FIRE DETECTOR AND A METHOD OF DETECTING A FIRE

Abstract: A fire detector, for connection in a fire protection/alarm system, comprises an array of sensors, or a single sensor, of the semiconductor resistor type impregnated with a noble metal. The detector is responsive, by way of a decrease in its resistance, to an increase in any one or more parameters indicative of a fire, namely the atmospheric concentrations of CO, hydrogen and water vapour, and temperature, so that a fire is detected regardless of which of these indicators is present.

Description: FIRE DETECTOR AND A METHOD OF DETECTING A FIRE This invention relates to fire detectors of the kind having transducer means, and capable of giving a reaction at ambient temperatures to changes in an 5 atmospheric condition characteristic of the presence of combustion, with the transducer means being arranged to give an electrical output signal representing its response to the said changes. Such a fire detector will be referred to as a fire detector of the kind 10 specified. Commercially available fire detectors generally rely on purely physical principles, by detecting smoke particles or a significant increase in atmospheric temperature, or alternatively, to a lesser extent, by 15 sensing heat or infra-red radiation generated by a fire. Common difficulties with such devices arise from spurious effects, e.g. presence of dust particles or heat emanating from sources other than a fire etc. , all of which can lead to false alarms. 20 It is also known that a fire can be detected in some (though not all) cases by detection of gases produced by the combustion involved, and that this can often afford a means of obtaining very early warning. Studies to demonstrate this are described in the papers 2.5 of Fardell et al, Fire and Materials, 10 (1986) p. 21- 8, Hurst et al, Fire and Materials, 9 (1985) p. 1-8, and Harkoma et al, Combust. Sci. and Tech., 62 (1988) , p. 21-9. It has been demonstrated specifically that carbon monoxide sensors can be used to detect fires, as 30 described in Harwood et al, Fire Safety Journal 17 (1991) p. 431-443. In this last-mentioned paper, the sensors are of the impregnated semiconductor type which react to a change in the concentration of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere by a change in their electrical resistance. Again, it is known that the incidence of false alarms can be reduced, and the security of detecting a fire improved, by using a combination of sensors of different types either in an array, or in single sensors of different type disposed around a building. A fire variously produces gases (particularly carbon monoxide, and also, commonly, hydrogen) , and smoke. Water vapour is often produced by combustion of hydrogenous matter such as hydrocarbons. In addition, of course, there will usually be an increase in atmospheric temperature. The extent to which any one of these factors is present to any significant, or easily-detectable, extent will vary according to the circumstances. This is especially so in the very early stages of a fire when, of course, it is most desirable that the fire be detected: the factor that is predominant at that time should be detected regardless of which factor it happens to be. Sensors of the impregnated semiconductor resistor type for sensing changes in CO concentration are essentially chemical in function, albeit producing a physical effect in the form of an electrical signal representing the resistance of the sensor. It is known to be desirable to be able to diagnose a fire chemically, using sensors with suitable characteristics, with a view to avoiding the disadvantages of fire detectors that rely on purely physical principles as mentioned above . The characteristics which are important for fire sensors employing chemical principles include robustness against poisons in the air, sensitivity to gases given off in typical fires, very low power consumpton, small size and low cost. While some of these characteristics are present in the general type of sensor described in the above-mentioned paper of Harwood et al, the known art of fire detection using such a sensor still envisages a sensor dedicated to the detection of a single effect characteristic of combustion, e.g. CO concentration. To detect any other effect (such as temperature) , it has been thought that separate sensing means would be essential. Sensors (transducer elements, semiconductor resistors) of porous tin dioxide, impregnated with at least one noble metal deposited on the surface of its pores and capable of giving a reaction at ambient temperatures to changes in the concentrations of particular gases in the atmosphere, and methods of making them, are variously described in the documents GB 2 249 179A and GB 2 248 306A, and in our co-pending United Kingdom patent application No. 92 126 507. In the first of those documents, a tin dioxide sensor element is impregnated with platinum and an additive which increases its selective sensitivity to the presence of atmospheric hydrogen, by increasing its density. In GB 2 248 306A, a tin dioxide resistor for use as a transducer or sensor element is impregnated with at least one phase of a metal such that the electrical resistance of the sensor is a function of the concentration of a given gas in the atmosphere in such a way that its sensitivity to that gas in trace quantities is reduced, but its sensitivity to the same gas is not impaired at the higher