The development of security and fire alarm projects is often combined into a single complex. This allows not only to save money on design work, but also to optimize costs in the process of direct installation of equipment. In any case, it is important to understand that the quality of the initial technical calculations will determine how effective the fire alarm will be. System design is carried out by specialists in various fields. Both experts in the field of electronics and architects, as well as experts in the field of fire fighting, should participate in the work.
Defining system tasks
In most cases, fire alarms are used to timely signal to the control panels of specialized services. The latter may be both local municipal brigades and private organizations. It depends largely on where the fire alarm is installed. Design also involves the integration of components of the security complex. That is, the project initially reduced infrastructural elements from two categories of sensors - security and fire.
Often, fire protection systems are confused with equipment that directly performs fire extinguishing tasks. In some situations, we can talk about combining the warning and extinguishing functions, but this does not always happen. Integrated design of a fire alarm may include the inclusion of installations and modules that are designed to obstruct the spread of flame. However, the goals of the full elimination of the fire in this case are not set.
Design process
Project development involves the implementation of several stages. To begin with, the basic conditions for the implementation and organization of work are stipulated. Next, the main data is collected, on the basis of which the project will be developed. Specialists visit the facility, take data on the parameters and technical features of the premises, structures, equipment and the adjacent site. After that, a distribution scheme for warning devices is planned, due to which the fire alarm will perform its main functions. Designing a control panel is one of the most critical stages. In this node, the configuration of the concentration of signals from sirens, sensors and functional modules of the security complex is formed. The more individual components, the more difficult the operator work will be. The final stage will be the direct installation of equipment and apparatus, as well as a bunch of equipment through the network infrastructure.
Area Zoning
For the convenience of designing a system for large objects, it is customary to divide the areas into different zones. The basis is formed by the so-called fire compartments, which are distributed over small areas. These are areas that have borders in the form of special fire panels, that is, fire should not go beyond them, or at least flame retention will be provided for a certain time. Also, the design of security and fire alarms involves the primary division of the area into zones of fire detection. As a rule, the boundaries of these sections coincide with walls and ceilings - in fact, the division into rooms is performed.
Equipment selection
The basis of any complex is formed by three types of equipment: sirens, detectors and control panels. The entire network infrastructure, in turn, focuses on ensuring the optimal combination of these components. It is recommended that all components be manufactured by the same manufacturer. Based on the recommendations for the characteristics of the equipment that the design of an automatic fire alarm provides , specific device configurations are also determined. For example, smoke detectors can have different parameters for automatically fixing ignition sources.
As for the panels, in most cases they are presented as reception and control points. The most important thing in developing such systems is to provide a reliable power supply. In addition to the main connection to the mains, the design of the fire and security alarm system involves the use of lead-acid batteries, as well as the mandatory inclusion of fuses and, if possible, uninterruptible power supply sources.
Installation operations
Basic installation operations relate to the installation of notification sensors. Depending on the area of the object, their number can be from 2-3 to hundreds. Fastening is realized using brackets and other hardware, which, in principle, can be integrated into wall niches. In addition, the design of fire alarm systems pays special attention to network interchanges. The laying of lines is most often carried out in a single complex with other communication channels. Cable bundles can be carried out in a subceiling niche, behind cladding materials, etc. The concept of a wireless connection is also gaining popularity when sensors communicate with control panels via radio signals. True, such systems are operated using a larger energy supplying resource, and in general they are more demanding in terms of service.
Conclusion
Each organization that designs alarm systems is guided by certain principles. In particular, specialists should strive to optimize the network structure, achieve minimum energy consumption and ensure the reliability of the entire security complex. Only subject to these rules will a functional and effective fire alarm be organized. Design also does not do without taking into account the conditions of a particular area. For example, the system will not work qualitatively if the facility does not have free access for fire services. That is, the electronics can detect the presence of smoke in time and send the corresponding signal to the control panel, but the further algorithm of actions of the responsible service will be violated.