Importance

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Abstract

A fire detection system for monitoring a volume containing fluid, typically air, for the presence of smoke particles is disclosed. A conduit for receiving the fluid, and any smoke particles therein, and directing the fluid to a smoke detector has a plurality of inlets formed therein. A respective temperature sensor is associated with each of the inlets which generate a signal indicative of a change in temperature in the region of the inlet. In the embodiments, the temperature sensor comprises one or more fiber Bragg gratings. The fiber Bragg gratings preferably have different grating periods. The reflected light from each fiber Bragg grating is returned back down the fiber optic cable and redirected via a 2×1 coupler to a wavelength detection system and a personal computer. The combination of wavelength detection system and personal computer allow analysis of the reflected light patterns, as well as providing a user interface which enables detection of the occurrence of a spatial and/or a temperature variation. The location of the said variation along the fiber optic cable is advantageously detectable. The system described is highly sensitive to smoke, but can advantageously also provide an indication of the location of the smoke source, because any variation in temperature at any one of the smoke inlets is also detected, the location of the sensor being known.

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First Claim