Apollo Discovery multisensors lie at the heart of an
intelligent fire detection system installed to protect Belfast's
Ulster Hall. The fire detection system features different
sensitivity levels depending on the time of day and was supplied
and commissioned by Ashdale Engineering Ltd, which is also
responsible for its maintenance.
A two-storey concert hall and exhibition venue, The Ulster Hall
dates back to 1862 and is one of the oldest buildings owned by
Belfast City Council. It has capacity to host approximately 2,000
people in the main hall and 200 in the group hall. The building is
made up of a great deal of timber work and houses the Mulholland
Organ, which was donated to the people of Belfast by its ex-Mayor,
Andrew Mulholland, at around the time that the hall was built.
The design of the fire detection system had to take into account
the uses of the building, particularly as a concert hall, and had
to also ensure that false alarms caused by concert smoke machines
and cigarette smoking were avoided.
Comments Colin Simms, Service Manager of Ashdale Engineering:
"Apollo technology is very versatile. Using multisensors from
Apollo's Discovery range allowed us to provide different levels of
sensitivity for the building at different times of day. For
example, the fire detection system can switch the combined
smoke/heat multisensors in the roof space to heat detection only
when performers are using smoke machines in the main hall."
This was possible because Apollo Discovery fire detectors
feature five panel-selectable sensitivity bands that make them
particularly adaptable to changing conditions. To help to protect
against unwanted alarms even further, devices in the Discovery
range are also equipped with inbuilt drift compensation, a
non-volatile memory and fail-safe operation.
The Ulster Hall fire detection system incorporates over 150
Apollo Discovery multisensors as well as 100 loop-powered beacons.
With a low current consumption of just 3mA, Apollo loop-powered
beacons can be incorporated on an existing loop, reducing
installation time and cost. The loop-powered beacon uses LEDs
instead of Xenon for added reliability and is fully addressable,
using the same XPERT address system as Apollo's XP95 and Discovery
detectors.
A number of interface units enable an alarm to shut down the
boiler control panel, open the smoke extraction vents, bring the
lift to the ground floor and operate the aspiration system in the
lift shaft. The system is governed by a purpose-designed Advanced
Electronics four-loop panel plus four repeater panels networked
together. A Signet PAVA system is also connected.
The fire detection system is programmed with two modes of
operation: performance mode' and non-performance mode'. The first
is activated when a show is on, with a three-minute interval before
evacuation to allow an alarm to be investigated by staff.
Non-performance mode is used at night and when the building is not
occupied. An alarm in this case will effect an immediate one out,
all out' evacuation of the building.
Summing up, Colin Simms says: "Apollo Fire Detectors offers a
reliable open protocol system and the fact that the products are
readily available if spares are required is a definite plus. The
ease with which the Apollo system can be commissioned and installed
was also a great benefit. Apollo was the obvious choice for the
fire detection system for The Ulster Hall."