You don't have to go to the theater to see the curtain in action. A visit to a shopping center is enough, although this in turn has little to do with a cultural event. What is it about? Of course, about air curtains mounted above the entrances! For details, please read on.
From this article you will learn:
- what is an air curtain;
- what are the benefits of using it;
- when it is worth using it.
What does an air curtain give you?
The purpose of the air curtain is to prevent the air inside the room from mixing with the air outside. They are usually used in entrance doors to buildings, especially when they are opened frequently. In this way , the air cooled by air conditioning is prevented from "escaping" to the outside in warm months, and the interior is prevented from cooling down in cold months , which is particularly important now, in the era of increasingly expensive energy. However, it is worth remembering that the curtain is not dual-function - some (so-called cold curtains) work in the first way, others (warm curtains) in the second way, so before any installation, you should consider which version will bring greater benefits and only then make a decision.
Check out the offer of water curtains at the Onninen wholesaler
How an air curtain works
The principle of operation is very simple: the curtain sucks in air from one side and blows it out (after heating or cooling) from the other, through a narrow nozzle. There is a slight compression, or rather a precise direction of the air stream, which creates a cloak effect - an invisible and permeable wall is created, which, however, protects the air masses on both sides against free mixing . Certain heat losses cannot, of course, be avoided, but they are still smaller than in the case of free flow between the room and the external environment.
Where is an air curtain best suited?
While warm curtains influence thermal comfort and help keep heating bills at a constant, predictable level, cold curtains are also used where the smooth and uninterrupted production process depends on their operation. This applies primarily to cold stores, freezers and all other food storage and processing plants where maintaining a low temperature is crucial. Excessive air exchange between rooms could in such a situation lead to significant losses, therefore the efficiency and effectiveness of the curtain is of paramount importance. There is no room for half-measures here - the product must be of the highest quality and high strength to create an almost impermeable barrier.
Check out the offer of cold curtains at the Onninen wholesaler
The situation is different with warm curtains, whose task is to create a kind of lock at the entrances to, for example, shopping or exhibition centers, airport halls, stations, hotels or warehouses. Certainly, we have often experienced the feeling of a rush of heat after crossing the threshold of the automatic door and entering the surprisingly warm vestibule , and this impression was even stronger the colder it was outside. It was probably related to the air curtain used above the entrance or in the side wall (apart from the most popular horizontal versions, there are also vertical ones), but most likely its use was less aimed at quickly improving our thermal comfort, and more on protecting the interior of the facility against cooling. . There are also devices that combine the features of an air barrier with heating, equipped with vertical and horizontal blowers, which further expands the spectrum of available possibilities.
How much electricity does an air curtain consume?
Times are so strange that today facility managers calculate more carefully than ever before what is more profitable: heating interiors that are cooled to some extent by regularly opening doors or activating air curtains that operate point-wise but consume expensive electricity. We do not undertake to decide for anyone, but we can help you make a choice by telling you how much electricity the device needs to operate .
Much, of course, depends on the parameters of the curtain itself: its width, airflow speed and maximum range, but also on the structure. A two-meter-long device with a water heat exchanger has a power consumption comparable to the "cold" model without any exchanger, approximately 0.2 kW , while a similar curtain with electric heaters requires as much as 12 kW. We don't want to suggest anything, but considering what's happening with electricity prices, the solution kind of suggests itself, doesn't it?
Overview of products offered by the Onninen wholesaler
- WING E100 EC electric curtain - Air curtain with electric heaters and a high-performance transverse fan.
All WING curtains with electric heaters are designed to work horizontally and in group configuration. The design of the device stabilizing the air flow effectively reduces the level of sound emitted to the surroundings. The special design of the blades ensures an increase in the range of the air stream by 20% compared to traditional solutions. Thanks to the efficient and energy-saving EC motor, the WING E100 EC air curtain can produce an air stream with a range of up to 3.7 meters with a maximum air flow of 1,850 m 3 /h. The curtain achieves a heating power of up to 2 kW when powered single-phase (1~230 V) and 6 kW when powered three-phase (3~400 V). The use of energy-saving EC motors allows you to optimize the operating costs of the device. - Flowair SLIM E-100 electric door curtain - White electric door curtain (RAL9003) with a length of 1.0 m and a heating power of 5.0 kW with a built-in automation system (performance regulation, motion sensor). It has a 3-speed fan, maximum air flow rate of 1300 m 3 /h. Power supply 3x400 V or 230 V. Range 3.2 m. Curtain equipped with heating elements with short response time. The curtain casing is made of powder-coated steel in white (RAL9003) with black (RAL9005) elements. Can be installed in a vertical or horizontal position.
- Sonniger GUARD 100E air curtain - Power 4-7 kW, range 4m, air flow 2000 m 3 /h, intelligent PTC heater.
Check out the offer of electric curtains at the Onninen wholesaler