APPLICATION OF

VISUAL FLAME
DETECTION
AIRCRAFT HANGARS
Graham Duncan
Micropack Business Development Manager

When a fire occurs in an aircraft hangar Flame detection with a

the effects are devastating. The cost to
replace a hangar after a fire is great,
high false alarm immun-
however, compared to the cost of re- ity and fast response is
placing the precious aircraft it is hous- critical.
ing, it is incomparable.

ISO 9001:2008 Certified micropack.co.uk

1
 Introduction Aircraft Hangar Fires
Micropack has extensive experience with the detec- As has been seen by costly and devastating fires in
tion of fires in Aircraft Hangars through the supply of aircraft hangars reported around the globe, the
detection systems to hangars across the globe. This need to have a properly mapped flame detection
application is a challenging place for flame detectors system by a certified Fire and Gas Practitioner (FGP)
to operate correctly. and adequately designed fire extinguishing system
is critical.
Fundamentals
Historically, jet fuels used were extremely volatile
In a typical Aircraft Hangar there are four fundamen- and when ignited would propagate rapidly. Safety
tal functions that the optical flame detection system measures have been introduced and current jet
should deliver:- fuels are more difficult to ignite, providing a layer of
safety.
Provide full coverage of the aircraft hangar. The
building is a large open space that houses mov- Fires most commonly occur during times of refuel-
ing machinery and large aircraft. The flame de- ling, ongoing maintenance activities and spray paint-
tector must also contend with viewing the hang- ing.
ar and runway. Restrictors to the field of view of
In addition to these scenarios, Micropack also has
detectors are generally not recommended.
experience of supplying detection systems to pro-
The optical flame detection system must be tect the windows of the passenger terminals in case
mapped accordingly by certified Fire and Gas of a fuel spill whilst fuelling the aircraft. This is not
Practitioners / Fire Protection Engineers using typically common, however, the use of water cur-
an approved 3D Flame Detection Mapping Pack- tains in the event of a fire cools the windows to pre-
age - HazMap3D. vent the heat from shattering the glass and injuring
passengers. The flame detectors are typically angled
Demonstrate a high false alarm immunity to
at jet ways to trigger the water deluge system.
radiant sources other than flames. For example
EMI/RFI sources, Hot CO2 emissions and weld- The use of optical flame detection is not only limited
ing. to aircraft hangars. Areas such as the refuelling area
for rental cars at airports is a common application
Provide a fast response to flaming fires to en-
for flame detection to be applied. In this application,
sure the fire protection system can be activated
moving vehicles, reflective surfaces and hot exhaust
in time to extinguish the fire and protect the
emissions all could have a negative effect on certain
expensive aircraft.
models of flame detector.

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2
 Fundamental Challenges 3D Flame Detection Mapping
As we now know, the aircraft hangar is a tough envi- HazMap3D
ronment for optical flame detection to operate suc- As is recommended in certain design standards such
cessfully. Typical challenges that detection systems as NFPA 409, a performance based design must be
have to overcome to detect a fire reliably include; applied to each Aircraft Hangar. 3D Flame Detection
Blackbody radiation from the planes/engines Mapping using HazMap3D ensures that compliance is
EMI/RFI interference. at the heart of every design. In any mapping study,
Hot CO2 emissions from the aircraft exhausts the hazards and the escalation potential must be un-
derstood. By applying fire grades to each of the haz-
Sunlight flooding in from the large sliding
ards and then accurately mapping the coverage of
doors and the potential for detection systems
the hangar space and aircraft, the detection coverage
to also see moving objects on the runway.
can be calculated and reviewed to ensure it meets
Due to moving objects in the hangar, blockages
the performance targets set.
will differ from day to day as the aircraft is
moved or stored. As well as ensuring the targets are met, it is equally
Maintenance activities which could include important to ensure that the flame detection technol-
welding or grinding. ogy selected is appropriate for the fire type, is in-
With the number of moving objects and sun- stalled in a location which is easily maintainable and
light shining in through the hangar doors, will also not fail to danger in the presence of desensi-
there are numerous reflective hot surfaces tising sources.
which detection systems must contend with.

3 3
Application of Visual Flame Detection MICROPACK
Aircraft Hangars
FIRE & GAS
 The highlight benefits of installing a Micropack
FDS301 inside an Aircraft Hangar are as follows:

Live colour video image of the aircraft hangar.

Not affected by black body radiation (radiated

from the aircraft body)

Not affected by Welding/Grinding

Not affected by differing light levels.

