Hazards

What this system is built to catch

Six detection problems, each with the channels that see it, the mechanism that recognises it, and — at the same length — what it cannot do. No detection rates are published on any of these pages, because none has been measured.

Precursor windows

The hazard classes named in the filed specification, with the interval available for intervention before the event. The spread — seconds for open flame, weeks for mechanical degradation — is the reason the sampling cadence adapts rather than sitting at one rate.

Hazard classWhat moves firstPrecursor window
Smouldering combustionCombustible gas and CO rise, air quality degrades, surface temperature climbs ahead of ambient — with no flame signatureMinutes to hours
Open flameInfrared signature, sharp temperature rise, gas and air-quality spike, acoustic signatureSeconds
Combustible gas releaseGas channel rises with a characteristic acceleration; temperature unchanged — the absent thermal signature is itself diagnosticSeconds to minutes
Carbon-monoxide accumulationMonotonic CO rise with little movement anywhere elseMinutes to hours
Volatile organic releaseAir quality rises steeply, gas follows by cross-sensitivity, distinct decay after the source is removedSeconds to minutes
Thermal runawaySurface temperature climbs while ambient lags; electrolyte vapour on the gas channels; audible ventingMinutes
Mechanical degradationVibration magnitude and jitter increase, acoustic level rises, housing warms — no gas signatureHours to weeks
Ventilation failureAcoustic level falls as the fan stops, then humidity and temperature drift up together — a fall, not a rise, is the signatureMinutes to hours

From Indian patent application 202641098309, Table 1, published 21 August 2026. Alfa HazardX is a supplementary monitoring layer, not a certified life-safety instrument.