Smoke detectors for Indian railways

Introduction

A smoke detector alarm is a Safety / fire protection device that automatically detects, smoke
and gives us warning. In the proposed system, a smoke detector upon senses smoke in the
toilet. smoke activates its alarm, sends a low voltage signal to all other smoke detectors in the
vicinity. This low voltage signal activates the individual relays in the other smoke detectors
causing them to emit a tone that alerts residents that one of the smoke detectors senses
smokes. In this system the transmitter and receiver are installed in a unit and the need for a
base is eliminated. The individual smoke detectors are equipped with all the electronics
required to both send and receive signals. They are battery operated and therefore they
require no external connections. They can be installed by a Indian railways at Every trains
just as they would a normal smoke detector. The proposed design is aiming to have Cost
efficient system, Compact design, easily expandable, Simple to install, Replaceable
components. The system was tested indoor and outdoor with different distance and with the
presence of noise.

Background

Smoke detector has been reviewed as a fundamental component of active smoke / fire
detection strategy of modern commercial and residential building. In the 1970’s, industries
recorded increased use of smoke detectors and this growth was accompanied by several
significant research projects that reinforced the life safety protection provided by smoke. Fire
Dynamic Simulator software can be used to predict the response of smoke detector. Once
there a smoke / fire, the smoke detection system activates the alert thereby triggering the
automatic sprinkler system. Researchers have been studying fire taking place in various
places such as residential area and commercial buildings. A smoke alarm is a device that
senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. It may issue a signal to a fire alarm control
panel as part of fire alarm system, especially in commercial security devices or may issue a
local audible or visual alarm in the household. Smoke can be detected either optically
(photoelectric) or by physical process(ionization). Detectors may use either or both methods.
Smoke detectors have prior detection when compared with heat detectors, hence are preferred
for fire detection. They also find application in detecting, and thus deter smoking in premises
where it is banned.

Problem Statement

Safety / Hygiene is a crucial consideration in design of Indian railway infrastructure to

safeguard against Unhygienic, Pungent toilet and damage to Indian Railway property. Smoke
is a key element in safety / Hygiene considerations. This project therefore seeks to design a
microcontroller-based smoke alarm that will continuously monitor the presence of significant
amount of smoke and activate an alarm to prompt a safety measure to contain the situation.
When it comes to Fire safety, it's best to have a smoke detector in every train, as well as on
every toilet in our Indian railways. with so many smoke detector, we can rest assured
railways passengers is protected from the unthinkable. Smoke detector is one of the easiest
and low costly .Most of industries use it, because it work fatly to protect and most effective
This system can be of great in domestic as well as industrial settings to detect smoke and alert
people on an impending fire since smoke is a precursor for fire, instead of relying on
heat/temperature sensors which sounds alarm when the Smoke / Fire has already started. This
can go a long way in helping to human life. This system can also be used to detect and deter
smokers in areas where smoking is prohibited. The cost of implementing this system is
relatively low since the components used are relatively cheap and are easily available in the
market.

Prototype

1. Design thinking framework

Block Diagram
 Fig 1: Proposed smoke detector prototype for Railway toilets

The Basic Components of the smoke detector alarm: -

1. Arduino uno
2. PCB design
3. MQ2 sensor
4. LED light
5. Buzzer
6. power supply (9v battery)
7. Resistor
8. Male to Female Jumper Wires

Model prototype

1.The Arduino Uno

The Arduino Uno 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 ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button.
It contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer
with a USB cable or power it with AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started. The Uno
differs from all preceding boards in that it does not use the FTDI USB to-serial driver chip.
Instead, it features the Atmega16U2 (Atmega8U2 up to version R2) programmed as a USB-
to-serial converter.
2.PCB

A printed circuit board (PCB) mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic
components or electrical components using conductive tracks, pads and other features etched
from one or more sheet layers of copper laminated onto and/or between sheet years of a non-
conductive substrate. Components are generally soldered onto the PCB to both electrically
connect and mechanically fasten them to it. Printed circuit boards are used in all but the
simplest electronic products. They are also used in some electrical products, such as passive
switch boxes.

3.MQ2 Sensor

The MQ2 sensor module was selected to serve the purpose of sensing smoke. It has the
capability of sensing smoke and other combustible gases. The following are the reasons as to
why it was selected:

 Wide detecting scope

 Fast response & high sensitivity
 Stable and long life
 Simple drive circuit

4. LED Light

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a two-lead semiconductor light source. It is a p–n junction

diode, which emits light when activated. When a suitable voltage is applied to the leads,
electrons can recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of
photons. This effect is called electroluminescence, and the colour of the light (corresponding
to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy band gap of the semiconductor.

