The solution described above is used in areas with temperatures from 0° to 50° C. But the operating temperature range for aspirating detectors is much wider and allows them to be used even at sub-zero temperatures in deep-frozen warehouses. The detector unit itself, depending on the optical density meter used, can operate at temperatures from *20° C to +60° C.

When installing aspiration systems, halogen-free plastic pipes are usually used. PVC pipes can be used at temperatures from 0° to 60° C. Pipes from ABS plastic can be used in the range from *40° to +80° C. Nevertheless, the detector unit is most often taken outside the area with difficult conditions. This further expands the areas of application of this type of detector. Let's look at another example. Agree, it is quite difficult to find a suitable detector to protect your sauna. Some models of aspirating detectors can perform their detection functions at air sample temperatures up to 110° C. Of course, for this example plastic pipes are no longer suitable, and to eliminate false alarms, it is imperative to use a condensate collection device.

There are several other areas of application related to the possibility of moving the detector unit outside the controlled area. Plastic pipes are not conductors and are not susceptible to
influence of electromagnetic interference. Such a system can be operated even in conditions of increased radiation. In turn, the remote aspiration detector unit does not interfere with controlled area, which is very important for diagnostic and testing laboratories.

Many people mistakenly believe that the absence of loop conductors in the controlled area will allow aspiration detectors to be used in explosive objects in a similar way. Such a solution does exist, but the situation is somewhat more complicated. Indeed, in this case, not air, but an explosive gaseous mixture enters the measuring chamber, and the detector unit itself, at certain values ​​of its composition, concentration, temperature and pressure, can become a source of ignition. To prevent the spread of flame through the pipeline and detonation in an explosive zone, the system uses special explosion-proof barriers (Fig. 7).

As we can see, the capabilities of aspiration detectors are wide and varied. The properties of aspirating smoke detectors, compared to traditional point and other types of detectors, are unique: they are high sensitivity for early detection, the ability to be installed in large spaces, the ability to work in difficult conditions, and ease of maintenance even in hard to reach places. Undoubtedly created in 2009 regulatory framework will allow aspiration systems to occupy their niche in Russian market fire detectors and increase the level fire safety many objects.

I.G. Not bad
Head of Technical Support Department at System Sensor Fire Detectors, Ph.D.

Aspiration systems currently account for 7% of the European fire detector market and are trending towards growth in this segment. Interest in aspirating fire detectors is also increasing in Russia, since this is often the only type of detector that provides a high level of fire protection in difficult conditions of placement and operation. In 2006, the Federal State Institution VNIIPO EMERCOM of Russia developed and approved "Recommendations for the design of fire alarm systems using aspirating smoke detectors of the LASD and ASD series" taking into account the provisions of the European standard EN 54-20

General provisions

An aspirating smoke detector is a detector in which air and smoke samples are transported through a sampling device (usually through pipes with holes) to a smoke sensing element (a point smoke detector) located in the same unit as the aspirator, e.g. turbine, fan or pump (Fig. 1).

The main characteristic of an aspirating detector, like any smoke detector, is sensitivity (i.e. minimum value specific optical density in one of the samples at which the detector generates a “Fire” signal). It depends on the sensitivity of the point smoke detector used, as well as on the design of the sampling device, the number, size and location of holes, etc. It is important to ensure approximately the same sensitivity for different samples, that is, a balance in sensitivity. Another important characteristic of an aspirating detector, not taken into account by a point smoke detector, is transport time, the maximum period of time required to deliver an air sample from the sampling point in the protected room to the sensing element.

Test room

To determine the sensitivity of an aspiration detector according to the EN 54-20 standard, tests are carried out on test fires in a room measuring (9-11) x (6-8) m and a height of 3.8-4.2 m (Fig. 2), as with testing of point smoke detectors according to EN 54-7 standard. A test fire source is installed on the floor in the center of the room, and on the ceiling three meters from its center in a 60° sector there is an aspiration detector pipe with one air intake hole, as well as a meter for the specific optical density of the medium m (dB/m) and a radioisotope meter concentration of combustion products Y (dimensionless quantity).

