• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.38-45
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• 2017

This paper is an experimental study to find an optimal detection method for detecting fire early in a rack-type warehouse stored with goods. In this study, we constructed rack-type structure with the fourth floor of 13.5 m high and conducted fire experiments which were to measure flow of heat/smoke in rack-type structure and response time of fire detectors. The detectors used at experiments were fixed temperature type detectors, rate of rise detectors, photoelectric smoke detectors, air sampling smoke detectors and flame detectors. The used ignition sources are n-heptane fire for response of heat detection and cotton fire for response of smoke detection. The fixed temperature type detectors, rate of rise detectors and photoelectric detectors were installed to every rack level respectively. The results show that the rate of rise detector should be installed every 2 levels and photoelectric smoke detector should be installed every 4 levels for the early stage fire detection. Air sampling smoke detectors can detect fire early in response to control of sensitivity, but there is a problem in false alarm. The fixed temperature detector is not suitable for early stage fire detection in warehouse and flame detector not worked if flame is not visible, so it need to install combination with other detector.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.108-115
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• 2016

Fire detectors play an important role in alerting the related people to the initial stages of fire to protect assets and life. Therefore, the performance in detecting fires in the early stages without the risk of false alarms is important. Owing to a recent revision of the national fire safety standards to install smoke detectors in living rooms used for sleeping, staying, hospitalizing in apartment house/efficiency apartment/lodging facility/medical facility/facility for elderly and young, the application of smoke detectors is increasing. On the other hand, there is lack of research in preventing false alarms. This study improved algorithms to prevent false alarms in analog photoelectric smoke detector's due to sudden dust and better classify pollution and fire signals through a self-compensatory function. Through this study, alternatives are suggested to reduce the number of false alarms of Analog Photoelectric smoke detectors, and prevent financial losses due to false alarms.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 2016

In this paper which was performed to bring public attention to the need for developing an photoelectric smoke detector that detects smokes emitted from diverse fire sources, it was confirmed that the photoelectric smoke detector may not respond to certain smoke types depending on the size and color of smoke particles. The test was performed on a photoelectric smoke detector which is being used generally for specific fire targets specified in UL268, including paper fire, wood fire and flammable liquid fire, while the actual response performance of the fire detector, as well as respective smoke particles collected from different fire source which were photographed with a SEM(Scanning electron microscope) were analyzed in the test for this study.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.98-103
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• 2009

In this paper, in order to analyze the response characteristics of the smoke detectors which is suitable with the residential fire detector, the paper fire and flammable liquid fire experiment came to be accomplished according to UL Standard for safety for smoke detector for fire alarm signaling systems, UL 268. Also Photoelectric smoke detector, the Analog smoke detector and the single station alarm device came to be used with the specimen and the response characteristics of the smoke detectors which follows in these two types(paper, flammable liquid) test fire came to be analyzed. As a result, according to test fire there was some difference to response characteristics of the smoke detectors.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.44-51
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• 2017

Accurate predictions of the activation time for smoke detectors using a fire simulation is are required to ensure the reliability of the RSET (Required Safe Egress Time) calculation in the process of PBD (Performance-Based Design). The objective of this study was to enhance the accuracy of input parameters for the numerical models of smoke detector based on the FDS. To this end, a Fire Detector Evaluator (FDE) developed in previous studies was improved. The uniformities of flow and smoke inside the FDE were improved and accurate measurements of the obscuration per meter (OPM) related to detector operation were also performed through a decrease in the forward scattering of smoke particles. The input parameters using the improved FDE showed a significant difference from the previous FDE quantitatively. In particular, a larger difference was found in a photoelectric detector compared to an ionization detector. Considering that the operating conditions of smoke detectors are affected by the detector type, combustibles, smoke particulars, and color, the database (DB) on the input parameters for various detectors and combustibles should be built to improve the reliability of PBD in future studies.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.50-57
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• 2017

The present article discusses the response characteristics of smoke detector chamber due to dust and wind velocity. Although situations have improved in terms of early sensing of fires as the smoke detectors are applied indoors, studies tend to place insufficient focus on the side effects and malfunction that can be caused by diversified life dust produced indoors and environmental requirements, etc. Therefore, in the present study, 4 types of photoelectric smoke detectors with different forms and structures of smoke chamber were selected as the experimental objects, and dust test was conducted with fly ash, talcum powder and fiber dust as experiment samples to study indoor applicability of the smoke detectors in terms of their response to diversified dust and wind velocity. Also, to observe response characteristics due to pollution level inside the smoke chamber, wind velocity for dust test were set additionally at 0.25 m/s, 0.5 m/s, and 1.0 m/s. Based to the experimental results, fly ash, talcum powder, and fiber dust (black hair powder) were found to be suitable at the dust test reference wind velocity conditions of 0.25 m/s for both operation test and non-operation test after dust application. On the other hand, under the harsh wind velocity conditions of 0.5 m/s and 1.0 m/s, malfunction of unwanted alarm was observed in non-operation tests in the case of fly ash and talcum powder, and non-operation was confirmed to occur in the case of fiber dust as the alarm failed to operate normally in operation tests.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.44-52
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• 2017

This paper is based on a study of the response characteristics of photoelectric type smoke detector chambers according to dust color. Due to an amendment to the Fire Safety Codes to automatic fire alarm systems and visual alarm device, the installation of indoor smoke detectors has become mandatory, but in Korea there is still insufficient research on the non-operation or false alarms that could arise in indoor environments by indoor dust and other environmental conditions etc. In light of this, for this study, research was conducted on the indoor adaptability of smoke detector under various colors of fiber dust that were judged to occur most frequently in among the common indoor dust, photoelectric smoke detector with the lattice-type smoke detection chamber that the smoke detector which is most popular in the country was used, and four colors of fiber dust (brown, white, gray and black) were used the test dusts for carrying out dust and sensitivity testing. Also, the voltage of the photocell part of the smoke chamber was measured, and the scattering phenomenon in the chamber was observed. The result of the testing showed that all four dust types were suitable for dust and sensitivity testing under conditions of pollution A. Yet, there were occasions, at pollution B or C, where the brown, white and gray dust would cause fail alarm during operation testing. And black dust was confirmed to cause non-operation during operation testing. In the case of brown and white dust, the voltage measurement result of the photocell part of the smoke chamber confirmed that the voltage increases as the pollution level increases, and in the case of gray and black dust, the voltage decreases.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.125-132
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• 2009

In this study we could contribute to the development of a precise checking tool with which the reliability of the automatic fire detection systems was enhanced and the safety of the people was ensured. In the same way as the domestic technical standard, the portable smoke sensitivity tester, which was developed in this work, could be used to check the capability of the smoke detectors installed in the field. Its heater inside was warmed up to $400^{\circ}C$ in 40 seconds and the paper as a smoke source was burned to produce smoke for the test. With the Photoelectric smoke detector it was possible to measure and control the smoke concentration in a range from 0%/m to 25%/m. With the adjustment of rpm of the fan, it was possible to keep a constant wind velocity in a range from 20cm/sec to 40cm/sec.