GAS-O-CHROM: Combustion gas detection at an early stage

To detect fires at an early stage and raise alarm can save lives and prevent substantial material damage. Especially at the early stage of a fire, even before the development of smoke, typical combustion gases are emitted. The joint research project GAS-O-CHROM, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), addresses this problem: A consortium of partners from industry and research is developing a warning system for the detection of these combustion gases. To this end, research on special sensors, which change color upon contact with specific combustion gases, is also conducted. The detection of the color change is then employed to initiate the alarm.

Besides real fire experiments for testing the sensors, numerical methods are used in the project. In this context, Fraunhofer EMI is working on the modelling of the combustion gas release and the simulation of its propagation. For example, we investigate the influence of the interior design and ventilation on combustion gas propagation. The aim is to obtain generalized propositions regarding the temporal and spatial progression of the combustion gas concentrations in order to find optimized positions for fire detectors.