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  3. Vol. 60
  4. Reducing the Multi-Sensor Smoke Detec...

Reducing the Multi-Sensor Smoke Detectors Susceptibility to False Triggering

Kalina Szafarczyk, Eng.

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DOI: 10.12845/sft.60.2.2022.9, pages: 164 – 174

Abstract

Aim: An assessment of the possibility of reducing the susceptibility of fire detectors to false alarms was carried out by: 1) analysing the impact of changing the operating modes of a multi-sensor detector on minimizing false alarms, and 2) verifying, using ANOVA tests, two hypotheses: either the settings or the sensitivity of the sensor affect the susceptibility of the detectors to false alarms.

Project and methods: In order to assess the impact of false alarms on the operation of facilities equipped with a Fire Alarm System, a survey was conducted, directed at their administrators. A study of the fire detectors susceptibility to false alarms included placing the DTC-6046 multi-sensor detector in a closed test chamber and initiating the detector’s triggering by a deceptive agent. It was then observed whether the detector would initiate a fire alarm depending on different operating mode settings. The operation of the sensors was changed to interdependent, independent or coincidence work. Sensitivity settings of the sensors were changed from normal to increased by 20%, decreased by 20% or by 40%. An analysis using ANOVA test was conducted to verify which settings have a significant impact on minimising false alarms. Based on the results, example configuration guidelines were developed.

Results: Based on the study, the following main results were formulated. The configuration least prone to false triggering is the one in which the sensors operate interdependently and the sensitivity is reduced by 40%. The highest number of false alarms was observed when sensitivity was increased by 20% with independent sensors and in coincidence, as well as for independent sensors working at normal sensitivity. Performing verification using ANOVA analysis of variance, the hypothesis that sensor settings have a statistically significant effect on minimising false alarms was rejected.

Conclusions: There is a need to search for and implement ways to minimise false alarms of Fire Alarm Systems. The most common reason for false triggering of fire detectors are external factors that are not fire hazards (e.g. dust, dirt). The way of minimising false alarms is a proper setting of the detector operating modes (not often used in practice). The operating modes are based on changing the settings of sensor cooperation and detector sensitivity, where changing only the settings of the sensors does not result in such significant changes as changing the sensitivity of the detectors to increased or decreased compared to normal (result of ANOVA analysis).

Keywords: fire detector, false alarms, detector operating modes, reduction of false triggering of fire detectors

Type of article: original scientific article

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