Less affected by dirt/grime/oily deposits on the

lens

Visual Flame Detection High temperature rating +85C

Visual Flame Detection is a technology which de- Pre and post alarm video recording of the
tects fires visually in the near IR spectrum. It uses on- event onto an on-board micro-SD card
board flame recognition analytics and machine vision
to ensure that it is only fires that are detected and Summary
not common false alarm stimuli. The technology was
originally developed for the Oil and Gas industry In summary the unique nature of aircraft hangars
which is renowned for being an extremely harsh envi- proves a challenging environment for flame detectors
ronment for technology to operate. to operate successfully. To ensure compliance with
standards such as NFPA 409, a performance based
In addition to being a reliable technology for detect-
design approach must be followed with the correct
ing fires, the FDS301 also has the capability of output- detection system used for the hazards present. The
ting a live colour video feed to a monitoring station detection system must be coupled with a robust fire
which gives the operator critical information on any protection system capable of rapid response to en-
ensuing fire. The FDS301 also has an on-board micro- sure the aircraft are protected.
SD card which records a video pre and post alarm.
This video is invaluable for determining the cause of The performance based design of the detection sys-
any fire and saves time and money when investigat- tem should be centred around a robust flame detec-
ing the cause of a fire. tion mapping study. This
should be carried out using an
Visual Flame Detection Technology completely ig- approved F&G mapping pack-
nores EMI/RFI interference, blackbody radiation, hot age (i.e. HazMap3D) by either
CO2 emissions, welding/grinding and sunlight while a Fire and Gas Practitioner
delivering a fast detection time to flaming fires. Un- (FGP Micropack exida) or pro-
like other technologies , Visual Flame Detection fessional fire protection engi-
does not require the use of expensive, hard to config- neer.
ure field of view restrictors or laser aiming tools. As
VFD uses a camera and a flame recognition algorithm The use of Visual Flame Detection from Micropack
to detect fires, the live video output that the operator will ensure that false alarms are eradicated while fast
can see is what the detector uses to detect fires. This optical flame detection of fires is easily achieved.
is a critical point as VFD can be positioned extremely With the additional benefits of on-board alarm re-
cording and live video output, Visual Flame Detec-
accurately using the video output to ensure that only
tion will allow you to go further with confidence
specific hangar areas are protected and the airfield is
when safety matters.
not.
Due to these points, Visual Flame Detection technol- Author
ogy is the default detection choice to be employed in
This article was written by Graham Duncan, Business
Aircraft Hangars.
Development Manager of Micropack
(Engineering) Ltd.

4
4
 6 reasons to use Visual Flame Detection in Aircraft Hangars

When Safety Matters. Visual

Flame Detection will provide a fast
response to jet fuel fires.

Challenging environment. Where

other technologies would either false
alarm or miss fires, Visual Flame De-
tection is unrivalled in its false
alarm immunity and flame detection
capability.
FDS301 Visual Flame DetectorOperator Live Video Feedback

Go further with confidence. On-

board micro-SD card in every unit
Safety Integrity Level capable of recording any occurring
Certified as SIL 2 Capable by EXIDA fire. Lessons could be learned from
this video and preventative safety
measures introduced.

Live Video Feedback. Incorporat-

ing a colour camera in each unit,
the FDS301 offers a cost effective
combined flame detection and
CCTV solution.

When compliance is critical.

Visual Flame Detection is recom-
mended specifically by FM for use
in challenging environments.

5 5
Application of Visual Flame Detection MICROPACK
Aircraft Hangars
FIRE & GAS
 FDS301 TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
Environmental Enclosure
Operating Temp -60C to +85C (-76F to +185F) Dimensions: 100 Diameter x 200 Length Overall (mm)
Storage Temp: -60C to +85C (-76F to +185F) Material: LM25 (Red epoxy), 316L stainless steel
Humidity 0 to 95% RH non-condensing Entries: 1 M25, NPT (Variants on Request)
Weight: 2.5kg (LM25) or 6kg (316L)
Operating Voltage
24Vdc Nominal (18 to 32 Vdc Range) Field of View

Power Consumption
6 watts minimum (no heater), 10 watts typical, 15
watts maximum (with heater)

Speed of Response Horizontal

~7 seconds (Typical) FOV -90

Vertical
Flame Sensitivity FOV - 65

Fuel Fire Size Distance

Methane Jet Fire 0.9m (3ft) plume 30m (100 feet)

Ethanol 2
0.1m (1sqft) pan 25m (85 feet)
Outputs
Relay contacts - alarm and fault
n-Heptane: Pan Fire 0.1m2 (1sqft) pan 44m (144 feet)
Current source 4-20mA
n-Heptane: in direct sunlight 0.1m2 (1sqft) pan 44m (144 feet)
RS485, HART
n-Heptane: in modulated 0.1m2 (1sqft) pan 44m (144 feet) Live colour video PAL and NTSC
sunlight
2
n-Heptane: modulated black 0.1m (1sqft) pan 44m (144 feet)
body
n-Heptane: Arc welding 0.1m2 (1sqft) pan 44m (144 feet) Certification
n-Heptane: 1000watt lamp 0.1m2 (1sqft) pan 44m (144 feet) ATEX : II 2 G Ex db IIC T4 (FM07ATEX0033)
Gasoline Fire 0.1m2 (1sqft) pan 44m (144 feet)
Factory Mutual : 3260 (3029978)
2
IEC 61508 : SIL 2 (MP 080203 C001)
JP4 0.36m (3.8sqft) 61m (200 feet)
IECEx FME 07.0002
Ethylene Glycol 0.1m2 (1sqft) pan 15m (50 feet) Class 1 DIV 1 GROUPS B,C,D,T4
Diesel 2
0.1m (1sqft) pan 40m (130 feet) Class 1 Zone 1 AEx/Ex d IIC T4
EN54-10 (VdS)
Crude Oil (heavy fuel oil) Pan 0.25m2 (2.7sqft) 40m (130 feet)
Fire
Silane fire 0.61m (2ft) plume 13m (42ft)

In the UK & Europe In the Americas

MICROPACK (Engineering) Ltd MICROPACK Detection (Americas) Inc.
Fire Training Centre, Schoolhill, Portlethen, 1227 Lakecrest Court, Fort Collins,
Aberdeen AB12 4RR Colorado, 80526
Tel: +44 (0)1224 784055 Tel: +1 970 377 2230
Fax: +44 (0)1224 784056 Fax: +1 970 377 2273
Email: sales@micropack.co.uk Email: info@micropackamericas.com ISO9001:2008
Certified Subject to modifications. 2017 Micropack (Engineering) Ltd.
micropack.co.uk micropackamericas.com