Sentez Endasis Industrial Earthquake Alarm Systems
Purpose
In recent years, rapidly advancing electronics and computer technologies have enabled real-time earthquake ground motion observations to be evaluated instantly, that is, during the recording process. This has made it possible to develop the SENTEZ-ENDASIS Earthquake Early Warning System for industrial facilities. Earthquake alarm systems to be installed in industrial plants and operations can provide warnings a few seconds before strong ground motions caused by a major earthquake affect the facility or operation. This duration varies depending on the earthquake’s epicenter. This short time plays a critical role in the design of protective systems against earthquakes and allows automatic shutdown or activation of systems such as electrical systems, gas filling and storage facilities, elevators within structures, etc., through the warning signal generated within this time.
Installation
The ENDASIS earthquake alarm system is a network consisting of strong ground motion recorders installed within the facility and providing continuous data flow. The stations within the network continuously transmit data to the data center in packets via 3G/Ethernet.
Each station is equipped with a three-component sensor (Vertical, North-South, East-West directions) and includes a 24-bit resolution analog-to-digital converter. In addition, each device has the capability to calculate and transmit engineering parameters critical for facility safety during an earthquake through its built-in Linux operating system. The continuously incoming data over the network are analyzed at the main data center to detect seismic activity corresponding to specific alarm levels. Depending on the level of ground motion, that is, acceleration (unit: g ≈ 9.81 m/s²), which may damage mechanical and electronic systems installed within the facility, the warning (alarm) level can be determined.
The generation of alarm signals by the software at the main data center depends on the system’s evaluation of data detected by the strong ground motion stations installed within the facility. These alarm signals are used to ensure necessary and critical emergency interventions to protect equipment and devices within the facility and to prevent potential accidents during an earthquake.
Facilities within an operation are grouped according to their structural characteristics, importance, and location conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to select three different points and install at least three devices.