It is allowed to test no more than two samples of aspiration detectors simultaneously, and their air intake openings must be located at a distance of at least 100 mm from each other, as well as from the elements of measuring equipment. The center of the light beam of the optical density meter m must be at least 35 mm from the ceiling.

Test sites for point smoke detectors

Point fire smoke detectors according to the EN54-12 standard are tested against smoke from four test sources: TF-2 - smoldering wood, TF-3 - smoldering cotton, TF-4 - burning polyurethane and TF-5 - burning n-heptane.

The TF-2 fireplace consists of 10 dry beech blocks (humidity ~5%) measuring 75x25x20 mm, located on the surface electric stove with a diameter of 220 mm, having 8 concentric grooves with a depth of 2 mm and a width of 5 mm (Fig. 3). Moreover, the external groove should be located at a distance of 4 mm from the edge of the slab, the distance between adjacent grooves should be 3 mm. The power of the stove is 2 kW, the temperature of 600 °C is reached in approximately 11 minutes. All tested detectors must be activated at a specific optical density m of less than 2 dB/m.

The TF-3 hearth consists of approximately 90 cotton wicks, 800 mm long and weighing approximately 3 g each, suspended on a 100 mm diameter wire ring mounted on a tripod 1 m above a base of non-combustible material (Fig. 4). Cotton wicks should not have protective coating, if necessary, they can be washed and dried. The lower ends of the wicks are set on fire so that smoldering appears with a glow. All tested detectors must be activated at a specific optical density m of less than 2 dB/m. The TF-4 fireplace consists of three mats of polyurethane foam laid one on top of the other, containing no additives that increase fire resistance, with a density of 20 kg/m3 and dimensions of 500x500x20 mm each. The hearth is ignited from a flame of 5 cm3 of alcohol in a container with a diameter of 50 mm, installed under one of the corners of the lower mat. All tested detectors must be activated when the concentration of combustion products Y is less than 6. The TF-5 source is 650 g of n-heptane (purity not less than 99%) with the addition of 3% by volume toluene (purity not less than 99%) in a square pan made of steel measuring 330x330x50 mm. Activation is carried out by flame, spark, etc. All tested detectors must be activated when the concentration of combustion products Y is less than 6.

Classification of aspirating detectors

Aspirating detectors, unlike point smoke detectors, according to the EN54-20 standard are divided into three sensitivity classes:

• class A - ultrasensitive;
• class B - high sensitivity;
• class C - standard sensitivity.

Sensitivity limits for detectors of different classes according to various types test lesions are given in table. 1. Class C aspirating detectors are equivalent in sensitivity to point detectors and are tested using the same test centers. The only difference is that the end of the test is determined 60 seconds after the boundary conditions are reached. Obviously, this time is required to account for the time it takes to transport the sample through the pipe. Aspirating detectors of classes A and B have a significantly higher sensitivity compared to a detector of class C. For example, for test fires TF2 and TF3, the sensitivity of an aspirating detector of class B is 13.33 times higher, and class A is 40 times higher than that of Class C detectors and point smoke detectors. Such high performance are achieved through the use of laser point smoke detectors with a sensitivity of 0.02%/Ft (0.0028 dB/m) and higher as a smoke-sensitive element. In addition, taking air samples from the controlled room and creating a constant flow of air in one direction through the smoke chamber with an aspirator puts even a conventional optical detector in a more advantageous position than when installed on the ceiling, where efficiency is significantly reduced due to the significant aerodynamic resistance of the protective mesh and smoke chamber at low speeds air movement. Under conditions of constant air flow, the sensitivity of the smoke detector is more stable, and its value practically does not differ from the results of measurements in a wind tunnel according to NPB 65-97, which simplifies the design of fire alarm systems using aspirating fire detectors. Addressable analog aspiration detectors with programmable sensitivity can belong to several classes (A/B/C). In accordance with their range of measuring the specific optical density of the medium, they can generate, in addition to the “Fire” signal, one or more preliminary signals, for example “Attention” and “Warning”, at earlier stages of the development of a fire hazardous situation. A laser aspiration detector is essentially a high-precision meter of the optical density of the medium entering the central unit over a wide range. To adapt to different operating conditions and to program several thresholds, about 10 discretes are usually sufficient (Table 2).

