Product category:
Fire, smoke and gas leak detection
News Release from: DTec Video Smoke Detection Systems | Subject: D-Tec FM-approved Video Smoke Detection
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 January 2007
Smoke detection for the world's largest
hangar
The world's largest aircraft hangar at the Dubai International Airport, home to the private aircraft of the Dubai ruling family, is protected by D-Tec FM approved video smoke detection systems
The world's largest aircraft hangar, the massive new Royal Airwing Hangar complex at the Dubai International Airport in the UAE, is now home to the private aircraft of the Dubai ruling family It is protected by D-Tec FM [Factory Mutual] approved video smoke detection systems
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 1 Apr 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The huge open-span, eight-bay Royal Airwing Hangar is 600 metres wide and 110 metres deep, and will hold up to eight aircraft with a total value that industry experts say may well exceed GBP2 billion.
This includes a 79.8-metre wingspan Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft.
At the front, the hangar has eight sets of doors that span 584 metres, each of which is 25.8 metres high.
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At the front of the hangar, the floor-to ceiling height is 30 metres to accommodate the aircraft tail plane; this height tapers to 25 metres at the rear.
Initially, linear heat cables in the open roof void were specified as the primary means of fire detection.
However, serious shortcomings were soon highlighted, primarily in relation to the hangar height and the time that would be taken before the linear heat detectors were activated.
Consultants and Fire officers responsible for the building were concerned that serious damage to the parked aircraft would have already resulted by the time taken for either the smoke or heat to have reached the detectors.
Even then, there has to be a sufficient build up of smoke concentration to activate the detector.
Aspirating smoke detection systems that draw sampled air into the detector are similarly challenged in high ceiling height structures as, again, smoke still has to reach the sampling position in the roof before the alarm is activated.
The inadequacy of these systems in voluminous buildings such as the Royal Airwing Hangar is further exacerbated by the high ceiling height and the possibility of smoke stratification, further delaying the activation of the conventional detectors at ceiling level.
Smoke rises because it is hotter than the surrounding air and as it travels through the cooler air, it cools down.
Once the smoke reaches the same temperature as the air, which in Dubai can reach as high as 40 degrees C, it stops rising and will not be detected until the heat generated by the growing fire raises the stratification level.
Indeed, the thermal barrier created by the high ambient temperature air rising to the hangar ceiling, creating a hot air (thermal) barrier, will only make early detection by traditional detectors less likely.
Another consideration that encouraged the hangar consultants and fire officers to seek a faster and more reliable solution was the fact that the hangar huge doors would be open for most of the time.
This means that there would be no reliable predictable airflow route, leading them to the conclusion that the only dependable solution was to seek an "at source" detection system.
A visit to a D-Tec protected British Airways hangar at Heathrow Airport in London persuaded them that the best solution was the D-Tec FM-approved Video Smoke Detection system, VSD.
Eight CCTV cameras are used to protect each of the eight areas of the hangar, resulting in a total of 64 cameras.
Each eight-camera area is individually wired to one VSD 8 unit, and four areas - or 32 cameras - are connected to one of two 48U rack-mounted systems.
Each camera has a 40-degree field-of-view and is located no further than 60 metres from the furthest detection point.
The two VSD 48U rack - mounted units are located in a central manned control room.
Each rack consists of an integral monitor, keyboard and mouse.
In the words of the British Airways Fire Protection Manager, John O'Sullivan, 'The D-Tec system showed itself to be the best for our particular needs with a proven track record and very low maintenance requirements'.
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