Dual channel multi-spectrum infrared optical fire and explosion detection system
First Claim
1. A fire detection system for automatically detecting a fire fueled by at least one of hydrocarbon and certain non-hydrocarbon fuels, the fire detection system having a low incidence of false alarms from incident infrared (IR) radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources, the fire detection system comprising:
- a first optical sensing channel being configured so as to sense IR radiation in at least one IR spectral region and to generate a first signal corresponding to incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said at least one IR spectral region, wherein each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is defined by a separate and distinct predetermined bandwidth;
wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is selected so said first optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted from the fire;
wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is also established so said first optical sensing channel is essentially non-responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by the sun;
a second optical sensing channel being configured so as to simultaneously sense IR radiation in three IR spectral regions and to generate a second signal corresponding to the incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said second sensing channel IR spectral regions, said second sensing channel IR spectral regions being defined by predetermined bandwidths that are separate and distinct from each other;
wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said second sensing channel IR spectral regions is selected such that said second optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources but non-responsive to the incident IR radiation that lies in the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first channel IR spectral region; and
signal processing means both for processing said first and said second signals, respectively of said first and second optical sensing channels, and for generating a fire signal when the processed first and second signals are indicative of a fire.
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Abstract
A fire detection system including two optical sensing channels and signal processing circuitry that processes the two sensing channels'"'"' output signals and generates another output signal when the processed signals are indicative of a fire. The system automatically detects hydrocarbon and certain non-hydrocarbon fueled fires. The first sensing channel simultaneously senses IR radiation in two IR spectral regions having separate and distinct bandwidths and generates a first signal corresponding to incident IR radiation being sensed in at least one of these spectral regions. One bandwidth is selected so the first sensing channel is responsive to the IR radiation emitted by hydrocarbon and/or certain non-hydrocarbon fueled fires and the other bandwidth is selected so the first sensing channel is responsive to IR radiation emitted from hydrocarbon fueled fires. Both bandwidths are selected so the first sensing channel is essentially non-responsive to solar IR radiation. The second sensing channel simultaneously senses IR radiation in three IR spectral regions, defined by separate and distinct bandwidths, and generates a second signal corresponding to the incident IR radiation being sensed in at least one of the these spectral regions. Each second channel spectral region bandwidth is selected so the second sensing channel is responsive to IR radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources but non-responsive to IR radiation in the first channel spectral regions.
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Citations
61 Claims
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1. A fire detection system for automatically detecting a fire fueled by at least one of hydrocarbon and certain non-hydrocarbon fuels, the fire detection system having a low incidence of false alarms from incident infrared (IR) radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources, the fire detection system comprising:
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a first optical sensing channel being configured so as to sense IR radiation in at least one IR spectral region and to generate a first signal corresponding to incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said at least one IR spectral region, wherein each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is defined by a separate and distinct predetermined bandwidth; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is selected so said first optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted from the fire; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is also established so said first optical sensing channel is essentially non-responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by the sun; a second optical sensing channel being configured so as to simultaneously sense IR radiation in three IR spectral regions and to generate a second signal corresponding to the incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said second sensing channel IR spectral regions, said second sensing channel IR spectral regions being defined by predetermined bandwidths that are separate and distinct from each other; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said second sensing channel IR spectral regions is selected such that said second optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources but non-responsive to the incident IR radiation that lies in the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first channel IR spectral region; and signal processing means both for processing said first and said second signals, respectively of said first and second optical sensing channels, and for generating a fire signal when the processed first and second signals are indicative of a fire. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A fire detection system for automatically detecting fires fueled by hydrocarbons and certain non-hydrocarbons, the fire detection system having a low incidence of false alarms from incident infrared (IR) radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources, the fire detection system comprising:
