An Automated Fire Suppression

Mechanism Controlled Using an

Arduino

A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Electrical and Electronic

Engineering of BRAC University
By

Rafiz Ibne Rashid- 12321052

Syed Muntaha Rafid- 13121037

Supervised by:

Dr. A. K. M. Abdul Malek Azad

Professor
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
BRAC University, Dhaka.

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of

Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Fall 2017
BRAC University, Dhaka.
 DECLARATION

We do hereby declare that the thesis titled “ An Automated Fire suppression

mechanism controlled using an Arduino”, a thesis submitted to the Department of
Electrical and Electronics Engineering of BRAC University in partial fulfillment of
the Bachelors of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. This is our
original work and was not submitted elsewhere for the award of any other degree
or any other publication.

Signature of Supervisor: Signature of Authors:

.............................................. ..............................................

Dr. A. K. M. Abdul Malek Azad Rafiz Ibne Rashid

Professor
Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
BRAC University, Dhaka.

..............................................

Syed Muntaha Rafid

i
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are thankful to our thesis supervisor Dr. A.K.M. Abdul Malek Azad, Professor,
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), BRAC University, for
his guidance for completion of the thesis. Our regards to Project Engineer, Ataur
Rahman for his support throughout the whole thesis time span. We are thankful to
EEE department, BRAC University for providing us the necessary equipment for
the completion of this project and funding this project undertaken by Control and
Application Research Centre (CARC).

ii
 ABSTRACT

The proposed fire suppression system is a real time monitoring system that detects
the presence of flame of certain wavelength in the air due to fire and suppresses the
fire via continuous water running through multiple sprinklers. The controlling unit
used to develop the fire alarm system is an Arduino Uno. The key feature of this
system is the ability to remotely send an alert when a fire is detected. Fire is an
undesirable event that could cause a great loss of social wealth, human life and
confidential amenities. To prevent these losses, various alarm systems have already
been developed such as smoke detectors, temperature sensor based systems etc.
These systems comes with a high chance of human error that can mislead the
sensing and hence the whole system in general. Our fire suppression system on the
other hand is extremely well thought out; it has no chance of human error as it is
fully self-sufficient. The room or the area will have dedicated overhead sprinklers
connected to the water supply through its dedicated solenoid valve which controls
the flow of water in the pipe lines. The triggering devices of this system are the
flame sensors, when they detect fire an alarm will go off. The coding set in the
Arduino will come into work and provide the optimal voltage to the solenoid valve
through a relay and hence water will rush out the sprinklers extinguishing fire in no
time. The sensors we will be using are highly sensitive, thus it will detect fire even
before it reaches to a point of concern. Water will be evenly spread out through the
overhead sprinklers. Unlike other alarm systems, the components we used are
readily available and reasonable in price. Our automated fire suppression system
can be used both for commercial and residential purposes.

iii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement………………………………………………………… …..ii

Abstract………………………………………………………………………..iii

List of figures………………………………………………………………....vii

List of tables…………………………………………………………………....x

List of abbreviation…………………………………………………………...xi

CHAPTER 1: Introduction.…………………………………………………..1
1.1Motivation of the work and background…………………...………………..1
1.2Literature review and problem formulation....................................................4
1.3Project objective…………………………………………...………………...6
1.4Contribution of this project………………………………………………….8
1.5Thesis organization.........................................................................................8
1.6Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...9

CHAPTER 2: Fire suppression mechanism……………………...…………10

2.1 Basic concept of fire suppression mechanism………………………...…...10
2.2 Existing fire extinguishing mechanisms……………………………...……10
2.3 Advantages of our automated system over existing technologies…...…….13
2.4 Conclusion…………………………………………………………....……14

CHAPTER 3: Fundamental concept of an embedded system and components

used in our embedded system………………………………………………..15
3.1 Introduction to embedded system………………………………………….15
3.2 Benefits of an embedded system…………………………………………..16
3.3 Arduino Uno……………………………………………………………….18
3.4 Four input NAND gate…………………………………………………….22

iv
3.5 Flame sensor……………………………………………………………….25
3.6 Relay……………………………………………………………………….27
3.7 Solenoid valve……………………………………………………………..30
3.8 Miscellaneous devices……………………………………………………..34
3.9 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………36

CHAPTER 4: An automated fire suppression mechanism controlled using an

Arduino………………………………………………………………………..37

4.1 Overview of our whole experiment……………………………………......37

4.1.1 Introduction……………………………………………………..…...37
4.1.2 Setup of our experiment………………………………………..…....38
4.2 Electrical connections………………………………………………..…....39
4.2.1 Circuit diagram of the automated electronic system…………..…….39
4.2.2 Step by step description of the electrical connection………..……....39
4.2.3 Protection circuit against back electro motive force…………..………..42
4.2.3.1 Introduction to back electro motive force………………..………..42
4.2.3.2 Our protection circuit………………………………………..………..44
4.3 Power management……………………………………………..………....45
4.4 Design and calculation of the demonstration room…………..…………....46
4.5 Sprinkler System and calculations regarding the location of the flame
sensors……………………………………………………………..………47
4.5.1 Existing works of sprinkler heads……………………………….......47
4.5.2 Step by step description of our sprinkler system and its calculations..49
4.5.3 Placement and calculations regarding the location of the flame
sensors………………………………………………..………………….....51
4.6 Control Algorithm……………………………………………………….....54
4.6.1 Arduino Code………………………………………………………...54
4.6.2 Explanation of the code…………………………………………..….56
4.7 Conclusion……………………………………………………………..…..57

CHAPTER 5: Field tests and analysis………………………………………58

5.1 Wavelength of fire…………………………………………………………58
5.1.1 Effect of sensor triggering wavelengths…………………..…………58
5.1.2 Effect of non-sensor triggering wavelengths………………..……….59

v
5.2 Distance of triggering the sensor………………………………………......60
5.3 Electrical measures of flame sensor………………....……………....….....63
5.4 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………68

CHAPTER 6: Conclusion and future work…………………………………69

6.1 Summary…………………………………………………………………...69
6.2 Conclusion and Future work……………………………………………….70

References……………………………………………………………………..72

Appendix……………………………………………………………………...76

Appendix A: Electrical connection with all components running for a single

sprinkler………………………………………………………………………..76

Appendix B Demonstration room construction………………………………..77

Appendix C Sprinkler system for single room………………………………...78

Appendix D Comparator circuit……………………………………………….79

Appendix E Single sprinkler and flame sensor front view………………….....80

Appendix D Comparator circuit……………………………………………….81

Appendix E Single sprinkler and flame sensor front view………………….....82

vi
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1: The flow diagram of an embedded system.

Figure 3.2b: An example of an embedded system-Intel 4004.

Figure 3.3a: A typical example of a code in the Arduino software.

Figure 3.3b: A typical Arduino Uno R3.

Figure 3.4a: The logic diagram along with an expanded version of a typical 4
input NAND gate.

Figure 3.4b: The PIN assignment of a HD74HC20 4 input NAND gate.

Figure 3.5a: The flame sensor module used in our project.

Figure 3.6a: Output terminals of a relay.

Figure 3.6b: The SONGLE relay we used in the project.

Figure 3.7a: The parts of a typical solenoid valve.

Figure 3.7b: The solenoid valve we used for our project.

Figure 3.8a: Sprinkler head with glass bulb containing heat responsive liquid.

Figure 3.8b: Sprinkler head after removing glass bulb.

Figure 4.1.2: Setup of our experiment.

Figure 4.2.1: Circuit diagram of the automated system.

Figure 4.2.2a: Function of 4 input NAND Gate.

Figure 4.2.2b: Functionality of a relay in our project.

Figure 4.2.3.1a: When electromagnet is connected to power supply.

vii
Figure 4.2.3.1b: When power supply is disconnected from electromagnet.

Figure 4.2.3.2a: Design of our protection circuit.

Figure 4.2.3.2b: Picture of our protection circuit.

Figure 4.3a: Two 12V, 20AH batteries.

Figure 4.3b: 24V to 5V DC step down voltage converter.

Figure 4.4: Demonstration room.

Figure 4.5.1: Radius of distribution of water (centimeter) with respect to pressure.

(Pound per square inch) and mounting height (meter).

Figure 4.5.2a: Top view of sprinkler system with dimensions.

Figure 4.5.2b: Placement of a single sprinkler.

Figure 4.5.2c: Top view of sprinkler system.

Figure 4.5.3a: Radius of detection.

Figure 4.5.3b: Fire detection area of four flame sensors.

Figure 4.5.3c: Fire detected in the center of the demonstration room. Water is
flowing through the solenoid and out the sprinkler heads.

Figure 4.5.3d: Fire suppressed successfully.

Figure 4.6.1a: Arduino code of an automated fire suppression mechanism

controlled using an Arduino.

Figure 4.6.1b: Flowchart of the Arduino code of an automated fire suppression

mechanism controlled using an Arduino.

Figure 5.1.1a: The spectral range of an electromagnetic spectrum.

Figure 5.1.1b: The spectral range in the infrared radiation at which the flame
sensor triggers.

viii
Figure 5.1.2: The ranges in which the flame sensor does not trigger or cannot
detect any infrared.

Figure5.2a: The flame sensor is ON; the switched OFF LED shows that fire is yet
to be detected.

Figure 5.2b: The switched ON LED shows that the flame sensor detects fire at
20cm.

Figure 5.2c: The switched ON LED shows that the flame sensor detects fire at
40cm.

Figure 5.2d: The switched ON LED shows that the flame sensor detects fire at its
maximum range of 100cm.

Figure 5.3a: The typical electro optical curves for YG1006 sensor.

Figure 5.3b: The schematic diagram of 1 LM 393 comparator chip.

Figure 6.2: System replaced with Thermo-graphic cameras and Raspberry Pi 3.

