In the energy sector, effective fire detection systems are crucial for protecting lives, infrastructure and assets through early hazard alerts that help prevent disasters and minimize financial losses. Facilities such as battery storage, photovoltaic installations, cable trays, and utility tunnels rely on robust fire detection to quickly identify and manage risks like electrical equipment failures, cable overheating, or arcing. AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Detection (LHD) system provides a dependable solution, offering early and precise hazard detection to support a secure and robust energy network.
Challenges & Fire Risks
The energy sector faces unique fire risks, making effective fire detection essential for creating a safer and more resilient infrastructure. Electrical equipment failures are a primary concern, often leading to fires that are challenging to detect and control. Cable trays present risks due to potential cable failures, which can result in overheating or arcing, quickly escalating into fires if not detected early. Photovoltaic (PV) installations also carry specific risks, including electrical faults, overheating, and arcing in cables below solar panels or connections. Battery storage & power stations pose hazards like thermal runaway, potentially leading to fires. Addressing these risks with reliable temperature monitoring and fire detection is crucial to ensuring safety across the energy sector.
Fiber Optic Linear Heat Detection
Temperature data is crucial in monitoring energy infrastructure. Fiber optic Linear Heat Detection (LHD) technology utilizes a ⌀ 4 mm fiber optic sensor cable to measure temperature continuously along every point of the cable, detecting temperature changes and hotspots across an entire asset. For example, on a 10 km cable, the system can monitor 10,000 temperature points every 5 seconds, offering rapid detection of hotspots and fires. This precise, real-time information on fire location, size, and spread allows for swift and targeted response.
AP Sensing's Fiber Optic LHD Solution
AP Sensing’s fiber optic Linear Heat Detection (LHD) system provides an ideal solution for fire risks in the energy sector by continuously monitoring temperatures and detecting overheating before it escalates. With a straightforward setup using a single passive fiber optic cable as a distributed temperature sensor, the LHD system offers real-time measurement across thousands of points, ensuring comprehensive, reliable fire detection for various assets, such as:
Photovoltaic Installations
In photovoltaic (PV) systems, effective fire detection is essential due to unique fire risks such as electrical faults, overheating, and insulation failure. Fires in solar facilities can lead to serious consequences, including bushfires, damaged panels or buildings at rooftop solar farms, and power disruptions for the industrial building or nearby region. Given the large outdoor areas required for PV systems, fire detection solutions must cover extensive ground, be robust against environmental conditions, and remain easy to install and maintain.
AP Sensing’s fiber optic Linear Heat Detection (LHD) system is ideally suited for PV fire protection both at greenfield and rooftop installations, continuously monitoring temperature across the entire solar farm—including panels, cables, and equipment—using just one ⌀ 4mm sensor cable. Capable of detecting and localizing hotspots to within a meter, our LHD system enables rapid, targeted response to overheating and fire risks.
Cable Trays
Cable trays, often located in tunnels or other hard-to-reach areas, present significant fire risks, with many sections remaining inaccessible to other monitoring methods. Cable failures in these confined spaces can lead to overheating and fire spread, posing threats to continuous power supply. AP Sensing’s fiber optic Linear Heat Detection (LHD) technology addresses these challenges by continuously monitoring temperature along power cable trays, even in hard-to-reach areas. A lightweight, easy-to-install fiber optic sensing cable (4 mm in diameter) is deployed along the trays, offering real-time hotspot detection. This setup ensures a reliable power supply to all critical components of the infrastructure and early detection of issues.
Battery Energy Storage System
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are increasingly vital in energy infrastructure but pose fire risks such as thermal runaway. Ensuring robust fire detection involves implementing early warning systems and understanding the specific risks associated with lithium-ion or other batteries.
AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Detection (LHD) solution addresses these needs with a sensor cable that can be flexibly deployed along the ceiling or shelves, continuously monitoring temperature changes and detecting potential hotspots at every point along the cable. This setup ensures comprehensive coverage, helping to prevent potential fires before they occur.
Utility Tunnels
Utility tunnels are critical to industrial operations, supplying essential power and data. However, they also pose significant hazards, including leaks, or overheated cables, and smoldering electrical fires. In addition, installation is challenging in dusty, harsh environments where detectors can quickly become contaminated and are often difficult to reach for regular maintenance.
AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Detection (LHD) system is designed to overcome the challenges. The LHD system uses a single fiber optic cable to monitor the entire tunnel length for temperature changes. The fiber optic cable is highly resilient, capable of withstanding harsh conditions such as dirt, dust, and corrosive atmospheres, and is unaffected by electromagnetic interference (EMI). Additionally, our system is certified for use in explosive environments due to gas or dust (ATEX/IECEx), making it a reliable fire detection solution for critical infrastructure. As the sensor cable is virtually maintenance-free, it is the ideal solution for areas difficult to access.
AP Sensing's LHD N45-Series
Compliance With Safety Standards
Safety and system reliability are key features of AP Sensing’s LHD N45-Series. The system offers the most complete set of type tests and certifications on the market including EN 54-22 (VdS), UL 521 (UL), CAN/ULC-S530, SIL-2, and ATEX and IECEx for critical areas.
The LHD N45-Series is thoroughly tested, confirming its safety and performance under severe conditions.
SmartVision Software
AP Sensing’s SmartVision alarm management system provides a comprehensive overview of fire detection status through intuitive asset visualization. With color-coded temperature displays and schematic layouts, SmartVision enables easy orientation and real-time monitoring of all configured Linear Heat Detection (LHD) instruments. Designed for seamless integration, our fiber optic LHD solution connects effortlessly with existing management platforms (SCADA systems). In the event of an alarm, the LHD controller instantly transmits detailed information to the fire control panel, ensuring rapid response and enhanced safety.
Key Takeaways
- Precise location of multiple hotspots and fire events
- Fire size and spread monitoring
- Five different alarm criteria for quick detection
- Immune to EMI, dirt, dust and humidity
- Functional even at up to 750 °C
With a proven track record and continued innovation, AP Sensing offers a completely integrated, end-to-end solution made in Germany. Our team works together with you to select the right combination of technologies to fit your requirements. We also provide onsite services, hotline and online support, maintenance and product training.
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