Flame detectors use optical sensors to detect flames and are used in hydrogen stations to prevent fires. There are seven types including ultraviolet, infrared, UV/IR, IR/IR, IR/IR/IR, visible sensors, and video cameras. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
A flame detector is a type of device that uses optical sensors to detect flames. Flame detectors are mainly used in hydrogen stations to prevent the occurrence of fires. Essentially, there are seven different types of flame detectors available. These types include ultraviolet, infrared, UV/IR, IR/IR, IR/IR/IR, visible sensors, and video cameras.
Ultraviolet detectors have the ability to detect fires and explosions in three to four milliseconds. From the moment a small flame has ignited, an ultraviolet detector can distinguish the type of flame. While incredibly accurate, ultraviolet detectors can be fooled by sunlight, radiation, arc welding, and lightning.
An infrared flame detector works using an infrared band. When hot gases are released near an infrared detector, a small thermal imaging camera immediately detects the presence of these gases. Sometimes, other sources of hot gas that are near an infrared flame detector can cause this type of detector to trigger a false alarm.
UV/IR detectors use a combination of ultraviolet and infrared technology to detect heat. These detectors collect information from an ultraviolet perspective and an infrared perspective. When these two technologies work together, false alarms are often minimized. Similarly, an IR/IR flame detector detects flames within two infrared frequencies. Therefore, IR/IR detectors are also capable of eliminating most false alarms.
Even more accurate than IR/IR or UV/IR detectors are IR/IR/IR detectors which use three different infrared frequencies to detect a flame. Because an IR/IR/IR detector works by comparing three wavelength bands, it is nearly impossible for this type of flame detector to detect anything other than a dangerous flame or fire. Often visible sensors are added to a flame detector to detect any visible flames. When paired with a highly accurate detector, a visible sensor tends to eliminate any type of false alarm.
Finally, a CCTV camera may be able to detect any flame or fire. However, as is the case with any other type of camera, these cameras can be triggered by any type of smoke or fog, which makes this type of flame detector the least reliable. While all types of flame detectors are used in industrial settings, such as hydrogen stations, residential fire alarms are also considered flame detectors. Without these devices, fires would go undetected, which could lead to a massive explosion, fire, or other accident.
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