Figure Appendix A: Electrical connection with all components running for a

single sprinkler.

Figure Appendix B: Diagram of an automated fire suppression mechanism

controlled using an Arduino for a single room.

Figure Appendix C: Sprinkler system for single room.

Figure Appendix D: Comparator circuit with buzzer and LED.

Figure Appendix E: Single sprinkler and flame sensor front view.

Figure Appendix F: Controlling circuit along with the Flame sensors.

Figure Appendix G: Flowchart of the fire extinguishing process.

ix
 LIST OF TABLES

Table-1: Financial losses and casualties of countrywide fire incidents.

Table-2: Some related factory and slum incidents in and around Dhaka are
mentioned

Table-3: The Truth table of a 4 input NAND gate.

Table 4: The maximum rating of a HD74HC20 4 input NAND gate.

Table 5: The recommended operating conditions for a HD74HC20 4 input NAND

gate.

Table 6: The coil data chart of SONGLE relay at 20 degree Celsius.

Table 7: Truth table of 4 input NAND Gate (HD74HC20)

Table 8: Ratings of sprinkler head

Table 9: The electro-optical characteristics of YG 1006 sensor (25°C).

Table 10: The electro-optical characteristics include voltage, time, current and
wavelength.

Table 11: shows the maximum ratings of a LM 393 comparator chip.

x
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

DSP- Digital signal processing.

AVR- Alf and Vegard's RISC processor.

IDE- Integrated development environment.

NFPA- National fire protection association.

NAND- means not AND.

VCC- refers to the voltage from the positive terminal of a power supply.

GND- indicates the ground terminal or the negative terminal of a power supply.

IC- Integrated circuit.

NO- Normally open terminal.

COM- is the common or return connection of the relay essentially when the relay
is activated.

NO- Normally connected terminal.

CEMF- Counter electro motive force.

EMF- Electro motive force.

DC- Direct current.

PSI- pounds per square inch.

xi
 Chapter 1
Introduction

In this chapter we first introduce the topic of Fire Suppression System using
Arduino Uno and describe the problem statement related to the simulation
environment. Then the main research objectives are outlined followed by the
research contributions. Finally, the main thesis overview is presented.

1.1 Motivation of the work and background

Fire has been a danger to assets and population through ages. In very recent times
there have been multiple cases of fire throughout Dhaka city damaging properties
worth millions and moreover taking away lives of innocent people. Locations like
factories, slums and other open areas are most vulnerable to such disastrous events.
Offices and other workplaces are also exposed to such events which may cause
loss of important confidential documents and treasuries.

From January to February, incidents of 1,845 fires were recorded by Fire Service
and Civil Defense all over Bangladesh.

Table-1[2]:

Year Countrywide fire Financial loss Casualty/Injury

2016 16,858 240 crore 43 lakh 152/247
2017 1,845 35 crore 81 lakh 14/41
Year Dhaka city fire Financial loss Casualty/Injury
2016 3,020 100 crore 63 lakh 15/81

The estimated financial loss from fires last year was Tk240.43 crores according to
Fire Service and Civil Defense.

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 CHAPTER 1

Some related factory and slum incidents in and around Dhaka are mentioned below
in Table 2[1]:
Factory Location Incident Cause and outcome Injuries Deaths
name date
Next AshuliaSavar 3\1\2015 Thirty people have been injured in a stampede 30 0
Collection when the garment workerswere stepping down
from the factory following fire panic. The
incidenttook place at Next Collection in
Narshinghapur area of Ashulia around 11a.m.on
Sunday. An electrical short circuit caused a
"sparkle of fire."

Unnamed Bangshal 2/21/2014 Four workers have sustained burn injuries after a 3 1
shoe Dhaka shoe factory in the capital's busy Bangshalarea
factory was burned down in a fire on Friday night. The
fire broke out at a small shoe factory at the
Kayettuli area around 10p.m. Two firefighting
units doused the flames after 30 minutes of effort.
Another victim of the shoe factory fire succumbed
to his injuries last night at the Burn and Plastic
Surgery Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
.

Amin Fatullah, 1/5/2016 Some workers were smoking in the 5 0

dyeing Narayanganj chemical go down of Amin Dyeing
Factory around 1am. The explosion took place
due to the leakage
in the gas pipeline

Matrix Choydana, 2/2/2016 Fire broke out at Matrix Sweater Factory at 7:30 5 0
Sweaters National am for the second time in last four days in the
Ltd. University district. Joydebpur Fire Service station officer said
fire broke out at the eighth floor of the factory. On
information, eight unit of Tongi and Joydevpur
fire service rushed to the spot and was trying to
douse fire. Causes of fire and damages caused
could not be known yet.On January 29 fire broke
out on the same factory.

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 CHAPTER 1

Multifabs Gazipur, Dhaka 7/4/2017 A boiler explosion at a Bangladeshi garment plant Unknown 10
co. near the city of Dhaka killed 10 people and
injured dozens. The blast occurred at a plant
operated by local Bangladeshi firm Multifabs
while maintenance work was going on, company
and fire brigade officials said. The explosion at
the boiler, located in a tin-roofed shed, partially
damaged a nearby three-storey factory building.
This was one of the latest industrial tragedy to hit
one of the world’s biggest garment producers.
Korail Mohakhali, 3/16/2017 Many houses at one of the largest slums in Dhaka Unknown Unknown
Slum Dhaka have been razed to the ground by a fire that broke
out at the early hours of 16th march. Authorities
are yet to report any casualties over the fire, the
third in a year, at the Korail slum in the capital's
Mohakhali area. Fire service said that the incident
was reported around 3am on Wednesday. It took
the firefighters a little over five hours to put out
the flamesMohakhali’sKorail slum is one of the
largest slums in the capital with thousands of
inhabitants, hundreds of tin-shed houses at the
slim were gutted. The slum, on a 150-acre land of
the state run BangladeshTelecommunication
Company Ltd (BTCL), is home to several
hundreds of thousands of people of the low-
income group. Hundreds of houses of the slum
were burnt in two incidents of fire on Dec 4 and
Mar 14 last year.

Banshbarhi Mohammadpur, 2/16/2017 A fire has raged through a slum in Dhaka, leaving Unknown Unknown
slum Dhaka more than 100 shanties completely burnt. The fire
service said no casualties were reported from the
incident which took place early on Thursday
morning at the 'Banshbarhi Slum' in the capital's
Mohammadpur area. Flames erupted at the slum
around 3:30am, said Fire Service Control Room
official PalashModak. It took 13 fire-fighting
units almost two and a half hours to put out the
fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be known.
Locals said more than 100 shanties were
completely gutted in the fire.

These are just some of the reported events, other than these there have been news
of multiple fire events in the last 3 or 4 years which were not reported. The very
recent fire ravaged around 500 homes in Korail slum in Mohakhali. Fire disasters
are increasing day by day and should not be overlooked time after time. These

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unfortunate events gave rise to our project which suppresses fire in a much more
efficient way than the existing methods. Slums have narrow lanes and many
flammable materials in its premise which causes fire to spread out quickly and
makes work harder for Fire brigade to operate on the inside. Factories have many
electrical appliances which may be the cause for fire. We motivated ourselves to
build a technology that could reduce the fire hazard to a minimum at a minimum
cost.

1.2 Literature review and problem formulation.

Fire causes huge loss of lives and properties every year in Bangladesh. Analyzing
past fire incidents, facts are revealed. Some of the main causes are insufficient fire
defense materials, electric short circuit from faulty electrical wiring, presence of
inflammable materials, violation of fire safety and lack of adequate awareness etc.
Some factories and recent buildings have proper installation and fire safety
arrangements such as fire alarm, fire extinguishers, water supply system etc. But
the argument is these conventional fire extinguishing systems are not enough to
take prompt action during fire and save life. Traditional manual system does not
ensure 24/7 monitoring from fire protection. Moreover, existing fire protection
system could spread panic inside the whole building since it does not announce the
location of fire or intensity. It only raises alarm whenever fire is detected at any
place. Frightened people could start to run away haphazardly. As a result buildings
full of workers in the factories women, children could be smashed by the outgoing
pressure of the frightened crowd and injured severely. On the contrary, sometimes
people do not realize the intensity of the fire and not willing to evacuate fire
affected building quickly. It could lead a devastating result.

In this paper a Fire suppression system is presented that can reduce these hazards
to a great extent. The proposed system is fully automated and does not effectively
require any human effort to extinguish the unfortunate event. It is self-sufficient as
well. The fire alarm will set off once the fire breaks down which will open the
solenoid valves connected to water pipes by the help of a controlling unit (Arduino
Uno). Relays are connected in between the Arduino and the solenoid valve in order

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CHAPTER 1

to provide the required voltage to the valve. The sprinklers used in this system can
cover a relatively large radius and can effectively suppress the fire within seconds.

Fire suppression systems are used to extinguish or prevent the spread of fire in a
building or in an open space. An automatic fire suppression system control and
extinguish fires without human intervention. When fires are extinguished in the
early stages loss of life and property is minimal since 93% of all fire related deaths
occur once the fire has progressed beyond the early stages.

Today there are numerous types of Automatic Fire Suppression Systems and
standards for each one. Systems are as diverse as the many applications.

The existing fire alarm system in market nowadays, is too complex in term of its
design and structure. Since the system is too complex, it needs regular preventive
maintenance to be carried out to make sure the system operates well. Meanwhile,
when the maintenance is been done to the existing system, it could raise the cost of
using the system. Therefore, the proposed project is designed with a low cost and
all level users can have one for a safety purpose.

