Dual-loop smoke and fire detector system and method

• US 9,355,541 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lewinski, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US14/639,904
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/009 Fire detection or protection; Erosion protection, e.g. from airborne particles
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

A hazardous condition detection system for an enclosure includes at least three detectors and a controller. Each detector is mounted within the enclosure. Each detector is configured to output a signal representing a first lower level of severity (a pre-alarm threshold) and a signal representing a second higher level of severity (an alarm threshold). The controller monitors the operational status of each of the detectors. In a first mode when all the detectors are operational, the controller generates an alarm signal when at least two detectors output a signal at the alarm threshold level. In a second mode when at least one of the at least three detectors are inoperative and at least two of the at least three detectors are operational, the controller generates an alarm signal when one detector outputs a signal at the alarm threshold level and another detector outputs a signal at the pre-alarm threshold level.

Claims

1. A hazardous condition detection system for an enclosure, comprising:

at least three detectors for detecting a hazardous condition, each of the at least three detectors mounted within the enclosure, each of the detectors configured to output a signal representing a first level of severity of the hazardous condition and a signal representing a second level of severity of the hazardous condition, the first level of severity less than the second level of severity, the first level of severity corresponding to a pre-alarm threshold and the second level of severity corresponding to an alarm threshold; and

a controller coupled to receive the signals from each of the at least three detectors, the controller configured to monitor an operational status of each of the at least three detectors, the controller configured to operate in a first mode when all of the at least three detectors are operational and, in the first mode, to generate an alarm signal when at least two of the at least three detectors output a signal at the alarm threshold level, the controller configured to operate in a second mode when at least one of the at least three detectors is inoperative and at least two of the at least three detectors are operational and, in the second mode, to generate an alarm signal when one of the at least three detectors outputs a signal at the alarm threshold level and another of the at least three detectors outputs a signal at the pre-alarm threshold level.

2. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein each of the at least three detectors is a smoke detector.

3. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein each of the at least three detectors is a fire detector.

4. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein each of the at least three detectors is a combined smoke and fire detector.

5. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein at least one of the at least three detectors is a smoke detector.

6. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein at least one of the at least three detectors is a fire detector.

7. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein at least one of the at least three detectors is a combined smoke and fire detector.

8. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein each of the detectors includes a built in test diagnostic function for determining the operational status thereof, and wherein the controller is configured to monitor the operational status of each of the at least three detectors automatically by communicating with each of the at least three detectors via a communication link that couples each of the at least three detectors to the controller.

9. The hazardous condition detection system of claim 1, wherein each of the detectors includes a manual switch for determining the operational status thereof, and wherein the controller is configured to monitor the operational status of each of the at least three detectors by monitoring status information entered via a user interface.

10. A controller for a hazardous condition detection system for an enclosure, the controller coupled to receive the signals from each of at least three detectors for detecting the hazardous condition mounted within the disclosure, the controller configured to monitor an operational status of each of the at least three detectors, the controller configured to operate in a first mode when all of the at least three detectors are operational and, in the first mode, to generate an alarm signal when at least two of the at least three detectors output a signal at an alarm threshold level, the alarm threshold corresponding to a second level of severity of the hazardous condition, the controller configured to operate in a second mode when at least one of the at least three detectors is inoperative and at least two of the at least three detectors are operational and, in the second mode, to generate an alarm signal when one of the at least three detectors outputs a signal at the alarm threshold level and another of the at least three detectors outputs a signal at the pre-alarm threshold level, the pre-alarm threshold corresponding to a first level of severity of the hazardous condition, the first level of severity less than the second level of severity.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein each of the at least three detectors is a smoke detector.

12. The controller of claim 10, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein each of the at least three detectors is a fire detector.

13. The controller of claim 10, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein each of the at least three detectors is a combined smoke and fire detector.

14. The controller of claim 10, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein at least one of the at least three detectors is a smoke detector.

15. The controller of claim 10, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein at least one of the at least three detectors is a fire detector.

16. The controller of claim 10, wherein the hazardous condition is a fire and wherein at least one of the at least three detectors is a combined smoke and fire detector.

17. The controller of claim 10, wherein each of the detectors includes a built in test diagnostic function for determining the operational status thereof, and wherein the controller is configured to monitor the operational status of each of the at least three detectors automatically by communicating with each of the at least three detectors via a communication link that couples each of the at least three detectors to the controller.

18. The controller of claim 10 wherein each of the detectors includes a manual switch for determining the operational status thereof, and wherein the controller is configured to monitor the operational status of each of the at least three detectors by monitoring status information entered via a user interface.

19. A method for detecting a hazardous condition within an enclosure, comprising the steps of:

monitoring the operational and signal status of at least three detectors for detecting a hazardous condition, each of the at least three detectors mounted within the enclosure, each of the detectors configured to output a signal representing a first level of severity of the hazardous condition and a signal representing a second level of severity of the hazardous condition, the first level of severity less than the second level of severity, the first level of severity corresponding to a pre-alarm threshold and the second level of severity corresponding to an alarm threshold;

when all of the at least three detectors are operational, generating an alarm signal when at least two of the at least three detectors output a signal at the alarm threshold level; and

when at least one of the at least three detectors is inoperative and at least two of the at least three detectors are operational, generating an alarm signal when one of the at least three detectors outputs a signal at the alarm threshold level and another of the at least three detectors outputs a signal at the pre-alarm threshold level.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the operational status of each of the at least three detectors is monitored automatically by communicating with each of the at least three detectors via a communications link.