An air door, sometimes called an air curtain, employs a controlled stream of air aimed across an opening to create an air seal. This seal separates different environments, while allowing a smooth, unhindered flow of traffic and unobstructed vision through the opening. Because air curtains help to contain heated or air conditioned air, they provide sizeable energy savings and personal comfort when applied in industrial or commercial settings (stores, supermarkets, banks, restaurants, depots, factories, warehouses ,hospitals,airports, and so on). Air curtains can also be used to stop the infiltration of flying insects,dusts,smokes and odor.

As a non-recirculating air curtains is put into operation, air is brought into the unit through the intake, enters the fan housing, and is accelerated by the fan. This fast moving air goes into a plenum, which allows for an even distribution of air along the full length of the discharge nozzle. Aerofoil shaped vanes in the nozzle create a uniform air stream with a minimum of turbulence. The air discharged through the nozzle creates a jet stream to the floorn and creates an invisible door.

Commercial Environmental Application
Commercial air curtains are becoming widely used in building entrances to reduce energy consumption and provide comfort. In the winter, they retain warm inside air and prevent the influx of cold air.Commercial air curtains can also supply additional heat in the door area using optional electric, steam, or hot water heaters. In the summer, air doors keep hot humid air out and prevent the escape of air conditioning. The working principle of Commercial Entrance air doors is to provide the most effective air screen possible without blowing so hard that it is objectionable to people passing through.

Commercial air curtains are ideal for application on high-traffic doorways in commercial establishments such as stores, restaurants, and banks, and in public buildings such as hospitals, terminals, and schools. In many cases, where a vestibule was installed or planned to reduce the inflow of outside air, an air door 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 curtains allows the vestibule to be dispensed with, resulting in large savings-both in initial cost and operating cost-and increasing the usable floor area.

In addition to providing comfort through the elimination of cold drafts and the addition of heat to door areas, Commercial air curtains have many other benefits. For example, they can decrease door maintenance costs since doors need to be opened and closed less often. In restaurants, they stop uncomfortable cold drafts at customers¡¯ feet. 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 winter months. In buildings with high ceilings, the air curtains recirculates the warm stratified air that rises to the ceiling.

, Commercial air curtains are quiet and compact and pay for themselves in a very short time. Most units may be used all year round, and are adjustable for seasonal conditions using a multi-speed motor.

Industrial Environmental Application
The primary purpose of the industrial air curtains is to prevent the influx of outside air through an opening into a heated or cooled area. Openings where an air curtains would typically be used are exterior shipping and receiving doors to plants and warehouses, and interior doors between plant areas of different temperatures.

Several engineering research studies done in various parts of the world have demonstrated the capabilities of air curtains to stop drafts. The findings of theses studies are similar, and are perhaps best summarized in the work done at the University of Illinois by Dr. Stoecker and Dr. Hayes and published in the ASHRAE Transaction 1969, Volume 75, Part 2. Based on the results of this study, VAC International and some other air curtains manufacturers publish ratings on their air curtains ¡¯ abilities to stop drafts. The VAC International ratings have been verified by actual field test installations on door openings to pressurized rooms in which the pressure has been uniform and measurable.

To control climate, an air curtains emits an air stream with enough velocity to meet the floor, creating an air seal in the door area. The strength of this seal is controlled by both velocity at the nozzle and the width of the nozzle. For different door sizes and different wind conditions, different air velocities at the nozzle are required.

Air curtains are cost effective when installed on any door that is in use over 10% of the day. The fuel savings payback is tremendous if the door is open a complete working day. In addition to saving energy, air curtains provide faster traffic flow and lessen the maintenance costs for doors that formerly were being opened and closed many times a day. Calculate your energy savings >

Negative Pressure
Negative pressure in a building can be caused by the exhausting of air due to production requirements, the use of plant air for combustion, or the chimney effect in extremely high ceilings or multi-story buildings. In some large buildings where the negative pressure is not too great, it can be equalized through openings in other parts of the building. However, in most cases the negative pressure will cause a draft through the doorway which prevents the effective operations of an air curtains, and must be rectified. One way to do this is by providing make-up air to the building. An air curtain which takes in outside air, rather than plant air, can be used to supply make-up air. During periods when the door is closed the air curtains takes in outside air, heats it when necessary using a direct-fired gas heater or a steam heater, and discharges it to the inside through the nozzle. When the door is open, the air curtains continues to provide heated make-up air while simultaneously preventing the entry of cold outside air.

