Smoke and flame detectors specified for aircraft hangar

FFE has supplied smoke beam and flame detectors to protect workers during aircraft spray-painting at Cambridge International Airport.

The hangar at Cambridge International Airport accommodates a range of planes, both civilian and military, of different sizes. All types of aircraft are painted on site.

As the specialist paint has explosive properties, the specification of explosion-proof flame detectors was essential. Installer EFire selected FFE’s Talentum UV/IR2 flame detectors and a Fireray 5000 beam detector for the hangar.

Flame detectors

Designed to recognise all types of flames, flame detectors, such as the Talentum UV/IR2, are ideally suited to aircraft hangars where fire can originate from a range of sources.

Infared (IR) sensors work to identify flames through smoke, dust and steam; they are capable of detecting flames from paint, plastics, metals and composites. Performance is not affected by adverse weather conditions, such as wind and draughts.

Immune to false flame sources, FFE’s Talentum UV/IR2 comprises internal self-test sources, which can check its operation when remotely instructed. 

Generally, the maximum ambient temperature is 55°C, or 85°C for the higher temperature specification detectors.

Smoke detectors

Conventional point smoke detectors can be rendered useless in indoor spaces with high ceilings, such as aircraft hangars. Whilst such devices can only be used at heights of up to 10.5 metres, beam smoke detector can be installed up to 40 metres.

Thus, a singular Fireray 5000 beam detector was wall-mounted at ceiling level.

The system works by transmitting a beam of invisible infared light across the interior space. A receiver detects and measures the light, and can recognise smoke interference anywhere along the beam path.