Test centers for aspirating detectors of classes A and B

To measure the sensitivity of aspiration detectors of classes A and B, test fires several times smaller in size are used. In test fires TF2A and TF2B, instead of 10 beech bars, only 4 or 5 bars are used (Fig. 5); in fires TF3A and TF3B, instead of 90 wicks, approximately 30-40 are used.

It is physically difficult to ensure slower development of a polyurethane foam lesion compared to the test lesion TF4, therefore lesions TF4A, TF4B are not included in the EN54-20 standard. It is much easier to form test lesions TF5A, TF5B with n-heptane: the dimensions of the tray and the volume of n-heptane used are reduced. Compared to the area of ​​the TF5 test lesion, the area of ​​the TF5B lesion is 3.56 times smaller, and the area of ​​the TF5A lesion is 10.89 times smaller (Table 3). Reducing the size of the test spots alone for testing highly sensitive class B and ultra-high-sensitive class A aspiration detectors was not enough. To create minimum smoke concentrations under the ceiling in the test room, a ventilation system is installed (Fig. 6) at half the height of the room and at a distance of 1 m from the fire in the horizontal projection. When working ventilation system smoke from the test fire does not accumulate under the ceiling, but is evenly distributed throughout the entire volume of the room. Thus, reducing the size of the test source and the distribution of smoke throughout the room made it possible to ensure a slow increase in the optical density of the medium, which made it possible to measure with high accuracy the sensitivity of the aspiration detector at a level of less than 0.01 dB/m. As an example in Fig. Figure 7 shows the dependences of the specific optical density for the test lesion TF3A. It should be noted that the optical density when using test fires when measured in dB/m increases linearly, which makes it possible to evaluate the gain in time for determining a fire hazardous situation with increasing sensitivity of the smoke detector.

Reducing the concentration (dilution) of smoke

If there are several holes for sampling, the smoke concentration in the air sample decreases in proportion to the volume of clean air entering the pipe through the remaining holes (Fig. 8). Consider the case with 10 air intake holes. To simplify the calculation, assume that the same volume of air passes through each hole. Let us assume that smoke with a specific optical density of 2%/m enters the pipe through one air intake hole, and clean air enters through the remaining 9 holes. The smoke in the chimney is diluted clean air 10 times, and its density upon entering the central block is already 0.2%/m. Thus, if the response threshold of the smoke detector in the central unit is set at 0.2%/m, then the signal from the detector will appear when the optical density of the smoke exceeds 2%/m in one of the holes. In table 4 provides data for assessing the effect of smoke dilution for various numbers air intake holes in the pipe. How larger number air intake holes in the pipe, the more pronounced the effect of reducing the sensitivity of the aspiration detector is. In reality, calculating the dilution of smoke with clean air is more complicated than described above. It is necessary to take into account the size, number and location of air intake openings, the presence corner connections, tees and capillaries in pipe system, diameter, etc. In addition, to equalize the air flows across the holes, and, accordingly, the sensitivity, a plug with a hole is installed at the end of the pipe, the area of ​​which is several times larger than the air intake holes, which should also be taken into account in the calculation. When designing a fire alarm system using aspirating fire detectors, it is necessary to use computer program calculations for a specific type of equipment. In practice, smoke usually enters simultaneously through several adjacent openings. This is the so-called cumulative effect, which is most pronounced in high rooms. Therefore, when increasing the height of the room, it is not necessary to reduce the distance between the pipes and between the holes in the pipes. According to the British standard BS 5839-1:2001, aspirating detectors of standard sensitivity class C are allowed to protect premises up to 15 m high, high sensitivity class B detectors up to 17 m, ultra-high sensitivity class A up to 21 m. One air intake vent protects an area of horizontal projection in the form of a circle with a radius of 7.5 m.

