• Cyrus Draegur@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        23
        ·
        edit-2
        6 hours ago

        HOLY COW THERE’S DEEP LORE REGARDING FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS?! O.O

        Do you have a favorite fact? Or like, one particular thing about the subject that really surprised you? Do you have a fire alarm system in mind as “the best” or “worst” in terms of performance and detection? :D

      • Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        ·
        6 hours ago

        Actually, I would like that. As soon as I learned about common home fire alarms using radioisotopes to create a gap in an electric circuit that can be closed by ionized smoke particles, I was fascinated. I know there are some fancy ones that use optics instead so the can detect particles of any kind. The heat sensitive ones seem cool for cooking areas so there are fewer false alarms. I imagine by now there are ones thats use FLIR/thermal cameras.

        All that is just detection. Even the communication is really cool. The loud beeping sound is simple but effective. I like the ones that release a spicy mist to wake deaf people. Flashing lights go without saying. Then there’s networked alarms. Do they go straight to the Fire Department or are they like security systems that get filtered by a third party first?

        The auto-response features (if that’s what they’re called) like fire sprinklers are interesting also. I read that they typically release dirty water because it’s been sitting in the pipes for so long. Sure, dirty water is hardly an issue during a fire. It could be raw sewage and still be better than nothing. Still, I wonder why they’re not on a loop integrated with the rest of the fresh water system. The advanced response systems like halon are kinda scary. Probably not something I’ll see in my lifetime. I’m sure it’s better than the alternative, though. The foam for airplane hangers is pretty neat. Wouldn’t want to be in there, though.

        I wonder what the cutting edge stuff is now.

        • Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          2 hours ago

          I’ve worked on inert gas systems before, they’re pretty scary, because if you screw up, it can be tens of thousands of dollars of gas dumped.

          Sprinkler systems typically use steel pipe, which isn’t safe for drinking water, which is why the water smells like rusty ass.

      • Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        5 hours ago

        I wanna hear about maglev trains in evacuated tunnels. I know it’s a fantasy because of the costs, but I like to imagine it could be real.

        Maglev in general is cool, too. At least they’re real. They’re still heavily limited by costs, though.

        I’ll absolutely listen to anything about high-speed rail in general.

        That failing, I’m good with standard-gauge , passenger rail, too.

        • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          4 hours ago

          Wasn’t that Musks failed hyperloop thing?

          I do have to admit the idea is pretty cool though. Not sure how they could be used practically for anything that would justify the cost though. Like cargo transit? At least then you can cut more safety requirements compared to human passengers. But then you have the question of why go to that effort to move cargo faster than a train anyway