concentrations at which the sensor is most useful. Application No. 92 126 507 describes a resistor sensitive to CO in which its response at ambient temperatures is improved by including in its manufacturing process a heat treatment stage to increase its electrical resistance, after deposition of metallic particles on the surface of the pores. An object of the present invention is to provide a fire detector of the kind specified which has all the characteristics mentioned above for sensors using chemical principles, and which, in addition, is able to detect a fire without relying on any one effect of combustion. Another object is to achieve this with a single transducer means. According to the invention in a first aspect, a fire detector of the kind specified is characterised in that the transducer means is such as to give a simultaneous response to changes in a plurality of atmospheric conditions characteristic of the presence of combustion, whereby its output signal represents all of the said changes. In particular, the transducer means is such that its said simultaneous response is to an increase, in the atmosphere, of at least: carbon monoxide concentration; water content; and temperature. According to a preferred feature of the invention, in such a fire detector the transducer means consists of a single semiconductor resistor, which is preferably also responsive to an increase in hydrogen concentration in the atmosphere. In this connection we have found, surprisingly, that by careful optimisation of the manufacturing process, a semiconductor resistor impregnated with noble metal can be produced in which the electrical resistance decreases in response to any one or more of the following: - increase in carbon monoxide concentration above the normal atmospheric background; - a similar increase in hydrogen concentration; - increase in the water vapour content of the atmosphere; and - increase in temperature. Such a sensor responds unambiguously to these indicators, so that it is in effect a plurality of sensors of different combustion effects combined in a single element. Since its response to every one of these effects is a reduction in its resistance, any decrease in resistance can be taken as a reliable indication that a fire is likely to be present. According to the invention in a second aspect, a method of detecting a fire using a transducer means comprising a sensor of semiconductor material impregnated with at least one noble metal and capable of giving a reaction at ambient temperatures to changes in an atmospheric condition characteristic of the presence of combustion, the method including receiving and processing the output signal from the transducer means to produce an alarm signal representing its response to the said changes, is characterised in that it includes receiving and processing the output signal simultaneously representing changes in a plurality of conditions characteristic of the presence of combustion. An example of a fire detector according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a graph showing a typical characteristic curve for resistance of the sensor with atmospheric concentration of CO; Figure 2 is a graph showing a typical characteristic curve for variation of the resistance of the sensor with atmospheric temperature; Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams of resistance plotted against time, showing reductions in the resistance of the sensor on introduction to CO and hydrogen respectively; Figure 5 is a diagram of resistance plotted against time, showing the effect on the former of the occurrence of short introductions of water vapour into the atmosphere; Figure 6 is a graph showing the effect of carbon monoxide on the rate of change of resistance of the sensor, in particular in regard to the initial response rate of the latter; and Figure 7 shows diagra matically a fire detector according to the invention in which the transducer means is in the form of an array of sensors. The fire detector in this example is part of a fire protection system comprising one fire detector, or a number of fire detectors (all of which may be substantially identical) located in suitable positions in or on a building or other fixed structure. The system may equally be installed in a ship, aircraft or other vehicle. The system typically includes, in the usual way, a power supply and suitable signal processing means for receiving electrical output signals from the detector, or from each of the detectors, and for processing those signals so as to produce an alarm signal in response to these output signals. The alarm signal is produced when a fire detector gives an output signal indicating that combustion is present, and typically consists of one or more audible and/or visual signals, with or without other functions such as causing fire doors to close automatically, activating a sprinkler system, and so on. The fire detector itself consists of a single transducer element exposed to the atmosphere and suitably mounted, e.g. on an insulating substrate within a protective housing, with an electrical connection to the signal processor whereby a voltage is applied to the transducer. The transducer element (referred to from here on as the sensor) is a semiconductor resistor, of porous semiconductor material (Snθ2 in this example) having at least one noble metal, such as Pt or Pd, impregnated into it so as to be deposited on the surface of its pores. In general terms