Ionization in a photoelectric smoke detector helps detect smoke particles by creating an electric current when smoke enters the detector chamber. This current triggers the alarm, alerting people to the presence of smoke and potential fire.
The main difference between a photoelectric smoke detector and an ionization smoke detector is the way they detect smoke. Photoelectric detectors use a light beam to detect smoke particles, while ionization detectors use radioactive particles to detect smoke. Photoelectric detectors are better at detecting smoldering fires, while ionization detectors are more sensitive to fast-burning fires.
The smoke detectors use the photoelectric effect or a sensor based on the ionization differences between smoke and air.
An ionization smoke detector is a type of smoke alarm that uses a small amount of radioactive material to ionize the air inside the detector. When smoke particles enter the detector, they disrupt the ionization process, triggering the alarm. This type of smoke detector is more sensitive to fast-burning, flaming fires, but less sensitive to slow, smoldering fires. In comparison, photoelectric smoke detectors use a light beam to detect smoke particles, making them better at detecting slow, smoldering fires. Dual-sensor smoke detectors combine both ionization and photoelectric technologies for more comprehensive fire detection.
A photoelectric smoke detector uses a light sensor to detect smoke particles in the air. It is different from other types of smoke detectors, like ionization detectors, because it is more sensitive to smoldering fires and less likely to give false alarms from cooking or steam.
Ionization smoke detectors use a small amount of radioactive material to ionize the air, while photoelectric smoke detectors use a light beam to detect smoke particles. Both technologies are effective in detecting smoke and fire, but photoelectric detectors are generally more effective at detecting smoldering fires, while ionization detectors are better at detecting fast-flaming fires. It is recommended to have both types of detectors in your home for maximum safety.
A photoelectric smoke detector uses a light sensor and a light source to detect smoke particles in the air. When smoke enters the detector, it scatters the light, triggering the alarm.
A dual-sensor smoke detector operates by comparing signals from two detecting elements, typically a photoelectric sensor and an ionization sensor. This combination allows it to detect both smoldering and flaming fires more effectively. The photoelectric sensor is better at detecting slow-burning fires, while the ionization sensor is more responsive to fast-flaming fires. Together, they provide enhanced detection capabilities for a wider range of fire scenarios.
The ionization type smoke detector was invented in 1931 in Switzerland.
An ionization smoke alarm is a type of smoke detector that uses a small amount of radioactive material to ionize the air inside the alarm chamber. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the ionization process, triggering the alarm. This type of smoke alarm is more sensitive to fast-burning, flaming fires, but less sensitive to slow, smoldering fires. In comparison, photoelectric smoke alarms use a light beam to detect smoke particles, making them more effective at detecting smoldering fires. Dual-sensor smoke alarms combine both ionization and photoelectric technologies for comprehensive fire detection.
ionization smoke detector
Cindy Helen Lillie has written: 'Mechanistic study and optimization of a hydrogen atmosphere flame ionization detector' -- subject(s): Ionization, Ionization of gases, Measurement
Most smoke detectors work either by optical detection (photoelectric) or by physical process (ionization), while others use both detection methods to increase sensitivity to smoke. For the alarm part, in many single family detached and smaller multiple family housings, a smoke alarm is often powered only by a single disposable battery. An optical detector is a light sensor. When used as a smoke detector, it includes a light source (incandescent bulb or infrared LED), a lens to collimate the light into a beam, and a photodiode or other photoelectric sensor at an angle to the beam as a light detector. In the absence of smoke, the light passes in front of the detector in a straight line. When smoke enters the optical chamber across the path of the light beam, some light is scattered by the smoke particles, directing it at the sensor and thus triggering the alarm. An ionizing detector type of detector is cheaper than the optical detector; however, it is sometimes rejected because it is more prone to false alarms than photoelectric smoke detectors. It can detect particles of smoke that are too small to be visible. It includes about 37 kBq or 1 µCi of radioactive americium 241, corresponding to about 0.3 µg of the isotope. The radiation passes through an ionization chamber, an air-filled space between two electrodes, and permits a small, constant current between the electrodes. Any smoke that enters the chamber absorbs the alpha particles, which reduces the ionization and interrupts this current, setting off the alarm. From Wikipedia.