Nobel’s Electronic Fire Detection Scores Over Mechanical Systems

The iconic Radisson Blu Hotel is situated in the centre of Bristol and has 176 bedrooms as well as a thriving conference centre. Catering for guests and conference attendees as well as local residents, the Filini Restaurant & Bar within the hotel is therefore kept extremely busy.
When a new fire suppression system was required for the restaurant kitchen, the project management team at Prospect Catering called in a number of potential suppliers.
While protection for the kitchen and its appliances was relatively straightforward, it was agreed that the project also required extended duct protection – immediately posing a significant problem for ‘mechanically operated’ suppression systems. The ductwork in the restaurant kitchen runs horizontally for approximately 5 meters before rising vertically inside a service duct through 7 floors to an extraction point. Clearly this presented a potential fire risk and after carefully examining the alternative fire suppression systems available, the Nobel Fire Systems ‘K-Series’ was judged to offer the optimum solution. ’K-Series’ is one of the UK’s premier wet chemicals kitchen fire suppression systems and provides full protection to all cooking appliances, extract canopy and when needed the extended duct work to roof level.
The Nobel system is electronically controlled with no mechanical moving parts enabling easy extension of the standard fire detection and suppression system throughout the protected area. Not only does it protect the building from fires occurring in the kitchen but it detects and suppresses fires starting in the extract fan unit at roof level. Offering complete protection at the two high risk ends of the extraction system plus the complete duct construction.  Installation comprises of  stainless steel cylinders containing a highly effective F class wet chemical liquid designed specifically for fast flame knock down and fire suppression. The low, near neutral pH value of the liquid ensures that there is no damage to the kitchen appliances, and as a direct consequence of the efficiency of K-Series in limiting the volume of liquid required to control the situation, there is minimal clean-up requirements following discharge.
Every aspect of the Radisson Blu Hotel is designed to look good. For this reason the commissioning team didn’t want to have a system fitted that then jarred with the overall aesthetics of the kitchen. Part of the brief was that ugly “Industrial” looking pipework and protruding nozzles manufactured in chrome plated brass were to be avoided. The Nobel K-Series meets all the aesthetic qualities required.
The total installation was carried out in just three days to ensure minimum disruption to the running of the hotel’s busy schedule.
The Nobel Fire Systems K-Series is now in many of the UK’s and European leading commercial kitchens, underlining its ability to provide the right fire suppression answers to the most challenging situations.
All K-Series fire protection systems are engineered to meet the specific individual requirements of the kitchen being protected and every system is designed following a comprehensive risk assessment taking into account the requirement of successful fire suppression and a client’s interruption potential.
Commercial Director of Nobel Fire Systems, Ben Parker commented. “The fact that Radisson Blu required a fire suppression system that would efficiently cope with the extended ductwork meant that our ‘K-Series with its electronic detection capability fitted the bill perfectly”
“Not only that, we were able to install the complete system quickly and efficiently around the incredibly busy Hotel schedule”.