Airflow control

It is extremely important to control the air flow through smoke sensor, in the aspiration detector block. A decrease in air flow indicates clogging of the holes in the pipes, an increase indicates a leak in the pipe connection or mechanical damage to the pipeline. In these cases, a malfunction occurs - a decrease in sensitivity.

Monitoring changes in the level of air flow in an aspiration detector is equivalent to monitoring the condition of the loop (for open circuit and short circuit) when using point fire detectors. In addition, there is a need to store the “normal” air flow value in non-volatile memory in case of power failure. To be able to measure air flow deviations from the norm, it is necessary to ensure high stability of the aspirator performance throughout the entire service life of the aspiration detector, i.e. at least 10 years. Thus, despite the apparent simplicity of constructing an aspiration detector, its practical implementation is impossible without knowledge of the laws of aerodynamics, the use high technology and special computer programs.

According to the requirements of the EN54-20 standard, the aspirating detector must signal “Fault” when the air flow changes by ±20%. During the tests, the amount of air flow in the pipe is initially measured using an anemometer when air is supplied through the pipe in normal mode. After this, only an anemometer and two valves are installed in front of the block (Fig. 9). Valve 2 is set to the middle position, and with the help of valve 1 the initial air flow is set with an accuracy of ±10%. After this, valve 2 increases the air flow by 20%, and then reduces it by 20%. In both cases, the formation of the “Fault” signal is monitored.

Requirements for installation of aspirating detectors

The requirements for the installation of aspiration detectors are given in the Recommendations of the Federal State Institution VNIIPO EMERCOM of Russia. One zone, protected by one channel of an aspirating fire detector, can include up to ten isolated and adjacent rooms with a total area of ​​no more than 1600 m2, located on one floor of the building, while, in accordance with the requirements of NPB 88-2001 *, isolated rooms must have access to common corridor, hall, lobby, etc.

The maximum height of the protected room, as well as the maximum distances in horizontal projection between the air intake opening, the wall and between adjacent openings are given in table. 5. When protecting rooms of arbitrary shape, the maximum distances between air intake openings and walls are determined based on the fact that the area protected by each air intake opening has the shape of a circle 6, 36. (Fig. 10)

Conclusions

Class B aspirating detectors provide an increase in system sensitivity by more than 10 times, and class A by 40 times compared to point-type smoke detectors. Recommendations for the design of fire alarm systems using aspirating smoke fire detectors, developed by the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Fire Protection Research of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, determine ample opportunities on the protection of various types of objects with aspiration detectors.

The principle of forced air intake (aspiration) from various parts rooms for continuous monitoring became the basis for the creation of a whole line of highly sensitive smoke detectors of the LASD (Laser Aspirating Smoke Detector) series. Effective in a room with an area of ​​up to 2 thousand square meters, with a ceiling height of up to 21 m, with a length of air ducts from 50 to 120 m.

Each model is equipped with a system for detecting malfunctions in the functioning of the hardware and the air intake pipe system. Thanks to a simple connection to a PC or control panel, you can change standard settings using PipeIQ® software, which also allows you to design duct routing and install major equipment.

Functional features of LASD detectors

The air flow from the protected area passes through a chamber with a laser emitter capable of detecting the presence of smoke particles. The laser beam does not reflect from the walls of the chamber, which eliminates background noise and erroneous operation, and the presence of programmable states “ATTENTION”, “WARNING”, “FIRE” guarantees very early information about changes in the composition of air masses, which in turn prevents the development of critical situations ( production stoppages, evacuation, material damage).

The highest level of protection of objects, especially those that do not allow the installation of classic point detectors, can be achieved due to the design and operating principle of the LASD series detectors:

Sensitivity - maximum 0.03%/m;

Log of recording critical situations - up to 18,000 events;

The impact of air flow on data reliability is minimized;

Two levels of filtration, FLU2;

Intuitive indication on the front panel;

Maintenance and installation - simple, comfortable and fast;

Minimum costs when upgrading PS systems.

