Self-testing hazard sensing device

1. A self-testing hazard sensing device, comprising:

a sensor;

a heating element having a material applied thereto;

a controller configured to provide a current to the heating element to heat the material and generate aerosol and/or carbon monoxide; and

an airflow generator configured to provide the aerosol and/or carbon monoxide to the sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly using the aerosol and/or carbon monoxide provided to the sensor.

2. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is a coil-shaped wire.

3. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is shaped to generate the aerosol and/or carbon monoxide.

4. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the material is a wax material.

5. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the airflow generator is a fan.

6. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide the current to the heating element for a particular time interval.

7. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide a current to the airflow generator for a particular time interval.

8. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly by:

measuring a rate at which a density level of the aerosol provided to the sensor decreases;

determining an airflow rate from an external environment through the sensor based on the measured rate at which the density level of the aerosol decreases; and

determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly based on the determined airflow rate.

9. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly by:

measuring a rate at which a density level of the aerosol provided to the sensor decreases;

comparing the measured rate at which the density level of the aerosol decreases with a baseline rate; and

determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly based on the comparison of the measured rate at which the density level of the aerosol decreases and the baseline rate.

10. A method of operating a self-testing hazard sensing device, comprising:

providing a current to a heating element of the self-testing hazard sensing device, wherein:

the heating element has a material applied thereto; and

providing the current to the heating element heats the material and generates aerosol and/or carbon monoxide;

providing the aerosol and/or carbon monoxide to a sensor of the self-testing hazard sensing device; and

determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly using the aerosol and/or carbon monoxide provided to the sensor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes providing the current to the heating element using an internal power supply of the self-testing hazard sensing device or an external power supply of the self-testing hazard sensing device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes:

applying the material to the heating element by dipping the heating element in the material;

removing the heating element from the material; and

installing the heating element in the self-testing hazard sensing device after removing the heating element from the material.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly includes determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device requires maintenance or recalibration.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly by a monitoring device that is in communication with the self-testing hazard sensing device.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly by:

emitting, by a first transmitter light-emitting diode (LED) of the self-testing hazard sensing device, a first light that passes through the aerosol provided to the sensor;

emitting, by a second transmitter LED of the self-testing hazard sensing device, a second light that passes through the aerosol provided to the sensor;

detecting, by a photodiode of the self-calibrating hazard sensing device, a scatter level of the first light that passes through the aerosol and a scatter level of the second light that passes through the aerosol; and

determining whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly based on the detected scatter level of the first light and/or the detected scatter level of the second light.

16. A self-testing hazard sensing device, comprising:

a sensor;

a coiled wire having a wax material applied thereto;

a controller configured to provide a current to the coiled wire to heat the wax material and generate aerosol and/or carbon monoxide; and

an airflow generator configured to provide the aerosol and/or carbon monoxide to the sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the self-testing hazard sensing device is functioning properly using the aerosol and/or carbon monoxide provided to the sensor.

17. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 16 , wherein the wax material is a paraffin wax material.

18. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 16 , wherein the wax material is in direct contact with and between coils of the coiled wire.

19. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 16 , wherein the coiled wire is oriented horizontally with respect to the airflow generator or vertically with respect to the airflow generator.

20. The self-testing hazard sensing device of claim 16 , wherein the coiled wire is a resistance wire comprising an iron-chromium-aluminum alloy.