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CHAPTER 1

1.3 Project objectives

Our projects objective is to design a Fire Alarm & Fire suppression System that
would fulfill the following objectives:

i) Indicate the room in which fire erupted.

ii) Sound the alarm if fire occurs.

iii) Run the controlling unit (Arduino Uno) and control the fire by supplying
water to the remote area by motor pump.

iv) False Alarm occurrence should be kept to minimum.

v) The system should also provide the flexibility to suppress the fire in
multiple rooms.

vi) The sprinklers used in the system should suppress the fire over the
correct radius and not waste any water unnecessarily.

vii) The system should never be in any ambiguous state. Under normal
conditions the system should indicate the state of the room as safe to the
normal people.

Furthermore there are other objectives to our research as well which includes:

i) To have a clear concept of an automated fire suppression system.

ii) To have a clear perception of the Arduino and its different characteristics
involved in the project.

iii) To have a clear idea of the flame sensors those are used in the project by
proper identification of their detection mechanism.

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CHAPTER 1

iv) Design and implement our proposed system at a proper place and safe
environment.

v) Determine the faults in our system and finding the proper solution.

vi) Monitor the overall system over certain period of time.

In a way to achieved above objectives, this project needs to be implemented as

below:

i) This fire alarm system can incorporate the solenoid valve and flame
sensors.

ii) The Arduino is used as the heart of this fire alarm system that controls
the entire operations involved.

iii) The fire alarm system is capable to locate and identify the place that is
in fire while it is controlled by the Arduino.

iv) Capable to display the output in terms of extinguishing the fire

completely in a short period of time.

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CHAPTER 1

1.4 Contributions of the research

i) Once properly executed, this project will save human lives and amenities
from disaster.

ii) A self-sufficient fire suppression system is always required in both

residential and industrial environment.

iii) An advanced controlling unit (Arduino Uno) is coded and designed in

such a manner that can effectively and efficiently control this system
under all circumstances.

iv) An ideal power back up has been proposed in case of emergency power
supply and its performance has been justified.

v) An automated fire suppression system is created at such a low cost that

can prove to be very beneficial for government purposes in the near
future.

1.5 Thesis organization

The rest of the research is divided into the following chapters:

Chapter 2: Fire suppression mechanism

Chapter 3: Fundamental concept of an embedded system and components used in

our embedded system.

Chapter 4: An automated fire suppression mechanism controlled using an Arduino.

Chapter 5: Field tests and analysis.

Chapter 6: Conclusion and future work.

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CHAPTER 1

1.6 Conclusion

In a nutshell Chapter 1 gives us an idea of the overall project in terms of its

objectives, contributions and literature review. This chapter also talks about the
tragedies caused by fire in Bangladesh which motivated us to come up with this
self-sufficient system. It also states the problems we faced during the project and
ways to formulate those problems. The thesis organization gives us hints about
how the rest of the paper will be followed through.

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 Chapter 2
Fire Suppression Mechanism

2.1 Basic concept of Fire suppression mechanism.

Suppressing fire by throwing water onto it has been used since ancient times. To
provide an automatic spray of water to control a fire, sprinkler systems were
developed in the late 19th century. Since then, automatic sprinklers have become
the most common fixed fire suppression system for providing fire safety in
buildings. Sprinklers control fire development by wetting and cooling the fuel
surface.

They are effective for fires involving solid materials (referred to as solid fuels) but
are not effective for flammable liquids (called liquid fuels) such as gasoline, diesel
and jet fuels. The old adage “oil and water do not mix” must be kept in mind. Fire
suppression systems for liquid fuels typically use foam or dry chemicals, which
cover the fuel surface, hence limiting thermal feedback to the liquid fuel surface
and fuel vaporization.

2.2 Existing fire extinguishing mechanisms

The new fire suppression systems use technologies such as: inert and halocarbon
gaseous agents, water mist systems and solid gas generator.

Gaseous Systems:
Two types of gaseous agents are available for use in total flooding systems-
halocarbon agents and inert gases. A general requirement for such systems is that
the enclosure must be capable of holding the gas and be able to withstand the high
pressures produced during discharge.

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Halocarbon Agents-
Halocarbon agents are chemicals similar to Halon except that their molecular
structure has been modified to reduce the number or to eliminate completely, the
chlorine and bromine atoms, which are responsible for ozone depletion. These
agents extinguish fires primarily by cooling. Acceptance of a halocarbon agent by
regulatory authorities hinges on the agent’s toxicity. Two toxicological aspects
must be considered. One is the toxicity of the agent itself, and the other is the
toxicity of combustion by-products of the agent produced under fire conditions.
Results from both small-scale and full scale tests have shown that the halocarbon
replacement systems extinguish fires well, though not as effectively as Halons. To
provide the same level of fire protection as Halons, larger amounts of halocarbon
agents are needed. This means larger and heavier cylinders are required, which
may create weight and space problems. The test results also show that halocarbon
agents produce five to ten times more toxic gases than Halon 1301 during fire
suppression. These gases include hydrogen fluoride (HF) and carbonyl difluoride
(COF2), with levels produced in test fires significantly exceeding all human
exposure limits. The levels of HF and COF2 likely to be produced in actual
applications will depend on many factors such as agent type and concentration, fire
type and size, and discharge and extinguishment times.

Inert Gas Agents-

Inert gas agents are applied as total flooding agents. They extinguish fire by
displacing the oxygen in the enclosed space and eventually reducing its
concentration below the level required for combustion. Inert gases, such as
nitrogen, argon and helium, are clean and naturally occurring, have zero ozone
depletion potential and no global warming potential. They are not subject to
thermal decomposition when used in extinguishing fires, and hence form no
combustion by-products. One of the disadvantages of using inert gas systems is
that a large volume of agent is required to extinguish a fire. As well, inert gases
cannot be liquefied and must be stored in cylinders as high pressure gases, which
has implications for space and weight. Inert gases also require a discharge system
sufficiently robust to withstand the high pressures involved. The rapid
displacement of oxygen, high noise levels and rapid cooling are also a concern if
the agent is to be discharged into an occupied space. [4]

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Water Mist:
The term "water mist" refers to fine water sprays in which 99% of the volume of
the spray is in droplets smaller than 1000 microns in diameter. Fire suppression by
water mist is mainly by physical mechanisms. No significant chemical effects are
involved. Water mist does not behave like a “true” gaseous agent. The
compartment tests showed that its effectiveness in fire suppression is substantially
affected by the fire size, the degree of obstruction, ceiling height, and the
ventilation conditions. Water mist characteristics, such as variety of drop sizes and
spray momentum, have a direct influence on effectiveness. To effectively suppress
a fire, a water mist system must generate and deliver optimum-sized droplets with
an adequate concentration. The selection of the optimum size of droplets for the
design of the system is dependent on the potential size of the fire, properties of the
combustibles, and the degree of obstruction and ventilation in the compartment.
There is no one drop size distribution to fit all fire scenarios.
There are several water mist systems available commercially. Some employ high
or intermediate pressures of water through small orifices in a nozzle to produce the
mist, while others use twin fluid nozzles (water and air). Water mist systems have
demonstrated a number of advantages, such as good fire suppression capability, no
environmental impact and no toxicity. As a result, they have been considered for
numerous applications. One potential application is shipboard machinery spaces.
Water mist systems are able to extinguish a wide variety of fires when natural
ventilation, such as open doors and hatches are allowed, whereas gaseous agents
were not effective under such conditions. Water mist systems also rapidly reduced
the compartment temperature and significantly improved visibility. These
advantages allow accessibility to the compartment during fire suppression. [5]

Gas Generators:
Based on automotive airbag technology, gas generators have been developed for
fire suppression applications. Gas generators can produce a large quantity of gases
(mainly N2, CO2 and water vapor) by combustion of solid propellants. Solid
propellants consist of oxidizers and fuel ingredients, and are able to burn without
ambient air. Gas generators can be very compact and can provide very fast
discharge (in a few milliseconds). Currently, there are two types of gas generators
available: conventional and hybrid. Conventional gas generators contain a
propellant and an electrical initiator. When a signal is received from a
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detector/controller, the electrical initiator ignites a charge to start a combustion

process in the propellant. Rapid combustion of the solid propellant generates large
amounts of N2, CO2 and water vapor, which rapidly increases the internal
pressure. A hermetic seal is ruptured and the gas products are discharged within
milliseconds into the protected space. Suppression is by oxygen displacement and
gas discharge dynamics (blowing effect).A hybrid gas generator consists of an
electrical initiator, a solid propellant chamber and a suppression agent chamber.
The heat and pressure generated by the combustion of the propellant are used to
heat and expel the liquefied suppressant. Gas generators are limited for use in
unoccupied spaces only, because of their high temperature and high momentum
discharge.[6]

2.3 Advantages of our automated system over existing technologies.

The automated system that we designed has multiple advantages over other
technologies:

i) We used solenoid valves which allow water to flow on one dedicated

pipe; this enables us to localize one affected region at a time rather than
spreading water over the entire area.
ii) The flame sensors we used are effective and responsive to fire over a
relatively large distance.
iii) The time delay is negligible between the emergence of fire and detection
procedure. As soon as the fire is detected, the buzzer turns ON and makes
a loud noise alerting the people around the affected area to evacuate as
the sprinklers project water.
iv) No external power supply is required since batteries are used to supply
power to the solenoid valves. Two 12V batteries in series, which is 24V
is enough to run a single system.
v) The Arduino Uno used in our project only requires a power supply of 5V
which is readily accessible. The 24V power supplied from the battery can
be converted to 5V through a step down voltage regulator.
vi) A protection circuit is designed using capacitor and diode in such a way
that will reduce the flow of back EMF which can be an issue when the
system is switched ON and OFF.

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2.4 Conclusion

Chapter 2 portrays the basics of fire suppression mechanisms along with the
existing systems of fire suppression mechanisms such as gaseous systems, water
mist systems and compressed-air foam mechanisms.