the sensor is one that is capable of giving a reaction at ambient temperatures, typically in the range 3 - 50°C, though it should also be capable of giving a reaction at the higher temperature to be expected in the presence of a fire. The reaction referred to above is a reaction to changes in an atmospheric condition characteristic of the presence of combustion, and consists in a reduction in the electrical resistance of the sensor so that the electrical output signal from the sensor is manifested as an increase in current through the sensor, received and processed accordingly by the processor. In this example the sensor is so made that it reacts in this way to an increase in any one or more of at least three parameters indicative that combustion is likely to be present, namely: - concentration of CO in the atmosphere; - relative humidity (water vapour concentration in the atmosphere) ; - temperature; and - preferably also the concentration of H2 in the atmosphere. The processor is preferably programmed in such a way as to ignore output signals from the detector resulting from increases in these parameters due to the variations which are to be expected under normal conditions in the environment being protected by the system. Thus for example it might be so arranged that the alarm signal is not initiated when: (a) there is an increase in only one of the parameters, this remaining below a predetermined threshold value; or (b) the initial rate of change of one of the parameters is below a predetermined threshold value, there being no increase in the other parameters above respective predetermined threshold values, but that the alarm signal is initiated under all other circumstances. The appropriate threshold values will be chosen accordingly. It will be understood that the processor can of course be programmed in any other desired way, using known techniques. The sensitivity of the sensor to each of the detectable parameters, and other characteristics of the sensor, will be determined during the manufacturing process, for example by appropriate addition of additives or by use of an additional heat treatment step. The sensor may for instance be of any of the kinds described in the above-mentioned documents GB 2 249 179A, GB 2 248 306A and Application No. 92 126 507, to the extent that it is sensitive, to the required degree, to each of the parameters in which increases are to be detected. Figures 1 to 6 illustrate the behaviour of a typical sensor for a fire detector according to the invention. The quantity "ppm" in Figures 1 and 6 means parts per million. Figure 1 shows how its resistance R decreases with increasing CO concentration in dry air, while Figure 2 is a characteristic curve showing how R varies with temperature T. Figures 3 and 4 show how R varied over a period of time t in two experiments in which, at.5 minutes, CO and H2 respectively were rapidly introduced into an air atmosphere, being flushed away rapidly starting at 10 minutes. The concentration of each gas was Λ %. Figure 5 shows the curve of variation in R with time t during an experiment in an atmosphere consisting of air at 15% relative humidity. A 1% concentration of CO was introduced rapidly at times t , t3 and -tη , and then flushed away rapidly. Momentary pulses of water vapour were introduced rapidly at times t-j , t2, , t5 and X. . The resulting brief decreases in R showed in the pulses indicated at P. It will be seen from Figures 1 to 5 that the resistance of the sensor is significantly reduced very rapidly in response to an increase in any one of the four detected parameters, independently of any of the others. Accordingly, if more than one parameter increases , the reduction in resistance is cumulative, i.e. the output signal is enhanced, so that an increase in any parameter cannot tend to cancel the effect due to an increase in any other parameter. Consequently, the sensor is a reliable means for detecting the possibility of fire in response to any or all of the parameters discussed. In Figure 6, CO was introduced into an air atmosphere and the rate of change (rate of decrease) dR/dt of resistance with time was measured and plotted against the concentration of CO. It will be observed that the rate of change of the resistance is proportional to the concentration of CO in the air. This fact can be used by the processor, using known techniques, to enable the processor to distinguish genuine fire warning signals from spurious or transient signals, or for any other appropriate purpose. • The detector preferably comprises a single sensor as described above. However, within the scope of the invention it may comprise an array consisting of a number of individual sensors, each dedicated primarily (though not necessarily exclusively) to the sensing of a specific one of the parameters which are to be detected. Thus such an array consists, for example and as shown in Figure 7 , of a gas sensor 10 for detecting changes in CO concentration, together with a heat sensor 12 for detecting temperature changes, and/or a humidity sensor 14. The heat sensor, reacting to increases in temperature due to a fire, provides corroboration of the signals from the gas and humidity sensors. In addition, it permits correction of, or allowance to be made for, a pre-determined extent of cross-sensitivity to heat rises by the gas sensor. Such cross-sensitivity, being an essentially constant factor in any particular type of gas sensor, can be readily