Analysis of Remote Fire Detection Using Microwave/Millimeter Wave

Lack of reliable fire warning and detection systems for urban/wildland interface, large area industrial facilities and transportation systems results each year in a loss of millions of dollars worth of property; it also endangers lives. Typical optical fire detection sensors do not work well under frequently encountered adverse atmospheric conditions and, in addition, are incapable of covering sizable areas. WaveBand proposes to use recently developed hardware to study the feasibility of the detection using a millimeter wave (MMW) scanning radiometer. It provides the advantages of remote fire detection even under adverse weather conditions and through fire-generated smoke, better immunity to false alarms than optical sensors, and large areas of coverage. Despite using a wavelength that is much longer than that of visible light, the MMW sensor can accurately pinpoint the location of a developing fire. The proposed study will result in a comprehensive model of the interaction between MMWs and fire, providing foundation for sensor design and fabrication.