An Action Activated and Self Powered Wireless Forest Fire Detector

Placing fire detectors in a forest is usually associated with powering problems since the sensors do not have access to external power supply and a periodical change of internal batteries is an undesired option. This paper presents an approach where the fire sensor itself, when heated by nearby fire, generates electrical energy to power a radio transmitter. Presented energizing fire sensor is environmentally friendly and can be mass produced at a very low cost. Upon activation the sensor produces enough power necessary to operate most standard radio transmitters depending on what communication system is chosen for operation. The fire detector unit can be deployed from either helicopter or manually from the ground. The sensor can be designed to activate itself at different temperatures to suit different climate zones. Rough guidelines are given for estimation of attenuation of radio wave propagation in forest areas in order to predict maximum transmit distance.