The LASD System Sensor series is represented by 4 basic models with design differences.

One laser detector in one channel, up to 1000 sq.m. controlled area;

Two laser detectors in one channel, up to 1000 sq.m. controlled area;

One laser detector in each of two channels, up to 2000 sq.m. controlled area;

Aspirating smoke detectors (ASF) are new generation detectors that can provide fire protection of objects at the highest level and under almost any operating conditions.

Unlike point and linear aspiration smoke detectors, there are no regulatory restrictions on the maximum level of sensitivity, and their operating principle and design features allow you to effectively protect the most complex objects. For example, areas with high air flow velocities, overhead and underground spaces with extremely high or low temperatures, dusty and explosive areas, rooms with limited access, rooms with high ceilings, dome-shaped, with beams, etc. Possible hidden installation pipes in the ceiling space, in building structures or in decorative elements rooms with transparent capillary tubes to form remote air intake points.
Aspirating smoke detectors were invented by Xtralis over 30 years ago and have been on the Russian market for over 20 years. Until 2009, aspiration detectors were used according to the recommendations of VNIIPO, which were developed for each specific type of aspiration detectors. In 2009, the requirements for the installation of aspirating smoke detectors were defined in the “Code of Rules SP 5.13130.2009 Fire Protection Systems. Fire alarm and fire extinguishing installations are automatic. Design norms and rules." In the same year, GOST R 53325-2009 “Fire fighting equipment. Fire automatic equipment. General technical requirements. Test Methods”, in which the technical requirements and testing methodology for IPDA were first defined. These standards and requirements have been received further development in subsequent versions of these documents: in GOST R 53325-2012 and in SP 5.13130.2009 with Amendments No. 1.
Of greatest practical interest are Class A laser smoke detectors, which have currently achieved a fantastic sensitivity of 0.0002%/m (0.00001 dB/m). High sensitivity laser aspiration detectors provide the maximum level of fire protection in clean rooms, containment areas, operating rooms, computer magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography rooms, pressure chambers, high rooms and areas with air flows: atriums, data centers , in the control center, industrial workshops, high-rise warehouses, etc. Highly sensitive laser IPDAs provide ultra-early detection fire danger, which determines the minimum material losses, no need to evacuate or interrupt the operation of the enterprise. To ensure the possibility of rapid response by personnel, several pre-alarm and alarm signals are generated at different levels of smoke. Aspiration detectors with increased sensitivity of class B and class C with standard sensitivity, i.e., with the sensitivity of a point smoke detector, have a narrower scope of application.

Operating principle
According to GOST R 53325-2012, an aspiration fire detector is “ automatic detector firefighter, providing sampling through a pipe system with air intake openings and delivery of air samples (aspiration) from the protected room (zone) to a device for detecting a sign of fire (smoke, change chemical composition environment)" (Fig. 1). This principle of constructing a detector, unusual at first glance, with pipes with air intake holes and an aspirator, determines a lot of advantages compared to smoke point and linear detectors. Air samples from the controlled room enter the pipes due to the vacuum created by an aspirator, which, together with an optical density meter, is located in the processing unit.

The evolution of sensors and detectors for detecting combustion products is far from linear. It cannot be said that thermal sensors, as the first inventions on this path, were later supplanted/replaced by smoke sensors, which detect a fire at earlier stages of its development.

Indeed, depending on the conditions in the protected premises, technological process, and, accordingly, the presence of dust, smoke, gas contamination, high temperature, the choice of a detector today in practice remains with a specialist from a design, or less often an installation and commissioning specialized organization. Therefore, supposedly outdated heat detectors are installed in many places - from sauna rooms to workshops of modern production facilities under construction.

Fire aspirating detector- an automatic fire detector that provides sampling through a pipe system with air intake holes and delivery of air samples (aspiration) from the protected room (zone) to a device for detecting a sign of fire (smoke, changes in the chemical composition of the environment).

