Fire Detection

Fiber Optic Linear Heat Detection
for Special Hazard Applications

Fire Detection

Fiber Optic Linear Heat Detection
for Special Hazard Applications

UNIQUE FIRE MONITORING CAPABILITY WITH BEST DETECTION PERFORMANCE

Unsurpassed quality and reliability bring you peace of mind and lower cost of ownership

A blazing fire can have devastating consequences: risk to human life, damage to valuable infrastructure, and long down-times. A proper fire protection installation is made more complex when the area is affected by harsh environmental conditions. Industrial facilities frequently produce dirt, dust, humidity and corrosive atmospheres in the production, storage or transport of goods. Conventional sensor technology often fails and tends to produce false alarms. These technologies require periodic, time-consuming maintenance efforts.

AP Sensing’s unique linear heat detection solution reduces operational costs and offers maximum reliability even under severe conditions like:

Dirt, dust and corrosive atmospheres
High humidity and extreme temperature changes
Solvent vapors and radioactivity
ATEX classified areas (risk of dirt or gas explosions)

DISTRIBUTED TEMPERATURE SENSING

Our solution is thoroughly tested and certified (VdS, UL, FM, ATEX, IECEx, SIL) with the industry's fastest fire detection and lowest false alarm rate. Our Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) fiber-optic linear heat detection system detects fires precisely and can accurately track the size and direction of a spreading fire, regardless of air currents. No other fire detection system can withstand temperatures up to 1000 °C (1800 °F) without losing monitoring capabilities. With this unique feature, fire-fighting countermeasures can be used effectively during the fire event. Our solution includes certified, maintenance-free sensor cables with an expected lifespan of 30 years to fit your requirements.

SMARTVISION™

AP Sensing's SmartVision™ software show the alarm zones, operational status, and real time temperatures at a glance, controlled by an easy-to-use graphical interface. It seamlessly integrates many sensors into a single platform. Monitored facilities are mapped and color-coded to show the measured temperatures, alarm zones, fire locations, as well as fire size and spreading. Alarm zones can be individually defined for flexible alarm levels and types.

APPLICATIONS

Our solutions offer robust and reliable asset protection for various application areas, including:

Tunnels, metro, car parks
Conveyor belts
Cable trays and transformers
Bus ducts, false floors and ceilings
Tank farms, coal storage
Aircraft hangers
Transformer buildings
Production areas
Power plants including NPP
Refineries and chemical plants
Offshore platforms
Warehouses and freezers

As we develop our products from the research and manufacturing stages, to the project commissioning and maintenance, AP Sensing offers a completely integrated, end-to-end solution. Our team works together with you to select the right combination of technologies to fit your requirements. We also provide onsite services, hotline support, maintenance and product trainings.

COMMITMENT
RELIABILITY
QUALITY
EXPERTISE

AP SENSING SUCCESS STORIES

We have hundreds of satisfied customers worldwide!

Glencore Coal Australia September 2019

AP Sensing, in collaboration with Advanced Photonics Australia, provided a reliable Linear Heat Detection solution to Glencore at the Bulga Coal Handling Plant. Our system is not only used for early fire detection and localization, but also to deliver information for efficient fire management and activation of fire suppression systems.

Self Unloader Fire Detection March 2019

An AP Sensing DTS solution with was selected to monitor a self-unloading bulk carrier in China for fire protection. Self-unloaders have more than 400m of conveyer belts, which are important to protect and monitor. Our DTS solution was selected due to its reliability in harsh environments, complete set of certifications, reputation, and MTBF of 33 years.

Bus Duct Monitoring in Factory Oct 2018

An AP Sensing Linear Heat Detection solution was selected for Nanya Technology in Linkou, Taiwan, where it produces DRAM and recently built a new memory production line, adding 32 new bus ducts to the production lines. By utilizing our DTS, the entire length of the bus ducts is now continuously monitored, which is particularly important for preventing overheating of the joints between the bus ducts.

Press Release Fiber Optic Sensing Association NOV 2017

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) today released details on more than 1,300 installations of distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) around the world, the largest representative sample ever published. AP Sensing is proud of our global contributions for pipeline leak detection, high voltage power cable monitoring and fire detection.

