Bulk Material Combustion Warning Systems

Many bulk materials, such as coal and organic wastes, are stored as large piles in open yards where air and moisture promote decomposition and exothermic reactions that raise the pile’s temperature. Since self-ignition usually starts within the pile’s lower layers, a full-blown fire can develop before it becomes apparent due to smoke and flames. In addition to material loss, these events can cause monetary loss due to equipment and structural damage from fire fighting activities. FLIR’s Bulk Material Combustion Warning Systems use an infrared camera to generate a thermographic image of the area being monitored. This clearly shows hot spots on a remote video or PC monitor in real time and triggers an alarm. This application flyer describes how these systems can be designed and used to save hundreds of thousands of dollars by preventing loss before a fire happens.