You may also be interested in the following information:

From thermal, smoke to aspiration

We must not forget that these are not the only types of fire detection devices. , gas, linear, point, address, temperature-sensitive cables, even pyrotechnic pulse devices– a lot has been invented that can be correctly installed in protected premises, different in their purpose, fire load, and other operating parameters for efficient work as part of APS, AUPT.

Read about all types of detectors here:

In recent years, various foreign manufacturers and, accordingly, their Russian representative offices have widely and often advertised aspirating fire detectors, assuring that they have a brilliant, unclouded future, and as an example of high technical and operational qualities they cite the figure of 7% - this is the niche of their use in the market fire detectors in Europe. Even if this is not the case, it is worth understanding the advantages of an aspirating smoke detector, declared as the pinnacle of development of such devices today.

For information: aspiration is a forced selection of polluted air, gases, dust emissions from technological equipment, from production premises through the use of a fan/pump that creates a vacuum in the receiving pipelines. It is a type of industrial ventilation.

Detector design and advantages

Technical solution the creation of an aspirating fire detector does not shine with particular novelty, since similar devices appeared shortly after the invention of the laser:

• It consists of a receiving unit/module for determining the presence of smoke/gas particles with a transmitter installed inside - a laser, sometimes for beautiful incomprehensibility called by some manufacturers HPLS - a high-bright light source; receiver - photodiode, fan/air pump, as well as several control pipelines with metered holes for continuous sampling of air from controlled premises.
• The automatic fire detector (AFD) unit is mounted outside controlled premises, which gives it maximum protection from any external influences.
• The length of the receiving pipeline for some API manufacturers can reach up to 100 m.
• Filters are used to clean air samples from dust, condensate collectors from moisture, and appropriate equipment from explosive and fire-hazardous environments.
• The main advantage of the API is that it detects a fire much earlier than any other type of existing fire detectors, including optical-electronic smoke devices. The sensitivity of an aspiration detector is many times higher than theirs.
• API can be installed on objects with such difficult conditions operations where installation of traditional fire sensors is impossible or impractical. For example, highly dusty or explosive areas of workshops and warehouses; rooms with very high/low temperatures, high speed air flows, covering complex multi-tiered or dome-shaped structures, as well as for controlling various technological equipment and ventilation systems.
• The installation requirements for such devices are set out in section 13.9, where they are referred to as IPDA. The set of rules recommends that they protect premises with great height and volume: atriums, museums, art galleries, train stations, airports, shopping centers, gyms, circuses, warehouses, production workshops, as well as server rooms, data centers, and the installation height of air intake pipes can reach 21 m, which is impressive.

Conclusion: API is the technological pinnacle of the evolution of a smoke fire detector, allowing the installation of an APS where it was previously impossible, as well as detecting a fire at much earlier stages, which is also important.

Disadvantages of aspirating detectors

Of course, in addition to the advantages of any technical innovation, including alarm systems using aspirating smoke detectors, there are also disadvantages:

The high cost of the API is about 1 thousand dollars per device, at the time of writing. Moreover, the price is 200 thousand rubles. for individual products is far from uncommon.

The same applies to components - condensate collectors, dust filters, explosion-proof barriers, and often plastic pipes with calibrated air intake openings, which are mandatory elements of the system for some manufacturers and cannot be replaced with similar third-party products.

The cost of design, installation and subsequent maintenance of complex control air ducts installed at height or in production workshops with harsh operating conditions, aggressive environment, is also quite large.

Conclusion: Only the state or large companies can afford to use such equipment to protect premises at particularly important facilities. It is not yet possible to talk about another application of APS with API.

To sum it up: API is complex, high-tech equipment that allows for the earliest possible detection of the first signs of fire, and installations/systems using them can protect any objects, including those that were not previously subject to AFS equipment due to the structural complexity of buildings/premises, conditions, modes of technological process, operation. However, due to the high cost of the API, system components, and operating costs, we cannot talk about the widespread use of such equipment.