Connecting Continents Eurasia Tunnel Turkey JULY 2017

The Eurasia Tunnel connects the European section of Istanbul with the Asian section in Kosuyolu. The 5 km tunnel is an engineering marvel, with its double-deck construction that crosses the Bosphorus Strait under the sea, reaching a maximum depth of 106 m.

Fire Protection in Aircraft Hangars UAE APRIL 2017

AP Sensing was selected again to monitor a large and valuable infrastructure in the Middle East: an aircraft hangar, where aircraft are brought for maintenance and inspections.

Rio de Janeiro Tunnels JAN 2017

AP Sensing was recently selected to monitor 4 important traffic tunnels in Rio de Janeiro. The tunnel operators needed a system with fast response times, excellent reliability and accuracy, and low maintenance. Click on the title or picture to download the entire paper.

Enhancing Fire Detection Response in Complex Industrial Facilities Dec 2016

Oil and gas refineries are large industrial facilities, representing significant investments. These facilities operate on a 24/7 basis with managed maintenance downtime. It is a priority to eliminate accidents at all stages at the refinery throughout its lifecycle. Click on the title or picture to download the entire paper.

White Paper: DTS for District Heating Pipelines September 2016

This white paper examines the effectiveness of using a DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution to monitor underground district heating pipelines. Should a pipe become damaged or develop a leak, the DTS reveals the degree of damage and the location, with no need for expensive digging and repairs.

Fire Detection in a Battery Warehouse China August 2016

In their new battery warehouse, Amperex Technology has the capacity to store some 7000 batteries and packs. To mitigate the risk of overheating or of a fire, which could have devastating consequences, Amperex selected four AP Sensing Linear Heat Series 1km devices, each with 4 channels, to monitor and protect the warehouse.

Saadiyat Tunnel Abu Dhabi July 2016

The Saadiyat Island tunnel is 1.2 km long and connects the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National museums. It is used for the safe transportation of supplies and especially for the very valuable works of art for the new museums.

Tunnel Safety Meir Tunnel UK May 2016

When a competitor’s LHD (Linear Heat Device) could no longer be maintained locally or checked for correct operation, it was decided to replace it with an AP Sensing DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) device in the 284m long Meir tunnel. The tunnel is located in a heavily trafficked area in Stoke-on-Trent in England.

Mecca Clock Tower Expands DTS Coverage Mar 2016

The Tower implemented a Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) solution from AP Sensing originally to monitor the enormous media walls, which together contain some 2 million LED lights. The walls generate about 1.8MW and need to work in very hot direct sunshine, during cool nights or in the shade, and high winds. After years of issue-free operation it was decided to expand the DTS coverage beyond the media walls to include the crescent itself, as well as the technical rooms and loudspeaker amplifier rooms below.

Helsinki Metro Rail and Airport July 2015

Four metro stations and their connecting tunnels within the 42-acre Vantaa airport region in Helsinki wanted a Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) solution to monitor their infrastructure for fire detection. AP Sensing's Linear Heat Series, including the SmartVision asset visualization and alarm management system, were selected.

Jagdberg Tunnel Germany July 2015

The 3.1 km Jagdberg tunnel moves traffic from a hilly, winding stretch of road into the twin tunnels (3 lanes each) near Jena, in eastern Germany. AP Sensing’s Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) solution was selected for fire detection. The new twin tunnels were opened in late 2014 and represent Germany’s fourth-longest traffic tunnel. In all cases the detection times specified were met or exceeded by the AP Sensing DTS.

India's Longest Rail Tunnel Protected Jan 2015

The Pir Panjal railway tunnel is India's longest (and Asia's third-longest), at 11.2 km. It runs through the rugged and remote Himalayan mountain range in northern India. When your tunnel infrastructure is this long and located in a remote mountain range high in the Himalayas, you need a Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) solution that you can depend on.

