Flame Detector Testing

Flame Detector Testing

Most fire detection technology focuses on detecting heat, smoke (particle matter) or flame (light) – the three major characteristics of fire. All of these characteristics also have benign sources other than fire, such as heat from steam pipes, particle matter from aerosols, and light from the sun. Other factors further confound the process of fire detection by masking the characteristic of interest, such as air temperature, and air movement.

In addition, smoke and heat from fires can dissipate too rapidly or accumulate too slowly for effective detection. In contrast, because flame detectors are optical devices, they can respond to flames in less than a second. This optical quality also limits the flame detector as not all fires have a flame. As with any type of detection method its use must match the environment and the risk within the environment.

Typical applications for optical flame detectors are;

§  Wherever highly combustible materials are involved

§  Where there is a need for instantaneous response to flame

§  Wherever unsupervised areas require automated fire protection

§  Where there is a large capital investment to be protected

Portable UV/IR Flame Detector Test Lamp

Examples of actual installations are;

§  Gasoline transport loading terminals

§  Pipeline pumping stations

§  Refineries

§  Aircraft hangers

§  Automotive paint spray booths

§  Munitions production facilities

§  Jet engine test cells

§  Offshore drilling and production platforms

Before starting the job, take the proper work permit and inform to all the respective departments. Then do force the respective logics or interlocks if any (like fire suppression systems activation etc)

§  Prior to testing of Flame Detector we should check LED Visibility of the Flame Detector. It should be blinking green. This can be seen on the flame Detector.

§  Check the + 24 Volts DC Supply of the Flame Detector between + and – terminal of the Flame Detector.

§  Take UV / IR Testing Torch for testing of Flame Detector.

§  Before applying UV / IR rays to the Flame Detector, clean the detectors display by cotton cloth. It should be always cleaned for detecting the UV / IR rays. Otherwise Fault LED indication appears.

§  Apply the UV /IR rays from UV / IR torch to the Flame detector.

§  Resolution can be adjusted for the torch for checking the detector from short and long distance.

§  After 3 seconds alarm appears and hooter is activated.

§  Flame detectors Red LED indication will be ON (steady Red).

§  Acknowledge the Flame detector’s alarm & silence the hooter.

§  Note down the alarm tag and descriptions from the HMI or workstation. The alarm details must match with the flame detector tag number and installed location.

§  Confirm the flame detector activation status from the respective graphics page. You have to visually identify the color change signals of the respective flame detector on the graphics.

§  Remove the UV / IR test torch.

§  Reset the alarm of the Flame Detector. Now Red LED Indication is off.

§  Now the Flame Detector is working OK and Green LED indication is blinking.

§  Repeat the above procedure for all the remaining flame detectors.

§  Normalize the forced interlocks or logics if any.

§  Close the work permit.

Note: The mentioned voltages, terminals, LED colors may vary as per the vendor or model of the Flame Detector.