For fire detection technology, confidence cannot be based on assumption. It comes from testing, evidence and understanding how products behave under different conditions.
That is why FFE recently took the Talentum flame detection range to SkyDock in Lincolnshire, where our Engineering team carried out a programme of testing designed to gather data and further our understanding of detector performance.
SkyDock provides a 210 metre test tunnel where environmental conditions can be controlled.
That matters because testing outdoors introduces variables such as sunlight, wind and rain, all of which can influence test conditions and potentially affect the results. By controlling factors such as airflow and the surrounding environment, our engineers can carry out testing with a much higher degree of confidence in the data being collected.
Not every fire behaves in the same way.
Different fuel types burn differently and produce different emission spectra. Understanding how flame detectors respond to those differences is an important part of determining the most appropriate detection technology for an application.
During the SkyDock programme, Talentum flame detectors were evaluated across different fuel types and test distances, with the longest test distance during this particular programme being 60 metres. This was an engineering test distance and should not be interpreted as a product approval or rated detection range.
The objective is to gather information that helps our engineers understand which detection approach is most appropriate for a particular application, distance and fuel risk.
Flame detection operates on a line-of-sight principle.
The detector needs to be positioned so that it has a clear view of the location where a fire could occur, without obstructions preventing it from seeing the flame. This makes detector positioning an important consideration when designing a flame detection system.
Testing gives our engineers the opportunity not only to examine detector response, but also to demonstrate some of the practical considerations that need to be understood when specifying flame detection for real-world applications.
During the tests, data acquisition equipment monitored the status of the flame detectors and recorded when individual units entered alarm.
The response information was then captured in a data file ready for subsequent analysis.
And this analysis is one of the most valuable parts of the process.
Testing does not always produce exactly the result expected. When something behaves differently, that result is still valuable. It creates information that can be examined, understood and used to determine the next engineering action.
As Mark Berman, Verification and Validation Manager at FFE, explains in the film:
“We like information. We like data. Let’s analyse the results.”
Whatever the outcome, the objective is to learn from the information and use it to build a clearer understanding of the technology and its applications.
Ultimately, flame detector testing is about confidence.
The evidence gathered through programmes such as SkyDock helps FFE understand the suitability of different detection technologies for different applications, distances and fire risks.
It also means that when our teams provide information to customers, that guidance is supported by engineering evidence and analysis.
Fire detectors are life-safety products. They are there to protect people, property and livelihoods, and we want the people who specify, install and rely on them to have confidence in their performance.
By continuing to test, gather data, and analyse results, FFE can make more informed recommendations about technology selection, application suitability and system design. That helps ensure customers receive guidance that is based on evidence, not assumption, and supported by a deeper understanding of how flame detection technologies perform in different risk scenarios.