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EVALUATE HEAT FLUX MICROSSENSOR FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE DETECTION

Award Information
Agency: Department of Commerce
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 20889
Amount: $34,977.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1993
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
Po Box 66
Christiansburg, VA 24073
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Lawrence W Langley
 () -
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

THE FIRE DETECTION AND CONTROL CAPABILITIES OF A NOVEL SENSOR WILL BE EVALUATED IN A COMBINED EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL PROGRAM. THE SENSOR, CALLED A HEAT FLUX MICROSENSOR (HFM), WAS DEVELOPED JOINTLY BY VIRGINIA TECH AND VATELL CORPORATION. THIS SENSOR'S CHARACTERISTICS MAKE IT AN OUTSTANDING CANDIDATE FOR USE IN FIRE DETECTION. ABLE TO DETECT LEVELS OF HEAT FLUX AS LOW AS 10 WATTS/M(2) WITH A BANDWIDTH EXCEEDING 20 KHZ, THE HFM IS DURABLE AND CAN FUNCTION IN ENVIRONMENTS FROM CRYOGENIC TO THE INTERIOR OF FLAMES. IT SENSES TEMPERATURE AND HEAT FLUX INDEPENDENTLY, COMBINATION WITH SMOKE DETECTORS, CHEMICAL SENSORS OR THE LIKE, THE HFM PROMISES GREATLY IMPROVED FIRE DETECTION CAPABILITY AND A REDUCED FALSE ALARM RATE. BOTH OF THESE ARE OBJECTIVES OF SUBTOPIC 8.7.15, "ADVANCED SYSTEMS FOR DETECTION AND CONTROL OF BUILDING FIRES". IN SOME CONFIGURATIONS THE HFM CAN SURVIVE A DIRECT COMBUSTION ENVIRONMENT, AND COULD THEREFORE BE USED AS A SOURCE OF INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION DURING FIRE-FIGHTING.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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