Fire detection technology should be selected according to the operational environment, fire risk and required performance — not on the assumption that one detection method should replace another.
Traditional smoke and heat detection remain appropriate in many buildings. Video flame detection provides another option for environments where factors such as excessive height, airflow, airborne contamination, moisture, difficult access or outdoor exposure can create challenges for conventional approaches.
The Wrong Question
It is tempting to frame new detection technology as a replacement for what came before. Ciqurix CORE Video Fire Detection arrives, traditional smoke and heat detection retires.
That is not how good fire system design works.
The question should not be, “Which technology wins?”
It should be, “Which technology is suitable for this operational environment?”
That distinction matters because different detection technologies respond to fire in different ways, and the conditions within a building or site can influence how appropriate each approach is.
Where Are Traditional Smoke and Heat Detectors Appropriate?
Traditional smoke and heat detection work well across a wide range of buildings, particularly where environmental conditions are relatively stable, ceiling heights are within the relevant design parameters and airborne contamination is limited.
Nothing about video flame detection changes that.
Where smoke or heat can reliably reach appropriately positioned detectors, and those detectors can be installed, accessed and maintained without significant operational difficulty, traditional detection may remain the appropriate choice.
The challenge arises when the operational environment becomes more demanding.
Where Can Traditional Fire Detection Face Challenges?
Excessive height, airborne contamination, difficult access, high airflow, moisture, extreme temperatures, operational disruption and outdoor exposure are all conditions that can influence fire detection system design.
The reasons vary according to the environment.
In high-ceiling spaces, smoke and heat have further to travel before reaching ceiling-mounted detectors and can cool or disperse as they rise.
In environments with strong ventilation or extraction systems, airflow can dilute, displace or redirect smoke and heat.
In dusty or contaminated environments, airborne particulates, steam and process emissions can create unwanted alarms or increase maintenance requirements for some traditional detection technologies.
Elsewhere, the challenge may be practical rather than purely technical. Installing and maintaining detectors at height or within difficult-to-access operational areas can require specialist access equipment, disruption or temporary shutdowns.
These conditions do not mean traditional detection is inherently unsuitable. They mean that the operational environment needs to be considered carefully when deciding which detection principle is appropriate.
How Is Video Flame Detection Different?
Traditional smoke and heat detectors respond to byproducts of fire. Video flame detection takes a different approach by identifying the physical characteristics of the flame itself.
Ciqurix CORE uses visual and near-infrared analysis to assess characteristics including colour, brightness, shape, flicker and movement over time.
Because detection does not depend on smoke or heat travelling to a ceiling-mounted detector, factors such as excessive height, airflow and airborne contamination can have less influence on the detection principle.
There is, however, an important design consideration: video flame detection requires a clear line of sight to the fire risk.
That is why suitability and system design remain important. No detection technology should be considered independently of the environment in which it is expected to operate.
A Toolbox, Not a Takeover
This is why Ciqurix views video flame detection as an addition to the fire detection toolbox, rather than a universal replacement for the technologies already within it.
Good system design starts with the operational environment and the fire risk, not with a predetermined product.
Once the height, airflow, air quality, temperature, moisture, access requirements and other relevant conditions are understood, the appropriate detection technology can be assessed according to the needs of the application.
Sometimes that will be traditional smoke or heat detection.
In more challenging operational environments, video flame detection may be more appropriate.
On larger or more complex sites, different technologies may form part of the same wider fire detection strategy, with each selected according to the conditions and risks within individual areas.
Suitability First
The fire industry does not need another argument about which detection technology is universally superior.
It needs system designers, fire consultants and fire engineers to ask a more useful question on every project:
“Is this detection technology suitable for the operational environment and the fire risk?”
The objective is not to specify video flame detection everywhere. It is to recognise where environmental and operational conditions change the detection challenge, and then select technology accordingly.
Get that right, and the choice between traditional detection and Ciqurix stops being a debate about which technology is “better”.
It becomes what good fire system design should always be: a question of suitability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does video flame detection replace smoke and heat detection?
No. Video flame detection does not universally replace traditional smoke and heat detection. Traditional technologies remain appropriate in many environments. Video flame detection is designed for applications where operational conditions can create challenges for conventional detection approaches.
When should video flame detection be considered?
Video flame detection may be considered where conditions such as excessive height, strong airflow, airborne contamination, moisture, extreme temperatures, difficult access, outdoor exposure or operational disruption influence the suitability of traditional detection technologies.
How does video flame detection detect a fire?
Ciqurix video flame detection technology analyses visual and near-infrared information to identify characteristics associated with flame. Unlike smoke and heat detection, it detects the flame itself rather than relying on byproducts of fire travelling to a detector.
Does video flame detection need line of sight?
Yes. Video flame detection requires a clear line of sight to the fire risk. Detector positioning and coverage therefore need to be considered as part of the overall fire system design.
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