Camera Flash plus Flame Detection – Instant Fame


You have to be careful where you point your flash-enabled camera offshore. One method of detecting a fire on the platform is by monitoring the amount of ultraviolet (UV) light. UV is produced by flames, hence UV detection is a direct indication of a fire. However, UV is also present in sunlight (including sunlight reflected of the sea), so exposure to it might cause a false alarm. That is why UV detectors are located within enclosures, for example turbo generators (TG).

Back to flash photography. A flash produces UV radiation. So, if this is detected, the platform Fire and Gas (F&G) system will probably trip thinking there is a fire, and shutting down production.

So, suggestions are:

  • Kill the flash / autoflash mode.
  • Do not flip the flash up, for some models.
  • Tape over the flash.

 

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 7th, 2008 at 7:12 am and is filed under oil and gas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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