Most importantly this chapter tells us the advantages of our systems over the
existing mechanisms. These advantages include localizing the fire, highly
responsive flame sensors, fast response between fire detection and extinguishing
process, independence of the system from grid power, an intelligent and efficient
controlling unit and the system’s own protection unit.

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 Chapter 3
Fundamental Concept of an Embedded
System and Components Used In Our
Embedded System

3.1 Introduction to an embedded system

The electronic system which integrates the hardware circuitry with the software
programming techniques for providing project solutions is called as embedded
systems. By using this embedded system technology the complexity of the circuits
can be reduced to a great extent which further reduces the cost and size. Embedded
system was primarily developed by Charles Stark for reducing the size and weight
of the project circuitry.

An embedded system is basically an electronic system that can be programmed or

non-programmed to operate, organize, and perform single or multiple tasks based
on the application. In the real time embedded systems, all the assembled units work
together based on the program or set of rules or code embedded into the
microcontroller. But, by using this microcontroller programming techniques only a
limited range of problems can be solved.

Figure 3.1: Flow diagram of an embedded system.[8]

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Modern embedded systems are often based on microcontrollers (i.e. CPU's with
integrated memory or peripheral interfaces), but ordinary microprocessors (using
external chips for memory and peripheral interface circuits) are also common,
especially in more-complex systems. In either case, the processor(s) used may be
types ranging from general purpose to those specialized in certain class of
computations or even custom designed for the application at hand. A common
standard class of dedicated processors is the digital signal processor (DSP).

One of the very first recognizably modern embedded systems was the Apollo
Guidance Computer developed by Charles Stark Draper at the MIT
Instrumentation Laboratory. [8]

3.2 Benefits of an embedded system

Many electrical and computer engineering projects involve some kind of
embedded systems which makes it important to study these kind of systems. An
embedded system is an electronic system that contains at least one controlling
device, for instance, the brain. This brain is called the microcontroller that controls
the peripherals as input and output devices. In fact, every embedded system
consists of two parts. The first part is called the hardware and the other one is the
software. The software part always needs a program that can be used to manipulate
the hardware. There are several examples of devices containing embedded systems
such as: automobiles, traffic lights, cameras, mp3 audio players, wireless network
routers, and many other electronic devices.
Moreover, a lot of upgrades have been made on embedded systems in the last ten
years that led to decrease the weight and cost of embedded systems. Embedded
systems could benefit people in many fields such as, raises people’s standard of
living; being used in different fields of aerospace engineering and industry; being
widely used in military applications and mobile robots; however, Embedded
Systems have some minor disadvantages. Embedded systems are used in a variety
of applications. Here are some important applications: electronic products,
household appliances, Medical equipment, automobiles, industrial applications,
aerospace, and communications.

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Embedded systems helped in developing automotive safety systems, for instance,

electronic fuel injection systems, Global Positioning System (GPS), and anti-lock
braking systems (ABS).

Figure 3.2b: An example of an embedded system-Intel 4004. [7]

Alternatively, embedded systems are being used in mobile robots and some
military applications. In fact, there has been an enormous increase of interest in
mobile robots as they are perfect tools for engineering education. In the past,
mobile robots were controlled by large, expensive, and heavy computer systems
that could not be carried and had to be linked via cables.
Furthermore, it is hard to maintain embedded systems because the software part of
embedded systems is typically monolithic and these systems are hard to upgrade
and customize. Also, it is hard to carry files from one machine to another because
there are different programming languages that can used to manipulate the
hardware of the embedded system, so carrying files from one machine to another is
hard and may not work with the other hardware. In conclusion, it can be seen that
there are many beneficial uses of embedded systems in our daily life which are
raising people’s standard of living in many fields, being used effectively in
different fields of industry and aerospace applications, being used in mobile robots
and in some military applications. [7]

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3.3 Arduino Uno

Arduino is an open source computer hardware and software company, project, and
user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers
and microcontroller kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can
sense and control objects in the physical world.
Arduino board designs use a variety of microprocessors and controllers. The
boards are equipped with sets of digital and analog input/output (I/O) pins that may
be interfaced to various expansion boards (shields) and other circuits. The boards
feature serial communications interfaces, including Universal Serial Bus (USB) on
some models, which are also used for loading programs from personal computers.
The microcontrollers are typically programmed using a dialect of features from the
programming languages C and C++. A program written with the IDE for Arduino
is called a sketch. Sketches are saved on the development computer as text files
with the file extension .ino. Arduino Software (IDE) pre-1.0 saved sketches with
the extension .pde.

Figure 3.3a: A typical example of a code in the Arduino software. [9]

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The version that we will be using in our research is Arduino Uno R3. The Arduino
Uno R3 is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328 (datasheet). It has 14
digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog
inputs, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP
header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the
microcontroller. We need to simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or
power it with an AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started.
A summary of the configuration of the device:
Microcontroller ATmega328

Operating Voltage 5V

Input Voltage
7-12V
(recommended)

Input Voltage (limits) 6-20V

Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)

Analog Input Pins 6

DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA

DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50 mA

32 KB (ATmega328) of which 0.5 KB used by

Flash Memory
bootloader

SRAM 2 KB (ATmega328)

EEPROM 1 KB (ATmega328)

Clock Speed 16 MHz

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The Arduino Uno can be powered via the USB connection or with an external
power supply. The power source is selected automatically.

Figure 3.3b: A typical Arduino Uno R3. [9]

The board can operate on an external supply of 6 to 20 volts. If supplied with less
than 7V, however, the 5V pin may supply less than five volts and the board may be
unstable. If using more than 12V, the voltage regulator may overheat and damage
the board. The recommended range is 7 to 12 volts.
The power pins are as follows:

• Vin: The input voltage to the Arduino board when it's using an external
power source (as opposed to 5 volts from the USB connection or other
regulated power source).
• 5V: The regulated power supply used to power the microcontroller and other
components on the board.
• 3.3V: A 3.3 volt supply generated by the on-board regulator. Maximum
current draw is 50 mA.
• GND: Ground pins.

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Each of the 14 digital pins on the Uno can be used as an input or output,
using pinMode(), digitalWrite(), and digitalRead()functions. They operate at 5
volts. Each pin can provide or receive a maximum of 40 mA and has an internal
pull-up resistor (disconnected by default) of 20-50 kiloohms. In addition, some
pins have specialized functions:

• Serial 0 (RX) and 1 (TX): These are used to receive (RX) and transmit
(TX) TTL serial data. These pins are connected to the corresponding pins of
the ATmega8U2 USB-to-TTL Serial chip.
• External Interrupts 2 and 3: These pins can be configured to trigger an
interrupt on a low value, a rising or falling edge, or a change in value.
• PWM 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11: Provide 8-bit PWM output with
the analogWrite() function.
• SPI: 10 (SS), 11 (MOSI), 12 (MISO), 13 (SCK): These pins support SPI
communication using the SPI library.
• LED 13: There is a built-in LED connected to digital pin 13. When the pin
is HIGH value, the LED is on, when the pin is LOW, it's off.

The Uno has 6 analog inputs, labeled A0 through A5, each of which provide 10
bits of resolution (i.e. 1024 different values).
There are a couple of other pins on the board:

• AREF: Reference voltage for the analog inputs. Used

with analogReference().
• Reset: Bring this line LOW to reset the microcontroller. Typically used to
add a reset button to shields which block the one on the board.

The Arduino Uno can be programmed with the Arduino software. The
maximum length and width of the Uno PCB are 2.7 and 2.1 inches respectively,
with the USB connector and power jack extending beyond the former
dimension. [9]

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3.4 Four input NAND gate

The NAND gate has an output that is normally at logic level “1” and only goes
“LOW” to logic level “0” when all of its inputs are at logic level “1”. The Logic
NAND Gate is the reverse or complementary form of the AND gate. The truth
table of a typical NAND gate is shown below:

Input A Input B Input C Input D Output Y

0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 1
0 0 1 0 1
0 0 1 1 1
0 1 0 0 1
0 1 0 1 1
0 1 1 0 1
0 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 0 1
1 0 0 1 1
1 0 1 0 1
1 0 1 1 1
1 1 0 0 1
1 1 0 1 1
1 1 1 0 1
1 1 1 1 0

Table 3: The truth table of a typical NAND gate. [12]

The 4 inputs of the NAND gate are connected to the flame sensors directly through
prolonged wires. When either of the sensors detects a fire, it sends out a signal to
the microcontroller which carries out the necessary functions in order to extinguish

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the fire. As we can see from the truth table, if either one of the inputs connected to
the sensors gives a logic “0” the NAND gate gives an output of logic “1”.

This means that when the fire ignites at any corner of the enclosed area, then either
one of the sensors can detect the fire at once and start up the extinguishing
procedure.

The 4 input NAND gate we used in our project has a model number of
HD74HC20.The HD74HC20 is identical in pin-out to the LS20. The device inputs
are compatible with standard CMOS outputs; with pull-up resistors, they are
compatible with LSTTL outputs.

Figure 3.4a: The logic diagram along with an expanded version of a typical 4
input NAND gate. [12]

Like any other logic gates, a HD74HC20 4 input NAND gate also acquires certain
features. The features of a 4 input NAND gate are as follows:

• High Speed Operation: tpd = 9 ns typ (CL = 50 pF)

• High Output Current: Fanout of 10 LSTTL Loads

• Wide Operating Voltage: VCC = 2 to 6 V

• Low Input Current: 1 µA max

• Low Quiescent Supply Current: ICC (static) = 1 µA max (Ta = 25°C)

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Figure 3.4b The PIN assignment of a HD74HC20 4 input NAND gate. [12]

Table 4: The maximum rating of a HD74HC20 4 input NAND gate. [12]

HD74HC20 4 input NAND gate device contains a protection circuit that is used to
guard against damage that can be caused due to high static voltages and electric
fields. When using this device, precautions must be taken so that the voltage
applied should not exceed the maximum rating. For roper operation, Vin and Vout
should always be maintained in such a way so that GND is less than or equal to

(Vin or Vout) which in turn should be less than or equal to the Vcc. Inputs that are
unused should always be connected to the Vcc or GND logic voltage level.[12]

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Table 5: The recommended operating conditions for a HD74HC20 4 input NAND

gate. [12]

3.5 Flame sensor

The flame sensor module that we used is sensitive to the flame and radiation. It can
also detect ordinary light source at the range of a wavelength from 760nm to 1100
nm. The detection distance is up to 100 cm (1 m). This Flame sensor has a digital
signal as an output. The output is 0 (0V) when radiation in its range is detected,
else the output is 1 (3.3 or 5V, depends on its Vcc). [10]

Figure 3.5a: The flame sensor module used in our project.