Rail Tunnel Bukit Berapit Malaysia Oct 2014

Malaysia has modern cities and transportation infrastructures to go with its beaches and green countryside. The twin Berapit rail tunnels each have a length of 3.3 km and run between Padang Rengas and Taiping. When the tunnel operators needed to provide a fire detection system to complement the fixed manual water suppression, they turned to AP Sensing’s DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution, the Linear Heat Series.

Fire Tests in the Einhorn Tunnel Germany June 2014

Major fire detection tests were carried out in the Einhorn Tunnel in Germany. Participants included the fire department and officials from the road construction and tunnel operator teams. Eleven controlled fire tests were designed to stringently test the tunnel itself, AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Detection system, and the smoke extraction system. The fiber-optic based Linear Heat Series from AP Sensing played a decisive role in all of the tests. In every test the detection time was lower than the Guideline requirements.

Fire Protection in the Rotterdam Metro Nov 2013

To improve the fire detection safety in Metro stations in Rotterdam, three different stations were fitted with AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Series. One fiber-optic Linear Heat Detection system (LHD) with one channel was used in each station. The Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system provides real time temperature measurements along the length of the passive optical sensor cable. Should the temperature exceed the limit in any of the pre-defined zones, an alarm is triggered and personnel in the control room are alerted.

Hong Kong Airport and Civil Aviation Feb 2013

To address the future growth of the air traffic industry in Hong Kong, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) constructed a new headquarters. The five individual buildings will cover approximately 65,000 square meters of space and are designed to accommodate the CAD functional divisions, the Air Traffic Control Centre (ATCC), and the antenna farm.

Glass Production Plant Heat Detection Germany May 2012

In a modern glass production factory, AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Series was selected to monitor and protect the valuable assets in a family-run, 400-year-old maker of glass products and exclusive flacons for the perfume industry.

Floating Roof Tank Fire Detection Riyadh May 2012

AP Sensing provided the Riyadh Power Company with a floating roof tank fire detection solution. The Riyadh Power Company in Saudi Arabia has 5 floating-roof oil tanks for which they wanted a state-of-the-art fire monitoring and fire detection system. Each tank is 30 m high and has a diameter of 30 m. Working together with the local partner Tyco, AP Sensing was selected for their Linear Heat Series solution.

Mecca Royal Clock Tower Chooses AP Sensing Mar 2012

The Mecca Royal Clock Tower is an engineering marvel, and is located near the world’s largest mosque, as well as Islam’s most sacred site, the Masjid al Haram. In addition to the construction challenges and intricate workings of the huge clock, the tower is illuminated with 21,000 white and green lights, and two million LED lights. To ensure the most modern and rugged system of heat detection and monitoring available, AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Series was selected. Four Distributed Temperature Sensing devices were installed to ensure continuous, fully-redundant monitoring in real-time.

Bus Duct Monitoring Prevents Major Accident Paju Korea Mar 2012

The early detection of a hot spot along a bus duct in a manufacturing cleanroom prevented a major accident that would have resulted in significant equipment loss, downtime, and potentially human injury.

Historical Palaces Fire Detection Korea Dec 2011

Namdaemun, which is officially known as Sungyemun (meaning “Gate of Exalted Ceremonies”), is one of the Eight Gates of the fortress wall of Seoul, South Korea, which dates back to the 14th century. Following a devastating fire in 2008, it was decided to install AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Series solution to protect this national treasure.

Thermal Plant Fire Detection Slowakia Nov 2011

The long-distance heating and electrical company Zilinska Teplarenska is located in Zilina, Slovakia. The plant has many different conveyor belt lines, with a total length of several kilometers. When a fire occurs on a conveyor belt it can shut down the transportation of the line, which in turn exposes a company to delivery problems and significant financial risk.

Industrial Alcohol Tanks Fire Detection France Oct 2011

Highly flammable substances, such as Industrial Alcohol, require ATEX approved fire detection solutions. Active electronics, if not protected by specialized enclosures, are banned from ATEX Zone 0 areas in order to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors. The solution? Fiber Optic Linear Heat Detection that has very low power designs and passive sensor cables.

National Stadium Heat Detection Bucharest Aug 2011

AP Sensing Linear Heat Series device was installed in the new National Stadium in Bucharest, Romania. The stadium has a capacity for 55.600 people, expandable to 63.000. The DTS device monitors the temperature in the cable trays. These cables supply the power for the lighting on the playing field. The cable trays reach over three levels and are divided into 24 different alarm zones.

