Fiber optic based fire detection and tracking system
AssigneeThe Babcock & Wilcox Company
InventorsHudson R. Carter, Cevdet G. Koksal
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Abstract
An apparatus and method is disclosed for a fiber optic based fire detection and tracking system. An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) interrogates at least one optical fiber with a melting point defining a threshold temperature for fire detection. The OTDR measure the time of flight of a light pulse originating at each optical fiber input end and reflected back to determine the linear position of interruptions along an optical fiber which allows for fire detection and location.
Claims10
An apparatus for detecting and locating a fire, comprising:
- at least one optical fiber with a melting point defining a threshold temperature for fire detection, said at least one optical fiber having a first and a second end;
- a first optical time domain reflectometer connected to said first end of said at least one optical fiber for sending a light pulse through said at least one optical fiber at a first input end, said first optical time domain reflectometer detecting the light pulse sent through said at least one optical fiber and timing a flight of the light pulse originating at the first input end of said at lease one optical fiber and reflected back;
- a second optical time domain reflectometer connected to said second end of said at least one optical fiber for sending a light pulse through said at least one optical fiber at a second input end, said second optical time domain reflectometer detecting the light pulse sent through said at least one optical fiber and timing a flight of the light pulse originating at the second input end of said at least one optical fiber and reflected back;
- and
- a computer in communication with said first and second optical time domain reflectometers for determining linear resolution of said at least one optical fiber from the timed flight of light pulses of the first and second optical time domain reflectometers for detecting and locating the fire.
A method for detecting and locating a fire, comprising the steps of:
- positioning at least one optical fiber with a melting point defining a threshold temperature for fire detection in a structure to be monitored;
- sending a light pulse through said at least one optical fiber at a first input end with a first optical time domain reflectometer;
- detecting the light pulse sent through said at least one optical fiber with the first optical time domain reflectometer;
- determining a time of flight of the light pulse originating at the first input end of said at least one optical fiber and reflected back;
- sending a second light pulse with a second optical time domain reflectometer through a second input end of said at least one optical fiber;
- detecting the second light pulse sent through said at least one optical fiber;
- determining a time of flight of the second light pulse originating at the second input end of said at least one optical fiber and reflected back;
- and
- calculating a linear position of any break in said at least one optical fiber for detecting and locating the fire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.