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The descriptions of the pins are as follows:

• Vcc: (3.3-5V).
• GND- Ground.
• DO - board digital output interface (0 and 1).

Some of the common characteristics of this flame sensor module include [11]:

• It can detect a flame or a light source of a wavelength in the range of

760nm-1100 nm.
• It can detect flame at a distance ranging from 20cm (4.8V) ~ 100cm (1V).
• It can detect flame at an angle about 60 degrees and is sensitive to the flame
spectrum.
• It is based on YG1006 sensor, a NPN phototransistor.
• Comparator chip LM393 allows the module readings to become more stable
and easy to capture.
• The range of wavelength detection can be adjusted in accordance to our
needs.
• The module operates at voltage ranging from 3.3V-5V.
• Digital Output : DO- digital switch outputs (0 and 1)
• The module contains a power indicator and digital switch output
indicator.[10]

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3.6 Relay

A relay is an electrically operated switch. Current flowing through the coil of the
relay creates a magnetic field which attracts a lever and changes the switch
contacts. The coil current can be on or off so relays have two switch positions and
most have double throw (changeover) switch contacts as shown in the diagram:

Figure 3.6a: Output terminals of a relay. [13]

Relays allow one circuit to switch a second circuit which can be completely
separate from the first. For example a low voltage battery circuit can use a relay to
switch a 230V AC mains circuit. There is no electrical connection inside the relay
between the two circuits; the link is magnetic and mechanical. The coil of a relay
passes a relatively large current, typically 30mA for a 12V relay, but it can be as
much as 100mA for relays designed to operate from lower voltages. Most ICs
cannot provide this current and a transistor is usually used to amplify the small IC
current to the larger value required for the relay coil. The maximum output current
for the popular 555 timer IC is 200mA, enough to supply a relay coil directly. Most
relays are designed for PCB mounting but you can solder wires directly to the pins
providing you take care to avoid melting the plastic case of the relay. The relay's
switch connections are usually labeled COM, NC and NO:

COM = Common, always connect to this, it is the moving part of the switch.

NC = Normally Closed, COM is connected to this when the relay coil is off.

NO = Normally Open, COM is connected to this when the relay coil is on.

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We need to connect to COM and NO if we want the switched circuit to be on when

the relay coil is on. Also, we need to connect to COM and NC if we want the
switched circuit to be on when the relay coil is off.

We need to consider several features when choosing a relay:

1. Physical size and pin arrangement: If we are choosing a relay for an existing
PCB we will need to ensure that its dimensions and pin arrangement are suitable.
We should find this information in the supplier's catalogue or on their website.

2. Coil voltage: The relay's coil voltage rating and resistance must suit the circuit
powering the relay coil. Many relays have a coil rated for a 12V supply but 5V and
24V relays are also readily available. Some relays operate perfectly well with a
supply voltage which is a little lower than their rated value.

3. Coil resistance: The circuit must be able to supply the current required by the
relay coil.

4. Switch ratings (voltage and current): The relay's switch contacts must be suitable
for the circuit they are to control. We will need to check the voltage and current
ratings. Note that the voltage rating is usually higher for AC, for example: "5A at
24V DC or 125V AC".

5. Switch contact arrangement (SPDT, DPDT etc): Most relays are SPDT or DPDT
which are often described as "single pole changeover" (SPCO) or "double pole
changeover" (DPCO).

The relay we used was of SONGLE Company and acquires these special features:

• Has a switching capacity available by 10A in spite of small size design for
high density P.C. board mounting technique.
• UL, CUL, TUV recognized.
• Has a selection of plastic material for high temperature and better chemical
solution performance.

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• Have several sealed types available.

• Contains a simple relay magnetic circuit to meet low cost of mass
production.[13]

Figure 3.6b: The SONGLE relay we used in the project.

Table 6: The coil data chart of SONGLE relay at 20 degree Celsius. [13]

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3.7 Solenoid Valve

A solenoid valve is an electromechanically operated valve. The valve is controlled

by an electric current through a solenoid: in the case of a two-port valve the flow is
switched on or off; in the case of a three-port valve, the outflow is switched
between the two outlet ports. Its main function is to allow the fluid to pass through
only when certain threshold voltage is applied to it.

Figure 3.7a: The parts of a typical solenoid valve. [12]

Here are the various parts of the solenoid valve and their working according to the
figure above:

1) Valve body: This is the body of the valve to which the solenoid valve is
connected. The valve is usually connected in the process flow pipeline to control
the flow of certain fluid like liquid or air. Ordinarily the flow from the valve is
controlled by the handle, but in case of the automatic valve the solenoid valve is
connected to the valve.

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2) Inlet port of the valve: This is the port through which the fluid enters inside the
automatic valve and from here it can enter into the final process.

3) Outlet port: The fluid that is allowed to pass through the automatic valve leaves
the valve through the outlet port. The solenoid valve controls the flow of the fluid
from inlet port to the outlet port. The outlet port is eventually connected to the
process where the fluid is required.

4) Coil/ Solenoid: This is body of the solenoid coil. The body of the solenoid coil
is cylindrical in shape, and it is hollow from inside. The body is covered with steel
covering and it has metallic finish. Inside the solenoid valve there is solenoid coil.

5) Coil windings: The solenoid consists of several turns of the enameled wire
wound around the ferromagnetic material like steel or iron. The coil forms the
shape of the hollow cylinder. Externally this coil is covered with the steel covering
and inside the hollow part there is a plunger or the piston, whose motion inside the
hollow space is controlled by the spring.

6) Lead wires: These are external connections of the solenoid valve that are
connected to the electrical supply. The current is supplied to the solenoid valve
from these wires. When the solenoid valve is energized, the current flows through
these wires to the solenoid valve and when the solenoid valve is de-energized the
flow of current stops.

7) Plunger or piston: This is the solid round metallic part cylindrical in shape and
placed in the hollow portion the solenoid valve. When the electrical current is
passed through the solenoid valve, the magnetic field is generated inside the
hollow space. Due to this the plunger tends to move vertically in the hollow space.
When the electrical current is stopped to the solenoid valve, the magnetic field is
stopped and the plunger is remains the existing place due to the force of the spring.

8) Spring: The plunger moves inside the hollow space due to the action of the
magnetic field against the action of the spring. The magnetic field generated inside
the solenoid valve tends to move the plunger, but the spring tends to stop the
motion of the plunger in which ever the position it is. This action of the spring
against the magnetic field helps keeping the plunger in the position where the flow

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of current to the solenoid valve is stopped. The spring performs very crucial action
inside the hollow space. For one, the plunger is in the vertical position, so the
spring helps keeping it at the desired position instead of allowing the plunger to
fall to the bottom due to gravity when the current to the solenoid valve is stopped.
Secondly, the spring also prevents the movement of the plunger due to force of the
fluid flowing through the valve body. If the spring was not there the plunger would
have moved up when the fluid is present and moved down when the fluid is not
there. Thus the spring actually forces the plunger to carry out the control of the
fluid. It allows the movement of the plunger only to the extent when the electric
current is flowing through the solenoid valve.

9) Orifice: The orifice is an important part of the valve though which the fluid is
flowing. It is the connection between the inlet and the outlet port. The flow of fluid
from the inlet port to the outlet port takes place from this port. In the ordinary
valves, this port is covered with the valve disc at the bottom of the stem of the
valve to which the handle is connected. Thus in ordinary valves, the opening of the
orifice are controlled by the handle, but in case of the solenoid valves, the opening
of the orifice is controlled by the plunger. The movement of the plunger is in turn
controlled by the spring and the current flowing through the solenoid valve. If the
current passing through the solenoid valve is constant, the position of the plunger
and hence opening of the orifice remains constant. If the sensor senses that more
flow of the fluid is required, it allows the increase in current passing through the
solenoid valve, which creates more magnetic field and more upwards motion of the
plunger. This leads to further opening of the orifice and more flow of the fluid
from the inlet port to the outlet. If the required flow of fluid is less, the sensor
allows passage of the lesser current to the solenoid valve. When the sensor senses
that the fluid is no more required in the process, it stops the flow of the current to
the solenoid valve completely. Due to this the solenoid valve gets de-energized and
the plunger reaches the bottom most position and closes the orifice completely thus
stopping the flow of fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port.

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Figure 3.7b: The solenoid valve we used for our project.

A brief working procedure of a solenoid valve is given below:

Initially the sensor senses the process towards the outlet side of the solenoid valve.
When it senses that certain quantity of the flow of the fluid is required, it allows
the current to pass through the solenoid valve. Due to this the valve gets energized
and the magnetic field is generated which triggers the movement of the plunger
against the action of the spring. Due to this the plunger moves in upwards
direction, which allows the opening of the orifice. At this instant the flow of the
fluid is allowed from the inlet port to the outlet port.