pre-established by calibration. The humidity sensor likewise provides corroboration for the signals of the gas and heat sensors by detecting the humidity increases associated with a fire, while again allowing compensation to be made for the pre- determined cross-sensitivity of the gas sensor to humidity. An array 20 comprising at least one such gas sensor element 10 (Figure 7), together with at least one, or preferably both, of the heat and humidity sensors 12, 14, is connected to the signal processing means 18, which is arranged so as to initiate the alarm signal 2 only when the output signal from the gas sensor 10 is corroborated and corrected where necessary for cross- sensitivity, by the heat sensor 12 and/or the humidity sensor 14. The extent of cross-sensitivities to both temperature and humidity is low in the preferred types of gas sensor described, in relation to the response to gaseous emanations, in particular those of CO. A further gas sensor 16, responsive to hydrogen concentration, may of course be included in the array. Some of the preferred types of sensor elements in a fire detector according to the invention will now be more specifically described. The CO sensor 10 is preferably of the type based on S θ2 impregnated with Pt or Pd, including devices of the general type described in the document GB 2 249 179A. Such sensors can be produced so as to exhibit high sensitivity to CO with relatively low cross- sensitivity to moisture and heat, and in this embodiment they are of the kind operable at ambient temperatures in the manner discussed earlier herein. Different types of heat sensors 12 can be used, preferred elements being those based on electrical resistors with numerically high temperature coefficients of resistance, including those known by the Trade Mark THERMISTOR. Examples of preferred types are based on resistor bodies of oxide ceramics, e.g. having a spinel crystal structure. Other such resistors are based on SiC, Pt, etc. Various conventional types of humidity sensors 14 may be used. Preferred types are those relying either on changes in resistance or capacitance in response to humidity effects in resistors or capacitors, e.g. with porous titanate ceramic dielectrics respectively. The single sensor, or the sensors in array, of a fire detector according to the invention may be deposited or otherwise carried upon a mother plate 22, being for example silk-screen printed on a ceramic, e.g. alumina, substrate. Relatively inexpensive fire detectors can thus be produced, which are substantially less prone to false alarms than is possible in conventional systems. An additional advantage is that fire detectors according to the invention preferably comprise elements all of which are unheated, and which thus require very low power supplies.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A fire detector having transducer means, comprising a sensor of semiconductor material impregnated with at least one noble metal, and capable of giving a reaction at ambient temperatures to changes in an atmospheric condition characteristic of the presence of combustion, with the transducer means being arranged to give an electrical output signal representing its response to the said changes, characterised in that the transducer means is such as to give a simultaneous response to changes in a plurality of atmospheric conditions characteristic of the presence of combustion, whereby its output signal represents all of the said changes. 2. A fire detector according to Claim 1 in which the said reaction consists in changes in the electrical resistance of the sensor, characterised in that the transducer means is such that its said simultaneous response is to an increase, in the atmosphere, of at least: carbon monoxide concentration; water content; and temperature. 3. A fire detector according to Claim 2, characterised in that the transducer means consists of a single semiconductor resistor. 4. A fire detector according to Claim 3, characterised in that the single resistor is further responsive to an increase in hydrogen concentration in the atmosphere. 5. A fire detector according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the transducer means comprises an array (20), comprising a gas sensor (10) together with a heat sensor (12) or a humidity sensor (14) or both. 6. A method of detecting a fire using a transducer means comprising a sensor of semiconductor material impregnated with at least one noble metal and capable of giving a reaction at ambient temperatures to changes in an atmospheric condition characteristic of the presence of combustion, the method including receiving and processing the output signal from the transducer means to produce an alarm signal (Z) representing its response to the said changes, characterised in that it includes receiving and processing the output signal simultaneously representing changes in a plurality of conditions characteristic of the presence of combustion. 7. A method according to Claim 6, characterised in that it employs a single semiconductor resistor constituting the transducer means, the said output signal representing atmospheric increases in: carbon monoxide concentration; hydrogen concentration; water vapour content; and temperature.

Inventors: MCGEEHIN PETER, MCGEEHIN, PETER
Applicants: CAPTEUR SENSORS & ANALYSERS, CAPTEUR SENSORS & ANALYSERS LTD.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G08B17
IPC codes: G01N33, G08B17, G08B29