Efficacy of Surge Protective Devices in Safeguarding Automatic Fire Alarm System

Abstract

Korea experiences ~ 115,000 lightning strikes annually, posing a significant risk to automatic fire alarm systems. These strikes can increase surge-related issues, increasing the possibility of false operation and component damage to automatic fire alarm systems. Additionally, the components’ life span might be shortened due to long-term stress. Therefore, in this study, a verification test was conducted to verify the effectiveness of SPD (Surge Protective Device) in protecting the receiver of an automatic fire detection facility from overvoltage and lightning-induced surges. The test conditions were selected by comparing and applying domestic and foreign standards. The study analyzed the effect of surge on automatic fire detection equipment systems through a single SPD test and a surge approval test. Our findings demonstrated that when the SPD was installed, the surge was effectively discharged, limiting the open circuit voltage to 10 kV and suppressing any short circuit to 5 kA or less. Conversely, when the SPD was not installed, various phenomena, such as voltage limitation, damage, and arc generation, were observed. This test study holds the potential to be used as primary data for installing SPD in firefighting facilities.