For single-story buildings, negative pressure can be alleviated using louvers at a level above the work area. Another option is to move the air curtains away from the doorway and allow the air to go up over the top of the unit. Side shields, the height of the door and the width of the air door, have to be located between the wall and the backside of the air curtains . It is also recommended to deflect the air above the air door towards the ceiling, to prevent the outside air from being drawn into the air door inlet.

*FUNCTION OF COMPENSATION OF AIR CONDITIONING
The prevention of the cool (hot) air current and the saving of the electricity.
The constant formations of the air curtain is able to effectively prevent the leakage of cool (hot) air in order to maintain the constant temperature in room. It thoroughly improves the long time operation of air-conditioned and working environment by circulating and regulating its temperature to achieve the saving of energy.

*EFFICIENCY IN DUSTPROOF PRACTICE.
High efficiency in wind volume's design and effective withstanding against the intrusion of dusts from the out side, protection of clothes, decorations, stationery, and the operational area of computers and supermarket etc. from the deposits of dusts.
*EFFECTS IN PREVENTION OF SMOKES AND ODOR.
The fan blades are design in the horizontal air current type to fully develop the rotating type of wind volume to reach every corner of the area. It strongly prevents and insulates against the spread of oily smell and smoke from kitchen, and the industrial waste vapor and exhausts of automobile motorcycle will not come into the room with it.
*EFFECT IN DRIVING INSECTS OFF
The strong and forceful wind pressure interrupts the penetration of the mosquitoes and insects. The food processing factory, large kitchen, restaurant and dinning hall shall be safe against those vermin.

The proper size, power rating, and features needed for a particular air curtains application should be selected according to the following considerations.
The physical dimensions of the opening, including height, width, and space available for installation.
The type of door being used.
Type of Opening ¨C customer entry, service entry, dock door etc.
The need for a heated air door to create a comfortable environment
Prevailing winds and temperatures on outside openings.
The existence of any drafts due to pressure differences at the opening.

Air Curtain Size Selection
The correct size selection for an air curtain is determined by three factors: the amount of wind exposure, the distance the air curtains must blow, and the pressure balance in the building. The prevailing winds in the area which can be obtained from the local weather bureau. In addition, measuring of the actual velocity through the door at the top and bottom is recommended. When measuring in the warmer seasons (summer and fall), all openings that would normally be closed in the winter should be closed.

Once the wind or through draft which the air curtains must stop has been determined, the second factor to consider is the distance the air door must flow. In the case of a horizontally mounted air door, this distance is the height of the doorway. For a vertically mounted unit, it is the door width; or, if two vertically mounted units are used on either side, half of the width.

The third factor to consider is building pressure. Negative pressure in a building can be caused by the exhausting of air due to production requirements, the use of plant air for combustion, or the chimney effect in extremely high ceilings or multi-story buildings. In some large buildings where the negative pressure is not too great, it can be equalized through openings in other parts of the building. However, in most cases the negative pressure will cause a draft through the doorway which prevents the effective operations of an air curtains , and must be rectified. One way to do this is by providing make-up air to the building. An air curtain which takes in outside air, rather than plant air, can be used to supply make-up air. During periods when the door is closed the air door takes in outside air, heats it when necessary using a direct-fired gas heater or a steam heater, and discharges it to the inside through the nozzle. When the door is open, the air door continues to provide heated make-up air while simultaneously preventing the entry of cold outside air.

Installation height is mainly decided by wind speed(m/s) produced by air curtains:

Air Curtain can be mounted above, on one side, or on both sides of a door. The most common way is to mount the Air Curtain above the door. The feature with this is that the unit is out of the way and is not likely to be damaged by, for example, forklifts. It is also the most economical way of installing an Air Curtain. The drawback is that a small amount of air at the extreme bottom of the doorway may enter due to the height of Air Curtain.

