What does a Beam Detector do?

What does a Beam Detector do?

• A. Projects a narrow beam of light across a large open area from a sending unit to a receiving unit. When the beam is interrupted by smoke it activates the alarm
• B. Detects smoke via ionization.
• C. Measures heat along a corridor.
• D. Monitors air quality.

Answer: (A)

Optical beam detection works by monitoring a line-of-sight light beam across a space and triggering when that beam is interrupted by smoke. A transmitter sends a narrow beam of light to a receiver across a defined span. When smoke enters the beam path, the particles scatter or block enough of the light that the receiver’s signal drops below a set threshold, which activates the alarm. This approach is ideal for large, open areas with high ceilings, where placing many point detectors isn’t practical. Beam detectors can be direct (transmitter to receiver) or reflective (beam bounces off a reflector), but in all cases the alarm relies on smoke disrupting the light beam.

Optical beam detection works by monitoring a line-of-sight light beam across a space and triggering when that beam is interrupted by smoke. A transmitter sends a narrow beam of light to a receiver across a defined span. When smoke enters the beam path, the particles scatter or block enough of the light that the receiver’s signal drops below a set threshold, which activates the alarm. This approach is ideal for large, open areas with high ceilings, where placing many point detectors isn’t practical. Beam detectors can be direct (transmitter to receiver) or reflective (beam bounces off a reflector), but in all cases the alarm relies on smoke disrupting the light beam.