There are many types of facilities that create dust in their day-to-day activities. Processes such as; cutting; sieving and screening; crushing and grading; weighing loose powders; stockpiling large volumes of processed materials; milling, grinding or sanding; and maintenance work are just a few dust generating jobs that make providing reliable fire detection difficult.
What are the Challenges?
In dusty environments, detection performance can be compromised resulting in inadequate detection times, false alarms and maintenance can be costly. Some detection types are unable to differentiate between dust and smoke, while others become obstructed or clogged. The longevity of detectors can also be affected by dusty environments.
What is the Solution?
Aspirating smoke detection (ASD) can provide the ideal solution for protecting dusty environments from fire. There is a variety of options available to ensure that the chosen system provides optimum performance for the environment depending on the level of airborne contaminants.
Where the level of dust is low, a standard VESDA detector may be suitable. In-line filters can be used to filter the air before it enters the detection chamber and the detection unit itself can be installed outside of the dusty area. Countersinking detection points can also help to eliminate dust build-ups around the sampling hole which can interfere with airflow and detection. It is also recommended that an automated backflush arrangement is incorporated with the system to ensure that purging of the pipe network can be undertaken regularly.
VESDA VLI Aspirating Smoke Detection
In areas with higher volumes of dust, the VESDA VLI aspirating smoke detector (ASD) from Xtralis is a unique ASD solution that is designed to provide optimum performance in a variety of harsh industrial environments.
The VESDA VLI detector has an industry first, fully monitored, ‘intelligent’ filtration system. It’s IP66 rated enclosure is impervious to dust (and water) and its conformal coated electronics offer increased protection from harsh environments that may contain moisture, dust or chemical contaminants.
VLI detectors offer optimum detection performance in the dustiest of conditions to ensure very fast and reliable warning of fire.
For more information about the VESDA Aspirating Smoke Detection, or to discuss any of the other products that Eurofyre have to offer, please feel free to get in touch either by phone on +44 (0) 1329 835 024, by email to [email protected] or via the online enquiry form situated on our contact page.
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