Final Report Summary - UV-MULTICAM (Multiple Application UV Camera for highly reliable, cost effective, long range and early detection and accurate localisation of fire)
Executive Summary:
This project has not performed to plan and has failed to achieve key product performance goals and, thus, any possibility of commercial exploitability. The project results, despite showing early promise in Phase 1, have not proven capable of development to technical performance viability in comparison to what is already available on the flame detection market. In essence, the project can only be described as a disappointing failure which resulted in its effective abandonment in September 2015.
Work Package 5 was intended to be the culmination of the technical development work in which previous versions of flame detection systems developed within the project were to be integrated into a final system for field testing and comparison with current market solutions. This has largely failed to occur due to increasing and, finally, insuperable (within the time frame of the project) technical obstacles that have prevented the systems developed in Phase 1 and reported in preceding deliverables from operating at ranges that are operationally meaningful, never mind leading edge. This means at ranges > 25 metres which is the bare minimum needed for industrial flame detection viability and preferably at > 50 metres. One of the two major sub-systems, the Mark 1, designed for first instance flame detection, has demonstrated flame detection capability at 25 m range but not within the timescale specified by standard EN 54-10 for Class 1 fire detection performance. The second major sub-system, the Mark 2, designed to eliminate false alarms, again cannot deliver Class 1 performance thus rendering the overall product unviable both operationally and commercially.
Project Context and Objectives:
This project aimed to develop a new generation of advanced flame detectors that eliminated the major problem with current detectors, namely vulnerability to false alarms. The project's technology used optical methods to see fire at several different wavelengths that between them constituted a unique fingerprint of flame and was immune to false alarm signals such as from sunlight, industrial activities, lightning, etc. Although significant success was achieved in suppression of false alarms, the range of the detection system turned out to be too short to be operationally and commercially viable.
Project Results:
The project has developed two components of an overall flame detection system. The Mark 1 is a 'solar blind' camera operating in the Vacuum Ultraviolet at wavelengths < 280 nm. The Mark 2 detects flame emissions at 310 nm and 516 nm. These three detections constitute a unique fingerprint of flame not replicated by any false alarm source. The sub-systems were worked and reworked multiple times in attempts to extend the range of detection to at least EN 54-10 Class 1 standard. Comprehensive field testing showed that these efforts were not successful thus rendering the project output commercially non-viable.
Potential Impact:
The final output of the project is a system for flame detection that is neither operationally or commercially viable due to its short range capability in the detection of fire significantly less than what is routinely available on the market. Potential impact and use is zero. Due to project failure to achieve key performance targets there has been nothing worthy of dissemination and no results justifying commercial exploitation.
List of Websites:
www.uvmulticam.com
This project has not performed to plan and has failed to achieve key product performance goals and, thus, any possibility of commercial exploitability. The project results, despite showing early promise in Phase 1, have not proven capable of development to technical performance viability in comparison to what is already available on the flame detection market. In essence, the project can only be described as a disappointing failure which resulted in its effective abandonment in September 2015.
Work Package 5 was intended to be the culmination of the technical development work in which previous versions of flame detection systems developed within the project were to be integrated into a final system for field testing and comparison with current market solutions. This has largely failed to occur due to increasing and, finally, insuperable (within the time frame of the project) technical obstacles that have prevented the systems developed in Phase 1 and reported in preceding deliverables from operating at ranges that are operationally meaningful, never mind leading edge. This means at ranges > 25 metres which is the bare minimum needed for industrial flame detection viability and preferably at > 50 metres. One of the two major sub-systems, the Mark 1, designed for first instance flame detection, has demonstrated flame detection capability at 25 m range but not within the timescale specified by standard EN 54-10 for Class 1 fire detection performance. The second major sub-system, the Mark 2, designed to eliminate false alarms, again cannot deliver Class 1 performance thus rendering the overall product unviable both operationally and commercially.
Project Context and Objectives:
This project aimed to develop a new generation of advanced flame detectors that eliminated the major problem with current detectors, namely vulnerability to false alarms. The project's technology used optical methods to see fire at several different wavelengths that between them constituted a unique fingerprint of flame and was immune to false alarm signals such as from sunlight, industrial activities, lightning, etc. Although significant success was achieved in suppression of false alarms, the range of the detection system turned out to be too short to be operationally and commercially viable.
Project Results:
The project has developed two components of an overall flame detection system. The Mark 1 is a 'solar blind' camera operating in the Vacuum Ultraviolet at wavelengths < 280 nm. The Mark 2 detects flame emissions at 310 nm and 516 nm. These three detections constitute a unique fingerprint of flame not replicated by any false alarm source. The sub-systems were worked and reworked multiple times in attempts to extend the range of detection to at least EN 54-10 Class 1 standard. Comprehensive field testing showed that these efforts were not successful thus rendering the project output commercially non-viable.
Potential Impact:
The final output of the project is a system for flame detection that is neither operationally or commercially viable due to its short range capability in the detection of fire significantly less than what is routinely available on the market. Potential impact and use is zero. Due to project failure to achieve key performance targets there has been nothing worthy of dissemination and no results justifying commercial exploitation.
List of Websites:
www.uvmulticam.com