Odors related to scorching are emitted by substances undergoing oxidative pyrolysis during combustion. In this study, changes in odor quality were investigated and used to detect fire. Selecting a fire detector that would operate because of an odor change required appropriate gases for recognizing fire to be selected. Odor gases created during the oxidative pyrolysis of wood and synthetic polymers were used as standard gases to allow appropriate gases to be selected. The standard gases were then used in combustion experiments in model rooms in which heat was generated rapidly using a combustible fluid or slowly from smoldering material. Precursor oxidative pyrolysis odors were identified for various test materials. The odors that were generated depended on the type of combustible material present, so wood and plastics were both used to generate standard gases. Already available fire detectors and the measured odor changes were compared, and it was found that odor changes were detected at the same time as or after the fire was detected by the fire detectors when the fire was spreading rapidly or when the detectors and odor sensor were close to the fire source. However, detecting odor changes was faster than using the fire detectors for smoldering fire with little flame.

International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards (9; 2019; Saint Petersburg, Russia). Proceedings of the Ninth International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards [Электронный ресурс]: 21-26 April 2019, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Vol. 2 / Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Autonomous Non-Profit Organization "Fire and Explosion Safety", Gefest Holding Ltd ; [edited by A. Snegirev [et al.]. — Электрон. текстовые дан. (1 файл : 98,7 Мб). — Saint Petersburg, 2019. — Загл. с титул. экрана. — Свободный доступ из сети Интернет (чтение, печать, копирование). — Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0. — <URL:http://elib.spbstu.ru/dl/2/k19-97.pdf>. — <URL:http://doi.org/10.18720/SPBPU/2/k19-97>.