Nobel Fire Systems, the UK’s leading fire suppression specialists for the data industry, recently added to its product portfolio an Oxygen Reduction Fire Prevention System which is offered in conjunction with Isolcell.

Isolcell has over 50 years of experience in research and development of new technologies related to the production of machines and systems to treat and modify gaseous mixtures. Using this controlled atmosphere experience they took the opportunity to develop a new and innovative prevention system with the aim of excluding the risk of fire in designated areas.

The atmosphere we breathe consists mainly of a mixture of nitrogen (78 per cent) and oxygen (21 per cent). Nitrogen is an inert gas; oxygen is the natural substance aiding every combustion process, including human respiration. A fire will only exist if sufficient oxygen continuously reaches it to support the speed of the reaction. When the amount of oxygen is not sufficient, a fire will suddenly be extinguished.

The methodology of the Isolcell N2 FireFighter is based on that principle: to keep the atmosphere in the areas to be protected low in oxygen, less than normal ambient. This will automatically extinguish and inhibit combustion while remaining safe for humans. The effect of this auto-extinguishing atmosphere on humans is the same as the air at 3,300 m elevation; the partial pressure of oxygen at that height is equal to the partial pressure of oxygen in the methodology of N2 FireFighter.

Traditional fire-fighting systems have been conceived to automatically extinguish fires. N2 FireFighter prevents the start of any combustion in the protected areas by monitoring and controlling the proportion of oxygen to nitrogen in the enclosed atmosphere.

The oxygen reduction system uses machines which have specific, automatically regenerating filters and which modify air through a totally ecological process with very low energy consumption. The proportion of oxygen to nitrogen is changed without the need of additional products or compounds. The resulting mixture is as effective at extinguishing fires as any of the alternative fire-fighting products presently on the market.

Furthermore, like the air we normally breathe, the fire-extinguishing atmosphere created is odourless, colourless and does not leave any kind of residual and/or polluting substance.

Also recently, Nobel Fire Systems exhibited its products at Data Centre World in London. As no single suppression medium or application method can cover all fire risk situations, the Nobel range of fire suppression systems for Data Room application covers all class of fires. In addition to Stat-X, its condensed aerosol system, the company has a range of gaseous fire suppression systems which take into account the potential effect on the environment, the type of fire risk, all physical constraints, the structure of the specific building, its location and all other practical and economic considerations.