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a first optical sensing channel being configured so as to simultaneously sense IR radiation in both a first IR spectral region and a second IR spectral region and to generate a first signal corresponding to incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said first and said second IR spectral regions, said first and said second spectral regions being defined by predetermined bandwidths that are separate and distinct from each other; wherein said first optical sensing channel further includes an IR optical dual bandpass filter being tuned to pass IR radiation that lies in the predetermined bandwidths for said first and said second IR spectral regions; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for said first IR spectral region is selected such that said first optical sensing channel is both responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted from the fires fueled by the hydrocarbons and responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted from the fires fueled by the certain non-hydrocarbons; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for said second IR spectral region is selected such that said first optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted from the fires fueled by the hydrocarbons; wherein the predetermined bandwidths of said first and said second spectral regions are also selected so said first optical sensing channel is essentially non-responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by the sun; a second optical sensing channel being configured so as to simultaneously sense IR radiation in a third, a fourth and a fifth IR spectral region and to generate a second signal corresponding to the incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said third, said fourth and said fifth IR spectral regions, said third, said fourth and said fifth IR spectral regions being defined by predetermined bandwidths that are separate and distinct from each other; wherein said second optical sensing channel further includes an IR optical triple bandpass filter being tuned to pass IR radiation that lies in the predetermined bandwidths for said third, said fourth and said fifth IR spectral regions; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for said third, said fourth and said fifth IR spectral regions is selected such that said second optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources but non-responsive to the incident IR radiation that lies in the predetermined bandwidths for said first and said second spectral regions; and signal processing means both for processing said first and said second signal and for generating a fire signal when the processed first and second signals are indicative of a fire. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A fire detection system for automatically detecting fires fueled by one of a number of prespecified fire sources, the fire detection system having a low incidence of false alarms from incident infrared (IR) radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources, the fire detection system comprising:
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a first optical sensing channel being configured so as to sense IR radiation in a first IR spectral region, being defined by a predetermined bandwidth, and to generate a first signal corresponding to incident IR radiation being sensed in said first IR spectral region; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for said first IR spectral region is selected so said first optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted from the fires fueled by the one of the number of prespecified fire sources; wherein the predetermined bandwidth of said first IR spectral region is also established so said first optical sensing channel is essentially non-responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by the sun; a second optical sensing channel being configured so as to simultaneously sense IR radiation in at least two IR spectral regions and to generate a second signal corresponding to the incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said at least two second sensing channel IR spectral regions, said second sensing channel IR spectral regions being defined by predetermined bandwidths that are separate and distinct from each other; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least two second sensing channel IR spectral regions is selected such that said second optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources but non-responsive to the incident IR radiation that lies in the predetermined bandwidth for said first IR spectral region; and signal processing means both for processing said first and said second signals, respectively of said first and second optical sensing channels, and for generating a fire signal when the processed first and second signals are indicative of a fire. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A fire detection system for automatically detecting fires fueled by one of a number of prespecified fire sources including hydrocarbons and certain non-hydrocarbons, the fire detection system having a low incidence of false alarms from incident infrared (IR) radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources, the fire detection system comprising:
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a first optical sensing channel being configured so as to sense IR radiation in at least one IR spectral region and to generate a first signal corresponding to incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said at least one IR spectral region, wherein each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is defined by a separate and distinct predetermined bandwidth; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is selected so said first optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted from the fires fueled by the one of the number of prespecified fire sources; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region is also established so said first optical sensing channel is essentially non-responsive to the incident IR radiation emitted by the sun; a second optical sensing channel being configured so as to simultaneously sense IR radiation in at least two IR spectral regions and to generate a second signal corresponding to the incident IR radiation being sensed in each of said second sensing channel IR spectral regions, each of said at least two second sensing channel IR spectral regions being defined by predetermined bandwidths that are separate and distinct from each other; wherein the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least two second sensing channel IR spectral regions is selected such that said second optical sensing channel is responsive to the incident radiation emitted by non-fire radiation sources but non-responsive to the incident IR radiation that lies in the predetermined bandwidth for each of said at least one first sensing channel IR spectral region; and signal processing means both for processing said first and said second signals, respectively of said first and second optical sensing channels, and for generating a fire signal when the processed first and second signals are indicative of a fire.
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Specification