Alarmline

Linear Heat Detection

Linear Heat Detection

Temperature Related Risk Protection
Data supplied by fire insurance companies indicates that
most industrial fires are caused by
- Friction heat & sparks
- Overheating of equipment
- Spontaneous combustion
- Oil & oil fired equipment.

What is Linear Heat Detection?

Continuous heat detector in the form of a cable

- Alarmline Analogue: averaging

heat detector

- Alarmline Digital: fixed temperature

heat detector

What is Linear Heat Detection?

Cable-type Sensor
Point of Risk Detection Method
Detects Heat From Fire
Last stage of fire
Typically used where smoke, flame or other detectors are
not an option

Stages of Fire

Analogue LHD Cable

Definition:
- Multi-conductor cable containing insulators whose
resistance varies proportionately to changes in
temperature
- Re-settable provided temperature does not exceed
burn-off point of PVC coating
- Alarm level adjusted via controller.
- Allows testing without damaging cable

Alarmline Analogue LHD Cables

High resistance - standard applications
Nylon extruded - chemical resistance

Bronze braided - increased mechanical protection over

standard high resistance cable
Stainless Steel braided over nylon
extruded cable - offshore applications.

AlarmLine Construction
4 conductor 0-46 mm dia copper cable
Two conductors for heat sensing
Two enameled conductors for continuity
Twisted at 30 turns per foot to cancel potentially high
voltage inductance

How Does AlarmLine Work?

Sensor cable has negative
temperature coefficient
insulation

NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT (NTC)
SENSOR CONDUCTOR
WIRE

Temperature increase
exponentially lowers cable
resistance

PROTECTIVE INSULATION
HIGH TEMPERATURE PVC

Alarmline LHD 4 Controller

Alarmline LHD 4 Controller

- Alarm level adjusted via moveable link
- Open circuit and closed circuit fault monitoring
- Fire and fault output to conventional fire alarm panels
- Volt-free relay option for analogue addressable fire
alarm panels
- Eurocard 19 rack option.
- Allows quick system adjustments without cable or
hardware change.

Alarmline
Nomogram
- Select the sensor cable
length being used (D)100m

- Mark the Max Temperature

-

where an alarm must not be

given (B) 45 degrees
Draw a line from point on D
through point on B to the
switch setting line (A). This is
the switch setting that will
not give a false alarm at the
Max ambient temperature.

Alarmline
Nomogram
-In the event of a hot spot
occuring, it can be shown
how hot this would need to
be to give an alarm for a
given length

- 10 metre length = 83 degrees

- 1 metre length =120 degrees.

Intrinsic Safety Barriers

For Class 1, Div 1, Groups A, B, C, D classified areas
Each IS Barrier handles two conductors
Use two IS Barriers per sensor cable
Use enclosure to insure grounding

Intrinsic Safety Barriers

Junction Box

Interface
Module

IS Barrier

Safe area

Hazardous area

Reference: AlarmLine Manual

Typical Intelligent Application

CPD

AI

PSD

Addressable RxTx Loop

~1000 Metres
26 Ohm, 0.25uF

AO
Up to 255
devices

AO

AO

AO

LHD

LHD

LHD

AlarmLine Sensor
24v PSU

24ov

Typical Conventional Application

Standard 2
core cable

Kidde
Control
Panel

Junction
Box

Hazard
2 Wire
Interface
Module

AlarmLine Sensor
Standard 4
core cable

Max (1,000 m)

Alarmline LHD - Advantages

Flexibility
- Mechanically
- Electrically
Durability
- Wide range of casings / braiding within both analogue
and digital cables.
- Operating range -65 to +200 C
- Unaffected by operating environment.

Digital LHD Cable

Definition:
- A cable which contains an insulator which melts at a
specific temperature
- Switch output provided once alarm temperature is
reached
- Not re-settable.

Alarmline Digital LHD Cables

Polythene braid 70 C (158 F )

Internal

Nylon over sheath 70 C (158 F )

Internal / External

Polythene braid 90 C (194 F )

Internal

Nylon over sheath 90 C (194 F)

Internal / External

PVC 105 C (221 F )

Internal / External Protected

PVC 174 C (346 F )

Internal / External Protected

Fluoropolymer 227 C (440 F )

Internal / External

LHS Digital Cable Construction

Alarmline Digital Control Units

Firebeta conventional panel with optional extinguishant
release module
Any other conventional fire alarm panel and/or
extinguishant release module (retrofit).
Any analogue addressable control system

ZONE A

ZONE B

ZONE C
LHS

MP

MP

Hard-Wired System

MP

To Additional Zones

To Conventional Panel

Addressable vs. Hard-Wired

Addressable vs. Hard-Wired

ZONE B

To Vega System

AI

MP

RxTx
Line

ZONE C
LHS

MP

Addressable System

MP

To Additional Zones

ZONE A

Analogue & Digital Comparison

Alarmline Analogue

Alarmline Digital

Analogue
Digital
Recoverable
Non-recoverable
Open & Short Circuit Fault Detection
Open Circuit Fault Detection
Min operating temperature -65 C
Min Operating Temperature -65 C
Min Alarm Temperature 35 C
Min Alarm Temperature 61 C
Max Alarm Temperture 105 C
Max Alarm Temperture 238 C
Max Re-coverable Alarm Tempurature 150 C N/A
Max Length 1000m
Max Length 10,000m

International Approvals
Alarmline (Analogue)

Alarmline (Digital)

UK power generation
- 5117 P 11
- EPA 022/215

UK power Generation
- EPA 019-021
- EPA 206/220

Factory Mutual
- OB 9A2.AY
- OR 5A4.AY

Factory Mutual
- OD 6A9.AY
- 300 5155
- 300 3834

Chinese Fire Officers

- MAAL 96652
Chinese Power Generation
- NSTCFEPQ (Appr) 92005
German VdS (1995)

Chinese Fire Officers

- MAAL 96652
- 300 8312
- 300 8933

Alarmline - The Competition

Digital systems
- Protectowire (USA)
Analogue systems
- Patol Firesense (UK)
Fibre optic systems (UK)
- York Sensors
- Siemens.