Detect Hot Spots - Prevent Fires

As reported by Richard Campbell of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2018, an average of 37 910 fires occur each year in industrial or manufacturing buildings in the United States. The cement industry also faces significant fire hazards. The transport of combustible bulk materials, such as coal, pet coke, and alternative fuels poses a significant fire risk. The flammable material being conveyed can quickly overheat, reaching temperatures as high as 500 – 800°C. If a fire does occur, it quickly spreads and causes serious damage to plant facilities and leads to costly interruptions to operations.

Effectively detect fires early on using thermal imaging cameras

Fire safety and, in particular, the early detection of fires play a crucial role in the cement industry and an increasing number of companies rely on thermographic detection systems for this purpose. By using thermal imaging cameras, these systems can detect critical temperature conditions, known as 'hot spots’, early on and prevent fires.

Bringing visibility to temperatures

Thermography – the process of detecting and measuring variations in emitted heat using, for example, thermal imaging cameras – has proved invaluable for early fire detection. After all, every object with a temperature above absolute zero (-273°C) emits infrared radiation. Invisible to the human eye, infrared radiation can be detected and measured by thermal imaging cameras that use this information to determine the corresponding temperature.

Locating hot spots on conveyors

The Conveyor Hotspot Detection System also uses thermography. As one of the leading manufacturers of intelligent sensors and sensor solutions for industrial applications, SICK has developed a detection system that uses thermal imaging cameras to promptly detect overheated bulk material on conveyors and prevent fires. The system fully automates temperature monitoring of conveyed material and is deployed wherever an operation transports, sorts, loads, or feeds flammable bulk material of any kind on conveyor belts.

The technology behind it all

The SICK Conveyor Hotspot Detection System uses thermal imaging cameras to continuously and automatically measure the temperature of bulk materials in transport. The system then compares the measurement data with the limit value, which can be individually specified for various materials. If the set warning threshold is exceeded, a signal is sent to the overarching system to, for example, stop the conveyor unit or trigger the sprinkler system. In this way, the system boosts work and production safety and helps avoid significant costs due to fire damage and downtime. As the system is a preventive safety measure, cement plants can benefit from lower insurance premiums.

The Conveyor Hotspot Detection System is well suited for retrofitting existing conveyor systems as it can be easily integrated into the local control system. Thanks to all-weather infrared technology, the detection system can also be put into operation around the clock regardless of weather conditions.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/20092023/detect-hot-spots--prevent-fires/