Make the MOST of it
Published: 02 April, 2009
The largest independent fire detector manufacturer in the world, Apollo Fire Detectors, has announced that it will be unveiling a new type of detecting technology during Firex in Birmingham, 11-14 May. IFJ visited the company’s headquarters in Havant, UK, to find out more about the revolutionary new detector, called MOST.
Traditional detectors are calibrated to detect airborne particulates. MOST, however, works on a different principle and detects the gases that are given off at pre-combustion stage. In theory, this means that the alarm could be given before a fire actually starts. Additionally, the detector is equally capable of detecting both flaming fires and smouldering fires, where current technology detects one or the other.
IFJ witnessed a demonstration where the detector picked up both these types of fire almost instantaneously. In the case of the smouldering fire, the demonstration comprised a resistor to which a voltage was applied, causing it to overheat. In the case of the flaming fire, this was carried out with a simple gas lighter – which was again picked up instantaneously even though it is one of the hardest types of fire to pick up due to the lack of carbon particulates.
Product Manager John Eastwood explained more, “MOST stands for metal oxide sensing technology, and it comprises a membrane that picks up unstable pre-combustion gases such as NO2. The big challenge for the project was making sure the solution was consistent and reliable. We had to make sure it was very stable so we would not have to compensate with lots of electronic wizardry.”
It is envisaged that MOST will first find its niche market in the clean-room environment – where there are few contaminants – and thereafter find its way into other industry sectors. It is expected that due to the early warning nature of the technology, its price point will be slightly higher than ionisation smoke detectors. “But the main benefit is that it will supply very early accurate detection which current technology cannot provide. The detector will pick up over-heating as soon as it starts happening,” said Eastwood.
Although it is still early days, Marketing Director Paul Smith says that there is even scope for developing intrinsically safe versions.
The technology was developed by a leading European university, and the joint project began in September 2007. Apollo’s role mainly involves commercialising the product and creating a route to market.
Readers interested in finding out more about MOST should visit Apollo’s stand (C10) at Firex International.
