Optical beam smoke detectors

Beam smoke detectors provide wide-area detection and are suitable for large interiors with high ceilings, such as warehouses, as they enable coverage of a large area at minimal cost.

According to Tony Powell of Forward Control, the company opted for FFE’s Fireray detectors as it is trusted technology and was believed to offer the best solution for the large storage warehouse. In addition, sprinklers are not an option as water could degrade the valuable oil dispersant.

The motorised, reflective, auto aligning Fireray 5000 combines an infrared transmitter and receiver in the same unit and operates by projecting a well-defined beam to a reflective prism, which returns the beam to the receiver for analysis. It can be installed with up to two detector heads per system, saving on installation time and costs. In addition, each system controller houses two pairs of fire and fault relays, one per detector. The Fireray 5000 detects smoke over large areas in wide indoor spaces, with the infra-red beam of a single detector spanning up to 100m.