Citation

Worrell CL, Roby RJ, Streit L, Torero JL. Fire Technol. 2001; 37(4): 343-362.

Affiliation

Combustion Science and Engineering, Inc., Columbia, MD, USA; Unified Engineering Inc, USA; University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1023/A:1012724932337

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A full-scale house fire test was conducted to investigate the accuracy of two proposed methods for determining whether a smoke or carbon monoxide (CO) alarm sounded during a smoke exposure. One method involves examining the plastic case of the alarm''s piezoelectric horn for locally enhanced soot deposition and agglomerated soot particles. The other method involves examining the metal disc of the piezoelectric horn for a Chladni figure. Pairs of detectors, each consisting of one detector with its battery properly inserted and the other with its battery disconnected, were placed throughout the house. Each of the properly charged detectors was monitored to determine if and when the detector sounded. It was found that the presence of locally enhanced deposition and soot agglomerates on the main central opening of the plastic horn enclosure of a smoke or CO detector was a strong indicator that the alarm sounded. It was also found that the use of Chladni figures on the piezoelectric discs as an indication of the smoke detector sounding was not an accurate predictor.