If the current passing through the solenoid valve is constant, the position of the
plunger and hence opening of the orifice remains constant. If the sensor senses that
more flow of the fluid is required, it allows the increase in current passing through
the solenoid valve, which creates more magnetic field and more upwards motion of
the plunger. This leads to further opening of the orifice and more flow of the fluid
from the inlet port to the outlet. If the required flow of fluid is less, the sensor
allows passage of the lesser current to the solenoid valve.

When the sensor senses that the fluid is no more required in the process, it stops
the flow of the current to the solenoid valve completely. Due to this the solenoid
valve gets de-energized and the plunger reaches the bottom most position and

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closes the orifice completely thus stopping the flow of fluid from the inlet port to
the outlet port.

In this way the solenoid coil operates the valve as if it is being operated by the
human being. When the flow of certain quantity of fluid is required it opens the
valve to required extent and when the flow is not required it shuts the valve
entirely. [12]

3.8 Miscellaneous devices

Apart from the main components that are used in our project, we also used some
sub components which is described in this chapter. Here is a list of the
miscellaneous devices we used in our project:

• A capacitor and a diode are used for our protection circuit against back
EMF.
• A buzzer is used in order to produce the alerting noise which will set off
when fire ignites in the enclosed area.
• A LED light is used along with a resistor which only lights up when fire sets
out in the enclosed area.
• A pair of 12V batteries is used to give the power supply to both the
Solenoid valve and the Arduino.
• A voltage regulator is used to convert the 24V supply from the battery to 5V
which is necessary for the Arduino.
• Multiple wires are prolonged and used for various purposes in our project
such as connecting the flame sensors to the Arduino, connecting the
Arduino to the relay and also connecting the relay to the protection circuit.
• Water pipes are used to supply water to the solenoid valves from the main
water supply.
• Sprinkler heads were used to spread water over the affected area. The glass
bulb containing the heat responsive liquid was removed from the pendent so
that water can flow any time fire is detected.

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Figure 3.8a: Sprinkler head with glass bulb containing heat responsive liquid.

Figure 3.8b: Sprinkler head after removing glass bulb.

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3.9 Conclusion

Basic concept of an embedded system, its benefits and its importance in our project
has been justified at the start of this chapter. The controlling unit used in our
system, an Arduino, has been described part by part along with its control
algorithm (code). Supporting devices such as the flame sensors, relay, solenoid
valve and HD74HC20 IC’s basic functionality and their contribution in our project
have been explained.
Miscellaneous devices such as the buzzer and LED which make up the alarm
system, the capacitor and the diode which make up the protection circuit and the
batteries for our power management has been talked about.
In the end it is shown with the aid of before and after pictures how the glass bulb
containing the heat responsive liquid has been removed from the sprinkler heads
before installing in the pipe lines.

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 Chapter 4
An Automated Fire Suppression Mechanism
Controlled Using an Arduino

4.1 Overview of the whole system

4.1.1 Introduction

This chapter shall concentrate on our project; an automated fire suppression

mechanism controlled using an Arduino. After understanding the basic concepts of
fire suppression system from chapter 2 and embedded system from chapter 3 we
are going to explain how we used all the components to implement our system.

Our design has six major parts, the electrical connection, sprinkler system, design
of the demonstration room, calculations regarding location of flame sensors, the
control algorithm and finally the power management. In electrical connections we
will explain the circuitry of our automated system along with the protection circuit
that protects it. We will show how we used our sprinkler system as effectively and
efficiently as possible with the help of using data from existing sprinkler systems.
Sensing the fire is the first and most important task, in order to do that we had to
carefully place the flame sensors in correct location. The calculations regarding
placement of sensors, design of demonstration room and explanations will be
provided for better understanding. The automated system’s decision making
process that is the control algorithm will be explained step by step.

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4.1.2 Setup of our experiment

Figure 4.1.2: Setup of our experiment.

Here we can see the demonstration room fitted with four over head sprinklers that
comes through one solenoid valve. The water supply pipe line that comes from the
reservoir is controlled by this solenoid valve. Flame sensors are placed just above
the sprinklers. There is no chance of electrocution as the flame sensors are heavily
insulated with silicone. The wire from the flame sensors run through the insulated
tubing place on the back of the wall to the comparator circuit. The Arduino,
comparator circuit, alarm, relay, protection circuit and the batteries are place at a
distance from the demonstration room as shown in Figure 4.1.2.

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4.2Electrical connections

4.2.1 Circuit diagram of the automated electronic system

Figure 4.2.1: Circuit diagram of the automated system.

4.2.2 Step by step description of the electrical connection

The controlling unit of the system is the Arduino. Arduino has Digital and Analog
pins, we decided to use the digital pins since both the flame sensors and the relay
operates using digital signal. Pin 2 to pin 7 of Arduino are digital input pins and
pin 8 to pin 13 are digital output pins. For receiving signals from flame sensors we
used pin 7 and for output we used pin 13 to turn relay ON or OFF.

As shown in figure 4.2.1, the four flame sensors will be constantly checking for
traces of flame. If it detects no flame its output signal is 1 and if it detects flame its
output signal is 0. The output signals of the sensors are feed to the 4 input NAND

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gate (HD74HC20). We selected input pin 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the NAND gate. One
may question why a NAND gate was used. To answer that question we need to
look at the function and truth table of a 4 input NAND gate. Let us assume that the
inputs are A, B, C, D and the output is Y.

Therefore the function will be:

Figure 4.2.2a: Function of 4 input NAND Gate.

And the truth table:

A B C D Y
0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 1
0 0 1 0 1
0 0 1 1 1
0 1 0 0 1
0 1 0 1 1
0 1 1 0 1
0 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 0 1
1 0 0 1 1
1 0 1 0 1
1 0 1 1 1
1 1 0 0 1
1 1 0 1 1
1 1 1 0 1
1 1 1 1 0

Table 7: Truth table of 4 input NAND Gate (HD74HC20).

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From Table 7 we can see if any of the independent variables A, B, C and D are 0
the output is 1. The only time the output is 0 is when A, B, C and D all are 1. In
other words we can say if one, two, three or four of the flame sensors detect flame
the output of the NAND gate will be high. If none of them detect flame only then
the output is low.

Rather than soldering the HD74HC20 IC directly into the board socket headers
were used, this was done so that the IC can be replaced if it is damaged in an event.
Multiple male-male headers were soldered to the GND and Vcc pin of the IC; we
took Vcc and GND connections of Flame sensors from these headers and only Vcc
for the relay. Output pin 6 of NAND gate is connected to digital input pin 7 of the
Arduino. Digital output pin 13 of Arduino is connected to relay through a buzzer
and a LED. When the relay will switch the solenoid ON the buzzer will go off and
the LED will glow showing fire is detected. If output of NAND gate is low (0),
input pin of relay is made low (0) and if output of NAND gate is high (1), input pin
of relay is made high (1).

We must understand how a relay module works before we further discuss the
connections. A relay turns ON when it receives 0 and turns OFF when it receives
1. Its output pins are NO, COM and NC. We will be operating our relay in the
manner shown in figure 4.2.2b below:

Figure 4.2.2b: Functionality of a relay in our project.

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If the input signal to the relay is low, batteries stays disconnected from load, but if
the signal is high then batteries are connected to the load. On pin 13 a buzzer is
connected through a 1 kilo-ohm resistor and a BC547 transistor. This buzzer will
stay ON as long as the load is connected to the batteries. The COM terminal of the
relay is connected to the negative terminal of the batteries and the NC terminal is
connected to the protection circuit. The other terminal of the protection circuit is
connected to the positive terminal of the batteries. Here the load consists of a
solenoid valve and an emergency light connected in parallel. The load is then again
in parallel connected to the protection circuit.

Our Arduino is programmed in such a way so that once the batteries are connected
they remain connected for 30 seconds. This 30 seconds delay has a very important
purpose. As we know fire flickers as it burns due to wind and random distribution
of fuel. Due to this reason the output signal of the Flame sensors change
constantly. If the delay was not introduced the load would also constantly connect
and disconnect. After several trials we found 30 seconds was enough time to
suppress the fire for our system. This time delay can be increased or decreased
depending upon the nature of fire.

4.2.3 Protection circuit against back electro motive force

4.2.3.1 Introduction to back electro motive force

Any electronic project may require driving an electromagnetic locking device. It

can be a powerful electromagnet or a solenoid. All these devices are driven by
same basic laws of physics. The electromagnet will store energy when powered
and will produce a back electro motive force or counter electro motive force
(CEMF) when the power supply is turned OFF. The disconnected electromagnet
acts like a source of current, building a necessary voltage to keep the original
current flowing.

When the power supply is connected, current flows through the windings of the
electromagnet. The resting current is determined by the DC resistance of the coil
winding and wires. This current gives rise to a magnetizing field which aligns the
magnetic domains in the metal of the electromagnet. The field is re-enforced due to

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this alignment which makes magnetic force greater and also stores a lot of energy
in the process.

Figure 4.2.3.1a: When electromagnet is connected to power supply.

When power supply is turned OFF, the magnetic field will collapse. Doing so will
generate an EMF or CEMF in the electromagnet’s coil as shown in figure

The generated EMF will produce a very large voltage that can:

• Damage the switch

• Produce interference
• Damage the rest of the circuitry
• Cause loss of data

Figure 4.2.3.1b: When power supply is disconnected from electromagnet.

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Back EMF cannot be stopped completely, but it can be controlled. When

suppressing the back EMF the goal is to restrict very high voltages and dissipate
the stored energy in a controlled manner.

4.2.3.2 Our protection circuit

When power supply is connected the diode is reversed biased and does not play
any role in the circuit. When the power supply is turned OFF a back EMF is
produced in the opposite polarity and so the diode comes in series with the
electromagnet. The diode does a good job of suppressing the back EMF which is
suitable for small solenoids.

Figure 4.2.3.2a: Design of our protection circuit, 4.2.3.2b: Picture of our

protection circuit.