Coal Conveyor Belt Monitoring Germany June 2011

AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Series solution was chosen to provide quick and reliable fire detection along a coal conveyor belt at a coking plant in Germany. The entire conveyor system consists of two sections, perpendicularly connected, with a total length of approximately 400 meters.

Loading Dock Flammable Subtances May 2011

AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Series instrument was chosen to provide reliable fire detection of loading bays that handle flammable substances at a solar panel production site in Switzerland. The loading dock bays are separated by concrete walls to minimize the risk of a fire spreading. The N4387A is located in a central control room at a safe distance from the dock; only the passive optical sensor cable is exposed to the dock ATEX area.

Traffic Tunnel Fire Detection Maritime Alps Feb 2011

Two AP Sensing Linear Heat Series instruments were installed in the Tunnel de la Mescla and Tunnel de Reveston as fire detection systems. The tunnels are separated by a 400 meter bridge and each have a dedicated control room. Tunnel engineers configured two independent Linear Heat Series instruments with a single, linear fiber optic cable sensor – the “Safety (FRNC)” – with two independent fibers between them.

Eurotunnel Chooses AP Sensing for Fire Monitoring Nov 2010

A new safety standard has been achieved in rail tunnels. Eurotunnel – the operator of the channel tunnel – decided to significantly improve passenger safety by creating fire fighting stations equipped with fixed, fire suppression systems (SAFE stations). Eurotunnel chose AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Series as the fire monitoring system to activate and control the suppression system.

Eurotunnel Chooses AP Sensing for Fire Monitoring (Spanish) Nov 2010

Un nuevo estándar de seguridad se ha alcanzado en los túneles ferroviarios. Eurotunnel (el operador del túnel del canal) decidió mejorar significativamente la seguridad de los pasajeros mediante la creación de estaciones de bomberos, equipadas con sistemas fijos de extinción de incendios (estaciones SAFE). Eurotunnel eligió Linear Heat Series (Serie de Calor Lineal) de AP Sensing como el sistema de vigilancia para activar y controlar el sistema de supresión de incendios.

Linear Heat Series Selected for Italian Metro Tunnel Nov 2010

AP Sensing, together with our local partner, have been selected to equip a newly-built metro tunnel with the N4387A Linear Heat Series. Besides providing fire alarm capabilities, the Linear Heat solution monitors the ventilation system and can activate the vents between stations to extract smoke from the tunnels and draw it away from the stations. All alarms and temperature values are also exported to a central SCADA platform to monitor potential fires, their sizes and the direction they are spreading in the tunnel.

Conveyor Belt Heat Detection in Coal Fired Power Plant Italy Mar 2010

Fire detection along coal transporting conveyor belts is challenging. The environment is extremely harsh, with dust and mechanical vibrations and the plant’s conveyor infrastructure is several kilometers long. A fire would cause downtime for the entire plant, which would be extremely costly to the operating company.

Bus Duct Heat Detection Korea Feb 2010

An AP Sensing Linear Heat Series instrument is at the heart of a temperature monitoring solution for the entire electrical bus duct structure in a newly built KB bank headquarter – the IDC Center building in Seoul, Korea.

Big Parking Garage Heat Detection Germany Feb 2010

Europort II is a 75,000 square meter parking terminal and distribution center for new cars on their way to dealerships. Protecting this valuable asset and its contents requires an efficient and effective fire detection system. The harsh environment – in many aspects comparable to a traffic tunnel – and the value expectations of the operator led to many strict requirements for the DTS system.

Linear Heat Series Under Test (German) Apr 2009

Im Maßstab 1:1 wurden Feldversuche unter authentischen Umweltbedingungen in Zusammenarbeit mit Tyco Fire / Scum und dem SP Technical Researsch Institure of Sweden durchgeführt. Diese zeigen auf, dass faseroptische Linearewärmemelder (DTS – Distributed Temperature Sensing) sehr schnell und zuverlässig unterschiedliche Brandtypen melden, diese präzise lokalisieren und Brandgröße sowie Ausbreitungsrichtung über eine lange Zeitdauer genau beobachten können.