The Air Curtains can also be mounted vertically on one side of the door. There are some disadvantages to this however. If, for example, a truck is parked in the door way then the entire doorway is unprotected because the truck will break the air stream. With the unit mounted on one side of the door it is more likely to be damaged. Also, if there is no equal force on the other side of the door to stop the stream then the flow will follow the wall for some distance and may disturb people who are standing in the air stream.

The final way of mounting an Air Curtain is on both side of the door with the air stream flowing towards each other. This is the most comfortable way of installing an Air Curtain as it eliminates the above drawbacks, except the damage.


In order to enhance efficiency of air curtains, following items have to be considerated.
Choose the location with the minimal outdoor and indoor airflow.
Indoor cool(hot) airflow is sufficient and even.
Depth of building is greater than width.
Width of air curtain unit is equal to or slightly greater than the width of entrance or exit.
No interval is between the wall surface and the air curtain unit .
All exits or entrances of the building are installed with air curtains.
In the location where exhaust fan is used,the supplementary fan shall be set to achieve balance of positive and negative pressure,so that convection that will reduce the performance of the air curtains will be avoided.

Commercial Environmental Installation
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 accidents. During the heating season, the air stream should be directed slightly toward the outside and should never be obstructed by door operators or the door header.

It is preferable to control the heater in heated units with a built-in or wall-mounted thermostat, in order to maintain a constant comfortable temperature in the entrance area.

Industrial Environmental Installation
To prevent the entry of outside winds, the discharge nozzle is angled outward so that the air leaving it meets the wind trying to enter. The wind will meet or strike the air curtains stream which has to be strong enough to reach the ground and split just in the doorway. When the vector representing the wind equalize, they form a resultant which should meet the floor in the door plane for maximum efficiency.

In studies, air curtains have shown a 70 to 75% efficiency in controlling the temperature transfer when properly selected and installed. The 25 to 30% loss in efficiency is due to the entrainment of the outside air into the air stream and into the building, and to the slight discharge of inside air to the outside. This discharge of air to the outside can be minimized by adjusting the nozzle angle to optimize the location of the air stream split at the floor level. Adjusting the nozzle angle back toward the 90¡ã vertical reduces the loss of inside air, but it also reduces the air door¡¯s wind stopping capability.

Air curtains can be mounted horizontally on top of the door blowing downward, or vertically on either one or both sides of the door. Horizontal mounting is generally preferable since it makes the unit less susceptible to damage. However, it may be necessary to mount air doors vertically on both sides of a large door to obtain proper through draft protection. Railroad type doors, which are usually 22 feet high, require either a high velocity and high volume unit mounted horizontally or high velocity and lower volume air doors mounted vertically on one or both sides of the door. Measures should be taken to protect vertically mounted air curtains against damage from moving equipment.

In many buildings with high ceilings, the air tends to stratify into a warmer layer at the ceiling and a considerably cooler one at the floor. For such buildings, it is recommended that the air door be mounted across the top of the doorway opening and that it be provided with a top intake connected to a duct extending up to the ceiling. The warm air will then be drawn down into the air door and blown to the floor putting otherwise wasted heat to use. This warmer air also helps to reduce the wind chill of the moving air.

Cooler / Freezer Installation
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 velocity of air and the angle of the nozzle, one air stream is made to balance against the air which is trying to leave the cooler / freezer, while the other counteracts the warm air trying to enter. The correct air door sizing and adjustment must be made for each specific application, so that a stream of air is projected over the entire opening creating a sufficient door of air. Built-in variable velocity control and adjustable vanes, that lock in place.

The angle of the air stream in reference to the doorway should be approximately 20¡ã. At this angle, the air separates into two sectors in front of the doorway threshold as it hits the floor. One sector moves away from the doorway. The other moves toward it, and should be at such a velocity that the velocity pressure equals the specific gravity pressure of air in the freezer or cooler. This equality results in an air pocket which circles within the doorway, creating the air door. In addition to the discharge angle, the volume of air entering the air door and the position of the vanes in the nozzle must also be carefully adjusted. (The cooler / freezer should be at normal operating temperature before proceeding with adjustment. Future adjustments may be made seasonably when marked changes in the temperature difference between the two sides of the doorway occur). When the air curtains is properly balanced, a handkerchief can be used to show that no air is flowing into or out of the cold room.



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