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4.3 Power management

The source of power for our entire setup is two 12V, 20AH batteries which in
series is 24V. We figured that the solenoid requires the highest voltage, which is
24 V DC. The alarm system consists of an emergency light of 12V and a speaker
of 12V as well, that sums up to 24V in series. Putting the solenoid and alarm
system in parallel means the node will require 24V in total.

By using a 24V to 5V step down voltage regulator we were able to power the
Arduino. The Arduino in turn powers the Flame sensors, relay, NAND gate and
buzzer with 5V DC.

Figure 4.3a: Two 12V, 20AH batteries.

Figure 4.3b: 24V to 5V DC step down voltage converter.

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4.4 Design and calculation of the demonstration room

The design of the room depended entirely upon the detection range of the Flame
sensor. From the datasheet of the flame sensor and upon carefully experimenting
with them we saw that the average range up to which the flame sensors detect
small fire was 1 meter. Converting meter to inch we find that 1m equal to 39.3701
inches ≈ 40 inches. Therefore we designed a room that is 40 inches by 40 inches by
40 inches.

Figure 4.4: Demonstration room

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4.5 Sprinkler System and calculations regarding the location of the flame
sensors

4.5.1 Existing work of sprinkler heads

The mechanism is dependent upon a frangible glass bulb containing a heat

responsive liquid. During an occurrence of fire the ambient temperature rises, this
causes the liquid in the bulb to expand. When the ambient temperature reaches the
rated temperature of the sprinkler head, the bulb breaks. After the bulb breaks it
also removes the sealing of the sprinkler. Water is then directed towards the
deflector. The deflector is designed to distribute the water in a pattern that is most
effective in controlling the fire.

Standard spray coverage is up to: Light Hazard = 225 square feet and Ordinary
Hazard = 130 square feet per N.F.P.A 13.

Temperature Normal Sprinkler N.F.P.A Maximum Color of Glass

Classification Temperature Ambient (Ceiling) Bulb
Rating Temperature
Ordinary** 155ºF/57ºC 100ºF/38ºC Orange
Ordinary 155ºF/68ºC 100ºF/38ºC Red
Intermediate 175ºF/79ºC 150ºF/65ºC Yellow
Intermediate 200ºF/93ºC 150ºF/65ºC Green
High* 286ºF/141ºC 225ºF/107ºC Blue
Extra High* 360ºF/182ºC 300ºF/149ºC Mauve
Open* Open N/A No Bulb

Table 8: Ratings of sprinkler head. [25]

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Figure 4.5.1: Radius of distribution of water (centimeter) with respect to pressure

(Pound per square inch) and mounting height (meter). [25]

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4.5.2 Step by step description of our sprinkler system and its calculations

Figure 4.5.2a: Top view of sprinkler system with dimensions.

The sprinkler system is place on the ceiling of the room 40 inches above the
ground. Dividing the 40 inches by 40 inches ceiling into four equal parts we get a
20 inches by 20 inches square. We placed the sprinkler head exactly at the center
of this square.

From figure 4.5.1 we can see the graph of pressure against spreading radius and
ceiling height. The pressure of our water supply was about 20 psi, dividing that
into four sprinklers gives 5 psi on each sprinkler. While carrying out the
experiment we saw that the radius of water coverage was about 40 to 45cm ≈ 18
inches. This was more than enough for our experiment and justified the use of four
sprinklers.

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Figure 4.5.2b: Placement of a single sprinkler.

Figure 4.5.2c: Top view of sprinkler system.

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4.5.3 Placement and calculations regarding the location of the flame sensors

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, four flame sensors were used in our
demonstration room. After practically studying the behavior of the one sensor we
found that placing the flame sensor like the sprinkler heads right at the center of
the 20 inches by 20 inches square after dividing the 40 inches by 40 inches ceiling
into four equal parts will cover the detection area. Coincidentally the location of a
sprinkler head and a flame sensor were together.

The datasheet of a flame sensor states that the detection angle is 60°. However
after several experiments with one we found that in reality its detection angle is
about half of that is stated in the datasheet that is 30°.

Here,

H = height of ceiling = 40 inches,

θ= half of that of detection angle = 30° /2

= 15°

R= radius of detection

Therefore to calculate the radius:

tan30° = R/40 inches

=> R= tan30° X 40 inches

=> R= 10.7179 inches

Figure 4.5.3a: Radius of detection.

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Figure 4.5.3b: Fire detection area of four flame sensors.

From the figure 4.5.3b above we can see that the red zones indicate the area of fire
detection. We can also tell that some areas of the demonstration room do not fall in
the detection area. However after carrying out the experiment we found that as fire
flickers in a random pattern when it burns it crosses the detection area and triggers
the sensors. We placed fire exactly in the center of the room and it was
successfully suppressed as shown in the figure 4.5.3c and 4.5.3d below:

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Figure 4.5.3c: Fire detected in the center of the demonstration room. Water is
flowing through the solenoid and out the sprinkler heads.

Figure 4.5.3d: Fire suppressed successfully

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4.6 Control Algorithm

4.6.1 Arduino Code

Figure 4.6.1a: Arduino code of an automated fire suppression mechanism

controlled using an Arduino.
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Figure 4.6.1b: Flowchart of the Arduino code of an automated fire suppression

mechanism controlled using an Arduino.

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4.6.2 Explanation of the code

First the NAND gate is stated as pin 7 and Relay as pin 13. The initial state of the
NAND gate is stated as LOW (0). It is then declared that the Relay is connected as
an output and NAND gate is connected as an input to the Arduino. Please refer to
Figure 4.2.2b before reading further.

A loop is then run which will constantly read the state of pin 7 that is the output of
NAND gate. It checks if the Pin 7 is HIGH (1) or LOW (0).

An “if” condition is run where it states that if the output of NAND gate pin 7 is
HIGH (1) the Relay pin 13 will be made HIGH (1). A delay of 30000 milliseconds
that is 30 seconds is made. This 30 seconds delay is made so that the Relay pin 13
stays HIGH (1) for 30 seconds.

Again an “if” condition is run which state what happens when the output of NAND
gate pin 7 is LOW (0). When the output of NAND gate pin 7 is LOW (0), the input
of Relay pin 13 will be made LOW (0).

In the end the delay of 50 microseconds is made just for the Arduino to process the
whole information. In both “if” conditions a “Serial.pirnt” command is given, if we
connect the Arduino to a computer we will be able to monitor the state of Relay
pin 13.

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4.7 Conclusion

Main electrical connections, conditions, calculations and working principles were

elaborately described in this chapter. The chapter started with the detailed
conception of the electrical connections used in our system through step by step
description. Then it was followed by the function of the HD74HC20 IC, that is
how it compares output signals from all four flame sensors. It was explained how
the protection circuit that we used suppresses back EMF. Power management that
is the two 12V, 20 AH batteries has been shown. The demonstration of the project
including the demonstration room, placement of the sprinklers and flame sensors
along with measurements, calculations and diagrams were also shown with the aid
of diagrams, tables and calculations. Finally the chapter was concluded with the
control algorithm we used to run our system. The code has been sequentially
explained along with a flow chart. All in all, this chapter covers the most important
and fundamental mechanism of our system.

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 Chapter 5
Field Test and Analysis

5.1 Wavelength of fire

5.1.1 Effect of sensor triggering wavelength

Figure 5.1.1a: The spectral range of an electromagnetic spectrum. [26]

Electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range, scope (spectrum) of frequencies of

electromagnetic radiation, their wavelengths and photon energies. The spectrum
extends from frequencies that are low and wavelengths that are in nanometer. It
starts from ultraviolet radiation and end at infrared radiation with visible light in
the middle. Infrared radiation can be further divided into far infrared, mid infrared
and near infrared. Figure 5.1.1a shows the near infrared radiation at the spectral
range which ranges from around 700nm to 1200nm.

The flame sensor module that we used with the Arduino Uno in our project
contains aYG1006 sensor which is a high speed and high sensitive NPN silicon
phototransistor in a standard 5mm package. Its black epoxy makes the device
sensitive to infrared radiation. This sensor can detect infrared radiation at a
wavelength ranging from 760nm to 1100nm.

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Range of triggering

Figure 5.1.1b: The spectral range in the infrared radiation at which the flame
sensor triggers. [26]

As we can see in figure 5.1.1b the YG1006 sensor in the flame sensor module can
detect light at a wavelength range of 760nm to 1100nm. The range of the color of
the light is from light orange to light red. This justifies that the flame sensor
module will only respond to flames of color (light orange –light red). This sensor
has high photo sensitivity and high response time which enables it for instantly
detecting light within its wavelength range within milliseconds.

5.1.2 Effect of non-sensor triggering wavelengths

In topic 5.1.1 we have seen the wavelength range in the electromagnetic spectrum
within which the flame sensor module we used in our project can detect radiation.
In this chapter we will come across the range of wavelength in which the flame
sensor does not trigger.

Figure 5.1.2: The ranges in which the flame sensor does not trigger or cannot
detect any infrared. [26]

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As we can see from figure 5.1.2, the YG1006 sensor present in the flame sensor
module can only detect wavelengths from 760-1100nm, all the other ranges of
wavelengths does not trigger the sensor at all. The ranges of non-triggering
wavelengths are 200 to 760nm and 1100 to 1200nm. Hence we can conclude that
the sensor cannot detect lights of colors purple, different shades of blue, green, and
few shades of yellow and orange. All in all, the flame sensor cannot response to
any of the ultraviolet and visible light spectrum.

5.2 Distance of triggering

In topic 3.5, we have come across the key features of our flame sensor module
which stated that it has a maximum triggering distance of 100cm or 1m. In order to
justify this feature, we conducted an experiment to check the distance upto which
the sensor detects the presence of fire.

