The importance of smoke exhaust duct monitoring

In modern building systems, fire safety has always been an important link that cannot be ignored. The complexity and density of people in buildings make the consequences disastrous once a fire occurs. As an important part of the building fire protection system, the importance of smoke exhaust ducts is self-evident.

From the perspective of building functions, whether it is a large commercial complex, a high-rise office building, or a residential building, the safety evacuation personnel in the event of a fire must be considered in the design and construction process. When a fire occurs, thick smoke is one of the main factors leading to casualties.

Thick smoke not only obstructs people's vision and makes it difficult for people to find evacuation routes, but also contains toxic gases that can cause serious harm to the human body. The existence of smoke exhaust ducts is to quickly remove smoke when a fire occurs, ensure that the evacuation routes are clearly visible, and thus ensure that people can evacuate dangerous areas safely and quickly.

In some large commercial buildings, the flow of people is large and the spatial layout is complex. If the smoke exhaust duct does not work properly, the thick smoke will quickly fill the entire building space, putting customers, employees and rescuers in an extremely dangerous situation. For example, in the atrium area of a shopping mall, due to the open space and many shops around, if there is no effective smoke exhaust measures, thick smoke will gather here and spread around. In high-rise buildings, stairwells are important channels for personnel evacuation. If the smoke exhaust duct cannot prevent smoke from invading, the stairwell will be filled with thick smoke, making it impossible for people to go downstairs to escape.

Therefore, it is very important to effectively monitor the operating status of the smoke exhaust duct. Traditional manual inspection methods have many limitations, such as difficulty in real-time monitoring and easy inspection loopholes. The application of sensor technology in this field provides an effective way to solve these problems. Sensors can monitor key parameters such as wind speed and temperature in the duct in real time. By real-time monitoring of these parameters, the efficient operation of the smoke exhaust system can be ensured.

Sensor types and their applications

Temperature sensor

In the field of building fire safety, temperature is an extremely critical factor. Temperature sensors play an indispensable and important role in smoke exhaust duct monitoring.

In the building environment, the occurrence of fire is often accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature. During the normal operation of the smoke exhaust duct, the temperature around and inside it should be in a relatively stable state. However, once a fire occurs, the high temperature will quickly spread to the vicinity of the smoke exhaust duct, and the temperature sensor can keenly capture this temperature change.

In smoke exhaust duct monitoring, temperature sensors are installed in key locations, such as the inner wall of the duct, near the air outlet, etc. They can monitor the temperature changes inside the duct and the surrounding environment in real time, and can immediately trigger the alarm system once the temperature exceeds the set safety threshold. The setting of this safety threshold is based on a comprehensive consideration of many factors such as the fire resistance of building materials, the safe tolerance temperature of personnel, and the normal operating temperature range of the smoke exhaust system. For example, if the smoke exhaust duct is made of a certain metal material, when the temperature is too high, the structural properties of this metal material may change. At the same time, it is difficult for people to survive and evacuate in a high temperature environment. Once the temperature sensor detects that the temperature exceeds the safety threshold, the alarm system will remind relevant personnel, such as the fire control center staff and maintenance personnel of the building, to take measures through sound, light or remote signal transmission.

In addition, through the long-term collection and analysis of temperature data, it can also provide a basis for optimizing the operation strategy of the smoke exhaust system. For example, the startup frequency and fan speed of the smoke exhaust system can be adjusted according to the temperature change law in different seasons and time periods. In summer, due to the high ambient temperature, the smoke exhaust system may need to start more frequently or increase the fan speed to ensure a good smoke exhaust effect; in winter, when the temperature is low, the fan speed can be appropriately reduced to save energy. This optimization measure based on temperature data can improve the efficiency and stability of the smoke exhaust system, and also help to extend the service life of the smoke exhaust system equipment.

Wind speed sensor

When a fire occurs, the speed of smoke exhaust is directly related to the life safety of personnel and the smooth progress of rescue work. The application of wind speed sensors in smoke exhaust duct monitoring is extremely important.

When a fire occurs, smoke will spread at a very fast speed. In order to ensure that personnel can evacuate safely before the smoke fills the air, the smoke exhaust system needs to have sufficient smoke exhaust capacity, and one of the key indicators of smoke exhaust capacity is the wind speed in the smoke exhaust duct. The wind speed sensor is installed at a specific position inside the smoke exhaust duct. Its working principle is based on the effects of pressure difference or physical displacement caused by air flow on the sensor element.

Wind speed sensors are used to monitor the wind speed in the smoke exhaust duct to ensure that the smoke exhaust capacity meets the design requirements. During the building design phase, the smoke exhaust capacity of the smoke exhaust system will be accurately designed and calculated based on factors such as the size, purpose, and population density of the building. This design requirement includes the minimum wind speed standard in the smoke exhaust duct. For example, in crowded places such as large theaters or gymnasiums, due to the long evacuation time and large space, a higher smoke exhaust wind speed is required to ensure that smoke can be quickly discharged in the event of a fire.

The data provided by the wind speed sensor can help evaluate the performance of the smoke exhaust system. If the wind speed detected by the sensor is lower than the design requirements, it may mean that there are problems such as fan failure, duct blockage, or air leakage in the smoke exhaust system. In this case, the working status of the fan can be adjusted in time, such as increasing the fan speed or checking the sealing of the duct to ensure sufficient smoke exhaust capacity. At the same time, through long-term monitoring and analysis of wind speed data, potential failures of the smoke exhaust system can also be predicted, and maintenance can be carried out in advance to ensure that the smoke exhaust system can work normally in the event of a fire.

In short, the application of sensors in smoke exhaust duct monitoring has greatly improved the system's operating efficiency and safety, and also provided technical support for intelligent management. Smoke exhaust duct detection is not only an important means to ensure the safety of building ventilation systems, but also a high degree of responsibility for the safety of life and property.