5. Buzzer

A buzzer is an audio signalling device which may be used in alarm devices, timers, and other
forms of alerts. They may be mechanical, electromechanical, or piezoelectric.

Electromechanical buzzers use a relay connected to interrupt its own actuating current,
causing the contacts to buzz. Mechanical buzzers are purely mechanical and require drivers.
Piezo electric elements are driven by an oscillating electronic circuit or other audio signal
source, driven with a piezoelectric audio amplifier. For this project, the buzzer used is the
compact, pin terminal type electromagnetic buzzer with 2048 Hz output. Pin type terminal
construction enables direct mounting onto printed circuit boards.

Viability analysis- commercialization plan

WORKING OF SMOKE DECTECTOR ALARM:

The voltage that the sensor outputs change accordingly to the smoke/gas level that exists in
the atmosphere. The sensor outputs a voltage that is proportional to the concentration of
smoke/gas. In other words,

The relationship between voltage and gas concentration is the following:

 The greater the gas concentration, the greater the output voltage.
 The lower the gas concentration, the lower the output voltage

Fig 2: The relationship between voltage and gas concentration

Advantages:

 Detects Products of combustion

 Detects Fire
 Low Cost
 High Portability
 Easy Installation, Easy to Understand
 Low Power Consumption.

Disadvantages:

 Can be prone to false alarms.

 It requires air or Oxygen to work.
 It can be poisoned.
 Steam can false alarms.
Business Model
The installation of smoke detectors varies depending on the Compartments and Coaches.
However, some rules and guidelines for existing IRCTC are relatively consistent throughout
India. For example, many of the special class trains require a special box to have a working
smoke detector on every level. Habitable levels include attics that are tall enough to allow
access. Many other countries have comparable requirements. In new construction, minimum
requirements are typically more stringent. All smoke detectors must be hooked directly to the
electrical wiring, be interconnected, and have a battery backup. In addition, smoke detectors
are required either inside or outside every Toilet, depending on local codes. Smoke detectors
on the outside will detect fires more quickly, assuming the fire does not begin in the trains
compartment, but the sound of the alarm will be reduced and may not wake some people /
train in charge. Some areas also require smoke detectors near doors, main pathways and on
every Bougies. A dozen or more detectors may be connected via wiring or wirelessly such
that if one detects smoke, the alarms will sound on all the detectors in the network, improving
the likelihood of the passengers, women’s or non-smokers and thus they will be alerted even
if smoke is detected far from their location.

Conclusion

When it comes to Smoke / Fire safety, it's best to have a smoke detector in every Local and
national Railway, as well as on every toilet in train. with so many smokes detector, we can
rest assured our passengers and human life is protected from the unthinkable. Smoke detector
is one of the easiest and low costly. Most of industries use it because it works fatly to protect
and most effective. This system can be of great in domestic as well as national railway
settings to detect smoke and alert people on an impending fire since smoke is a precursor for
fire, instead of relying on heat/temperature sensors which sounds alarm when the fire has
already started. This can go a long way in helping to save human life. This system can also be
used to detect and deter smokers in areas where smoking is prohibited. The cost of
implementing this system is relatively low since the components used are relatively cheap
and are easily available in the market. The single microcontroller can be used to interface
several sensors with alarms located in different locations if more pins are freed for multiple
inputs multiple outputs. This system comes with a power supply that can be directly plugged
to the mains (240V AC) source and give the appropriate operating voltage. we can use the
project fire accidents can be controlled to a great extract in a place such as Trains, forests,
home, colleges industries and some other public places. Fire accidents leads to deaths of
excess of people, by using this technique we can save those life's easily .To detects the chain
smokers(which are hazardous to health).

References

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3. Residential Smoke Alarm Performance, Thomas Cleary, Building and Fire Research
Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, UL Smoke and Fire
Dynamics Seminar. November, 2007.
4. “SOMOKE DETECTOR”. April 2010. Archived from Ajeet.R.J.
5. “SMOKE DETECTOR ALARM”. 2020. From Paramana research journal.
6. "SMOKE ALARM SAFETY TIPS". Safety Information. National Fire Protection
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