Figure 5.2a: The flame sensor is ON; the switched OFF LED shows that fire is yet
to be detected.

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The experiment showed how the flame sensor senses the fire over 100cm. We
divided 100cm into five windows of 20cm. Then we placed the fire at each interval
up to 100cm.

Figure 5.2b: The switched ON LED shows that the flame sensor detects fire at
20cm.

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Figure 5.2c: The switched ON LED shows that the flame sensor detects fire at
40cm.

Figure 5.2d: The switched ON LED shows that the flame sensor detects fire at its
maximum range of 100cm.
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When the fire was placed at a distance more than 100cm, the sensitivity of the
flame sensor got weaker with the increasing distance. However flame was being
detected but the signal constantly flickered, which could be observed from the
continuous switching and ON and OFF of the LED.

5.3 Electrical measures of flame sensor

The flame sensor module that we used in our project consists of certain
components which include mainly the YG1006 NPN phototransistor sensor, the
LM 393 comparator chip. The sensor typically operates at a voltage range of

(3.3V - 5V).

The YG1006 sensor is a high speed and high sensitive NPN silicon phototransistor
which is sensitive to infrared radiation. [10]

The absolute maximum readings at 25°c are as follows:

Table 9: The electro-optical characteristics of YG 1006 sensor (25°C). [10]

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Table 10: The electro-optical characteristics include voltage, time, current and
wavelength. [10]

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Some typical electro optical curves in accordance with the electro optical
characteristics are as follows:

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Figure 5.3a: The typical electro optical curves for YG1006 sensor. [10]

Another key component of the flame sensor module is the LM 393 comparator
chip.

The LM393 series are dual independent precision voltage comparators capable of
single or split supply operation. These devices are designed to permit a common
mode range–to–ground level with single supply operation. Input offset voltage
specifications as low as 2.0 mV make this device an excellent selection for many
applications in consumer auto-motive, and industrial electronics. [24]

• Wide Single–Supply Range: 2.0 Vdc to 36 Vdc

• Split–Supply Range: ±1.0 Vdc to ±18 Vdc

• Very Low Current Drain Independent of Supply Voltage: 0.4 mA

• Low Input Bias Current: 25 nA

• Low Input Offset Current: 5.0 nA

• Low Input Offset Voltage: 2.0 mV (max) LM393A 5.0 mV (max) LM293/393

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• Input Common Mode Range to Ground Level

• Differential Input Voltage Range Equal to Power Supply Voltage

• Output Voltage Compatible with DTL, ECL, TTL, MOS, and CMOS Logic
Levels

• ESD Clamps on the Inputs Increase the Ruggedness of the Device without
Affecting Performance. [24]

Figure 5.3b: The schematic diagram of 1 LM 393 comparator chip. [24]

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Table 11: The maximum rating of a LM 393 comparator chip. [24]

5.4 Conclusion

The effect of sensor triggering and non-triggering wavelengths has been shown
along with their diagrams. The triggering distance was explained by and
experiment through several pictures and brief descriptions. Also the electrical
measures across the YG1006 sensor and the LM393 chip have been looked upon
with the aid of graphs, diagrams and tables.

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 Chapter 6
Conclusion and Future Work

6.1 Summary

Our project named as “An automated fire suppression mechanism controlled using
an Arduino” mainly focuses on the idea of developing a system of extinguishing
fire, which can be effective and efficient while being cheap and reasonable at the
same time. Our system is effective in the sense that it can detect fire at a wide
range of distance and efficient in the sense that it can extinguish fire within a short
period of time. The components that we used for our project are readily found at
the market and are quite reasonable in price. Unlike other projects on automated
fire suppression mechanisms, our project focuses greatly on decreasing the delay
which occurs between the ignition of fire and the extinguishing process. Through
proper coding in the Arduino, we managed to establish a system which causes
minimum delay between the time the flame sensors detect the fire and the flow of
water out the sprinklers.

If we look at our system at a glance, we can summarize the whole project into
these simple steps:

• First the flame sensor detects the fire at its certain wavelength range of
760nm-1100nm.
• The LED lights up and the buzzer goes off simultaneously.
• The flame sensors send the signal to the Arduino Uno through the
comparator circuit.
• The Arduino Uno has been set up with required codes previously which
come in terms.
• The Arduino provides the optimal voltage to the solenoid valves which then
opens up and allows the water stored in the water reservoir beforehand to
flow.
• The Arduino is connected to the solenoid valves through relay which says
ON for a user defined time span.
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• A protection circuit is used to prevent the flow of back EMF through the
solenoid valve.
• The fire will be extinguished in no time!

6.2 Conclusion and future work

The project that we developed was intended for many future applications in our
country. The main target customers are the Factories especially Garments factories,
Banks and Slum areas. These areas will be hugely benefitted if they implement our
system into their premises.

Figure 6.2: System replaced with Thermo-graphic cameras and Raspberry Pi 3.

The major improvement that can be made on this system is the end detector.
Instead of using just flame detectors we can use Thermo-graphic cameras. The
controlling unit can be replaced with a Raspberry Pi 3 which is more than 40 times

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faster than an Arduino. The cameras can detect fire and its intensity. If the fire
detected is large enough only then the solenoid valve will be turned ON. This will
prevent any unwanted infrared from triggering the system such as cigarette amber.
Raspberry Pi will be a better option in case of complex tasks such as image
processing.

The slum areas are also vulnerable to such fire incidents at all times. The recent
fire that occurred at the Korail slum located at Mohakhali, Dhaka ravaged and
destroyed round 500 homes which left hundreds of people homeless. We believe
our system can reduce the number of such incidents to a great extent if
implemented according to the needs of the areas. For example, the slum areas are
usually open areas and the sprinklers that we used have to cover a large distance.
In order to achieve that, the water pressure through the water pipes can be
increased so that the sprinklers can work effectively to cover the whole ignited
area. Also, thin nozzles can be used to increase the pressure of water.

In case of the factories and banks, the flame sensors we used can be replaced by
heat detectors for better sensitivity. The flame sensors we used were for our
protocol purpose hence it can be replaced by better ones if needed. All in all, our
system can be of great value to the government as they can implement this in their
designated places and provide safety and security to the general public of our
country.

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REFERENCE

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[19]HIGH-TEMPERATURE OPTICAL FLAME SENSOR PE Sims, JD Lesko,

JA Cox Astro Power, Inc. E Chalfin Integrated Circuit Designs, Inc. JB Mc
Kitterick Allied Signal, Inc., Microelectronics & Technology Center [Accessed 18
Nov. 2017].

[20] SHAMS, R., FATEMA, N., PRIYOM, S. and HOSSAIN, S.

(2014). AUTOMATED FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM WITH GSM ALARM.
[Online] http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd, Available at:
http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/bitstream/handle/10361/3227/10121051.pdf?sequence=1
[Accessed 20 Nov. 2017].

[21] Raspberry Pi based Smart Fire Management System employing Sensor based
Automatic Water Sprinkler Noorinder, Student Member IEEE Department of
Electronics and Communication Engineering, Punjabi University, Patiala, India
[email protected],Member IEEE Department of Electronics
and Communication Engineering, Punjabi University, Patiala, India
[email protected] Ekambir Sidhu, Member IEEE/IETE Assistant
Professor, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering Punjabi
University, Patiala, India [email protected].[Accessed 20 Nov. 2017].

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[22] Revealing fire survivors hidden behind smoke and flames by IR active
imaging systems V. Bianco1, M. Paturzo1, A. Finizio1, L. Miccio1and P. Ferraro1.
1CNR—National Institute of Optics Via Campi Flegrei 34, I-80078, Pozzuoli
(Naples), Italy [email protected].[Accessed 20 Nov. 2017].

[23] A Flame Sensor for High-Temperature Ambients by HOMER H

GLASSCOCK JR. AND HAROLD .F. WEBSTER, senior member IEEE. IEEE
TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES VOL. en-I 8, NO.5, MAY
1971.[Accessed 20 Nov. 2017].

[24] Pdf1.alldatasheet.com. (2017). ALLDATASHEET.COM - Datasheet search

site for Electronic Components and Semiconductors and other semiconductors..
[Online] Available at:
http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheetpdf/view/3068/MOTOROLA/LM393.html
[Accessed 20 Nov. 2017].

[25] Naffco.com. (n.d.), SPRINKLER HEAD Upright, Pendent & Recessed

Pendent Sprinklers. [Online] Available at:
http://www.naffco.com/downloads/pdf/Upright_Pendent_Recessed_Pendent_Sprin
kler.pdf, [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].

[26]Nikolova, I. (2017). What is Infrared Light?. [online] Dptips-central.com.

Available at: http://www.dptips-central.com/infrared-light.html [Accessed 10 Dec.
2017].

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APPENDIX

APPENDIX

Appendix A: Electrical connection with all

components running for a single sprinkler.

Figure Appendix A: Electrical connection with all components running for a

single sprinkler.

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APPENDIX

Appendix B: Diagram of an automated fire

suppression mechanism controlled using an
Arduino for a single room.

Figure Appendix B: Diagram of an automated fire suppression mechanism

controlled using an Arduino for a single room.

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APPENDIX

Appendix C: Sprinkler system for single room.

Figure Appendix C: Sprinkler system for single room.

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APPENDIX

Appendix D: Comparator circuit with buzzer.

Figure Appendix D: Comparator circuit with buzzer and LED.

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APPENDIX

Appendix E: Single sprinkler and flame sensor

front view.

Figure Appendix E: Single sprinkler and flame sensor front view.

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APPENDIX

Appendix F: Controlling circuit along with the

Flame sensors.

Figure Appendix F: Controlling circuit along with the Flame sensors.

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APPENDIX

Appendix G: Flowchart of the fire extinguishing

process.

Figure Appendix G: Flowchart of the fire extinguishing process.

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