Fire detection systems of current aircraft cargo compartments
are primarily smoke detectors. Existing smoke
detectors have never failed to indicate an actual fire
onboard an aircraft. The false alarm rates, defined as the
percentage of alarms with no verified smoke in the cargo
compartment, are as high as 99%. The cost of a false alarm
is estimated between $30,000 and $50,000 per incident [1].
Moreover, there are safety issues associated with false
alarms. Unfortunately, the cause of a false alarm is usually
not known. Regulations mandate that the alarm sounds
within 1 min after the onset of a fire condition. Pilots may
have only about 10 or 15 min in which to land before
smoke or damage to the structure from an uncontained fire
prevents the pilot from controlling the aircraft. Reducing
the time to alarm will allow the pilot to suppress the fire at
an earlier stage and permit more time to land the aircraft
safely.