Linear Heat Series Under Test Apr 2009

Field trials in 1:1 scale under authentic environmental conditions have been performed in cooperation with Tyco Fire / Scum and SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden to reveal the capabilities of Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) to detect different types of fire fast, to localize fires precisely and to monitor fire size and spreading accurately over an extended period.

Coal Stock Heat Detection Spain Mar 2009

One of the most innovative bulk handling facilities has been undertaken in Spain. “La Medusa”, a coal storage facility that was built at Puerto A Coruna. Operated by Union Fenosa, not only does this enclosed coal handling facility achieve zero dust emission, but the structure itself is architecturally pleasing. Due to its impressive design, the plant is called “la Medusa” which means “the jellyfish”.

AP Sensing's support team has been a fantastic resource for us over the years. They have helped us with system development and implementation planning, and they are always quick to respond to our technical queries with competent advice and helpful tips.

Geoff Harris
Ausgrid

For me AP Sensing is the forerunner for distributed optical temperature sensing. You can see in their solutions a combination of experience and creativity -- an intuitive design that works just as you'd expect, yet they aren't afraid to think out of the box, or provide a customized solution. They carry on their HP/Agilent heritage and continue to develop and advance, while remaining true to their core values of quality and reliability.

Roberto Gaspari
Prysmian

When I think of AP Sensing the first thing I think of is reliability. We completely trust and rely on their performance specifications and I know that their technical support team is dedicated and passionate about solving any problems that might come up.

Paul Sanders
Petrospec Engineering

Knowing the technology and market, it is evident to me that AP Sensing is the forerunner in distributed optical sensing. Their solutions reflect a combination of experience and creativity. Experience comes from their HP/Agilent heritage, the leader in test and measurement equipment, with decades of experience in developing and manufacturing extremely reliable and high quality products. The creativity comes from their passion and commitment to solving real customer problems.

David Orr
Protex Systems

When you do business with AP Sensing you get the feeling that you are working together as partners, because they listen to you and understand the challenges of your day-to-day operations. Communication with AP Sensing is always professional and it's obvious that they have the experience and the technical know-how to answer our queries.

Marcin Cichy
Honeywell

AP Sensing's DTS is simply the best fit. We apply it together with ConveySafe in our coal power plants to protect our conveyors. The systems are rugged and completely reliable, need very little power, and can be seamlessly integrated into customer SCADA environments. Best of all, you don't just buy a box from them and that's it -- their post-sales support is outstanding.

Harald Grzybeck
STEAG

The SIL-2 (Safety Integrity Level) rating that AP Sensing has achieved on its DTS gives us the confidence that their solution is going to work as planned, day in and day out, in high-risk environments. Our LNG terminal operators sleep better at night knowing that our assets are protected and security standards are met.

Dr. Stephan Grosswig
GESO

My AP Sensing regional customer support is fantastic: competent, thorough and quick to get back to me. They have been a key player in our complex pipeline projects over the years, and they truly offer through-life product support, from installation and commissioning to training.

Dustin Bow
PENTAIR

FIRE DETECTION BROCHURE

Fiber optic linear heat detection

Download the Fire Detection brochure in the language of your choice:

OUR KEY FEATURES FOR FIRE DETECTION

Why you should choose AP Sensing!

Feature	Benefit
Fiber optic Linear Heat Detection	...continuous and continual fire detection along the entire sensor cable length up to 10 km!
Immune to EMC and RFI	…advantageous for tunnels, cable trays, transformers and generators.
Inherently safe operation in explosive atmospheres	...ideal for mining, refineries, plants, tank, conveyor belts and silos.
Lowest maintenance requirements	…ideal for cable deployment in areas such as false floors and suspended ceilings.
Immune to harsh environmental conditions including radiation	...ideal for industrial applications like petrochemical plants, factories, cold stores, waste disposal and nuclear power plants.
Wide range of certifications like VdS, UL and FM	...conforms to all the important national and international regulatory frameworks.