Air Conditioned
Areas
Air
conditioned areas are normally well balanced and seldom have negative
pressure. In fact a slight over-pressure is more common where air
conditioning systems are bringing fresh air into an area.
Air Curtains for interior door need only be sized for the draft due to the temperature
differences between the two sides. On interior openings between the air
conditioned areas and non air conditioned areas, the Air Curtain should be
mounted on the non air conditioned side, angled away from the air
conditioned areas, and the air should be dampered back until there is a
minimum amount of air splitting at the floor and going in toward the air
conditioned side.
Doors between an air conditioned area and the
outside are exposed to winds which must be considered in the selection of
the Air Curtain. For application on such doors the Air Curtain should be
installed on the inside for the best possible efficiency, and the nozzle
angle should be adjusted so that a minimum of air conditioning is
discharged from the inside. This inside mounting allows the Air Curtain to
be used in the winter to prevent cold outside air from entering.
Industrial Oven Openings
Using Air Curtains on opening to ovens has resulted in fuel savings
of up to 40% of the total oven fuel consumption. Air Curtains are
normally installed horizontally over the oven opening and angled
slightly inward toward the oven to contain the hot air that is trying
to come out at the top. Many Air Curtains are successfully operating
on ovens with temperatures up to 475° F. The Air Curtain drive motor
should be located to the side of the oven opening to protect them
from damage from hot air that would escape in the even of a shutdown
of the Air Curtain. Oven applications should be designed case by
case to meet each set of unique conditions.
Dust and Humidity
Control
Air Curtains should be installed on the clean or humidity
controlled side of the opening, blowing toward the dirty or uncontrolled
side. This will prevent the influx of the dust particles or atmospheric
vapour.
Mines
Air Curtains are in use in a
hard rock mine at the 1100 foot depth to control the flow of fresh air
that is introduced into the mine. Installed at several points along the
main airway the Air Curtain deflects some of the fresh air flow out into
the shafts. For more detailed information on this very successful
application please contact the factory.
Commercial
Entrances
Commercial Entrance Air Curtains are becoming widely used in
building entrances to reduce energy consumption and provide comfort. In
Summer they retain Cold inside air and prevent the influx of hot and dry
warm air. In winter Air Curtains keep cold air out and prevent the
escape of warm air. The working principle of Commercial Entrance Air
Curtains is to provide the most effective air screen possible without
blowing so hard that it is objectionable to people passing through.
Air Curtains are ideal for application on high traffic doorways in
commercial establishments such as stores, restaurants and banks. They are
also ideal for public buildings such as hospitals, terminals and schools.
In many cases where a vestibule was installed, or planned, to reduce the
inflow, an Air Curtain is a better approach. This is particularly true for
high traffic entrances where both doors are frequently open at the same
time, defeating the purpose of the vestibule. A continuously operating Air
Curtain allows the vestibule to be dispensed with resulting in large
savings -- both in initial and operating costs -- and increasing the
usable floor space.
Commercial Entrance Air Curtains are normally
mounted horizontally above the door which keeps the unit out of the way
and practically eliminates any chance of damage and/or accidents.
It
is recommended that the Air Curtain fan motor be run continuously, since
the power needed to operate it is minimal.
In addition to providing
comfort through the elimination of cold drafts and the addition of heat to
door areas. Commercial Entrance Air Curtains have many other benefits. For
example, they can decrease door maintenance costs since doors need to be
opened and closed left often. Many schools purchase Air Curtains to save
energy and find that, as an additional benefit, they keep floors dry and
safe and hallways warm during the winter months. In buildings with high
ceilings the Air Curtain re-circulates the warm stratified air that rises
to the ceiling.
Commercial Entrance Air Curtains are quiet and compact
and pay for themselves in a very short time. Most units may be used all
year round.
Insect Control
Insect Control Air Curtains
are used in food processing plants, dairies, bakeries, bottling plants,
restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, school cafeterias and other areas
where the control of flying insects is required. The powerful stream of
air that is produced by an Insect Control Air Curtain is an excellent
deterrent to insects which will usually avoid the air stream simply
because of it's unnaturally high velocity.
The most effective Air
Curtain design for insect control has a nozzle that can angle the air
stream away from the area to be protected. An angle of about 20° from the
vertical is usually optimal.
The Insect Control Air Curtains can be
mounted on the inside or outside of the doorway. When the building
contains odours which are attractive to flying insects it is recommended
that the Air Curtain be mounted on the outside.
When a negative
pressure exists inside the building one of two approaches must be taken to
make the Air Curtain fully effective in keeping the flying insects out.
One alternative is to slightly alter the mounting of the unit, moving it
out form the wall to relieve pressure on the Air Curtain and to allow the
outside air to enter the building. The outside air will be drawn to the
intake of the curtain through the gap between the wall and the unit. This
gap must be covered by a screen and the gaps along the door jamb, caused
by moving the unit back from the wall, should be closed by side panels.
The Air Curtain is equally effective mounted horizontally or
vertically. However, measures should be taken to prevent damage to the Air
Curtain caused by traffic when mounted vertically.
| Insect
Screening |
| Environment: An Air-Curtain was used to separate
a test space into 2 portions. Flying insects were set free on one
side. A 40W mercury lamp was placed on the other side. |
 |
 The Insect Screening effect averaged
at:
80% |
Cold Storage
When opened a door
separating a cold storage area from a warm room permits a substantial loss
of refrigerated air. Warm air flows into the cold room through the lower
part. This results in energy losses, safety hazards in the form of
condensation and icing on the floor and fog in the doorway; and possibly
food spoilage. Strip doors used on coolers and freezers to reduce these
effects impair visibility and are unpleasant to pass through due to
condensation and frosting and accumulate dirt and possible bacterial
growth.
Studies have proven that Air Curtains, when properly sized and
adjusted, are up to 85% efficient in controlling the flow of air through
cooler and freezer doorways. If the cold storage door is open over one
hour per day the Air Curtain is a cost effective way to save refrigeration
costs.
Installed on the warm side of the doorway the Air Curtain emits
an air stream which reaches the floor at an angle and splits into two
separate air streams. By properly adjusting the volume of the air and the
angle of the nozzle, one air stream is made to balance against the other
which is trying to leave the cooled room, while the other counteracts the
warm air trying to enter. The correct Air Curtain sizing and adjustments
must be made for each specific application so that a narrow, high
velocity, low volume stream of air is projected over the entire opening
creating a sufficiently stiff curtain of air. Built-in adjustments in the
Air Curtain must include fully adjustable mounting brackets, variable
volume controls and individually adjustable louvers in the nozzle. The
narrow nozzle limits the amount of air in the doorway area and hence the
turbulence, thus increasing the efficiency of the unit.
In addition to
providing a substantial energy savings and increased safety, Cold Storage
Air Curtains can increase the time between defrosting almost four fold,
depending on the particular freezer or cooler. Also, their ability to
maintain the cold room temperature right up to the doorway improves
product quality and increases the useful floor space.
Advantages
