System Sensor launches unique IP-enabled aspiration detectors

System Sensor Europe, part of Honeywell, moves into the ultra-sensitive aspiration detection space for the first time with the introduction of FAAST, an EN54-20 Class A approved very early warning aspiration system that will alarm more than an hour before combustion.

FAAST’s early warning functionality and removal of false alarm risks makes it an essential safety measure in enterprise critical operations such as data centres and IT / telecoms facilities, where revenue loss and reputational damage due to disruption are unacceptable. Overheating cables are a significant source of problems, FAAST will give IT managers time to transfer data from affected servers, preserving operational uptime. Recent research has shown that average outage in the US was 120 minutes and cost more than $11000 per minute. In the US the aggregate cost of the most recent downtimes in 41 data centres was in excess of $20 million.1

 

FAAST includes a number of unique hardware and software features:

 

  • Integral IP connectivity, which enables remote monitoring and management over the internet by direct integration into local and wide area networks, a particular benefit in a data centre facility.
  • Use of the System Sensor digital Advanced Protocol to communicate with the fire control panel, which enables both point and aspiration detectors to be integrated into a single overall fire system, reducing total cost of ownership.
  • Super sensitive detection of 0.0015%/m (0.00046%/ft).
  • Multi-angle and multi-wavelength optics and complex algorithms to differentiate combustible particles from dust particles, a critical requirement in avoiding false alarms and achieving 100% uptime.
  • Three-stage filtration, which includes an aerospace-designed patented wing filter to prevent particles larger than 20 microns from entering the detection chamber, again reducing the possibility of false alarms.

 

These unique features also make FAAST ideal for installation in large open spaces such as airport concourses, and for challenging environments where hot or cold temperature extremes, or poor air quality, are present.

 

Stuart Ball, Head of Marketing  for System Sensor in Europe, said, “As the world’s largest manufacturer of fire detectors, we are investing heavily in developing new products that offer better and faster protection against the ever-present danger of fire without adding to the risk of false alarms. FAAST includes innovative mechanical and electronic design that delivers a world-leading early warning detection time, without the disruption of false alarms, for protection of high value, enterprise-critical facilities such as data centres. We believe the high performance and embedded IP connectivity puts FAAST in a class of its own.”

 

Support products available with FAAST include Pipe IQ, a PC-based Pipe Design Wizard that enables the configuration of the sampling pipe network to be calculated simply and quickly.

 

FAAST LT is the next product in the range to be developed specifically for EN54-20 Class C applications such as commercial and industrial buildings where other smoke detection methods are inappropriate or more prone to fail or suffer from false alarms.