Stavoklima air curtains in Saudi Arabia
What is an air curtain?
An air curtain is an electrical device that works to create an air barrier that controls its direction, speed and quantity to protect doors and entrances, length and width, from the exchange of heat and small particles between an open area and a closed area.
Air curtains, manufactured and designed under the supervision of air science consultants, are characterized by a strong air barrier that prevents cold and conditioned air from leaking out through the doors, and keeps dust, dirt and insects out.
How air curtains work
air inlet
The air is directed to the inside of the air curtain through the air vents equipped with a filter system to protect the internal parts of the air curtain.
fans
The air inside the curtain cabin is compressed and increased with a constant pressure resulting from the rapid movement of fans.
air tank
The accelerated high-pressure air goes to the air tank area, which in turn distributes the pressure along the length of the air curtain and makes the outgoing air stream as a single drop over the entire length of the air curtain from edge to edge.
Cipher
The air stream distributed over the length of the air curtain with a uniform velocity comes out through the blades that can be controlled to rotate around its longitudinal axis to direct the outgoing air stream through it. The direction of the air current is controlled by the blades to give better performance and protection against constant weather changes.
air inlet
The air is directed to the inside of the air curtain through the air vents equipped with a filter system to protect the internal parts of the air curtain.
fans
The air inside the curtain cabin is compressed and increased with a constant pressure resulting from the rapid movement of fans.
air tank
The accelerated high-pressure air goes to the air tank area, which in turn distributes the pressure along the length of the air curtain and makes the outgoing air stream as a single drop over the entire length of the air curtain from edge to edge.
cipher
The air stream distributed over the length of the air curtain with a uniform velocity comes out through the blades that can be controlled to rotate around its longitudinal axis to direct the outgoing air stream through it. The direction of the air current is controlled by the blades to give better performance and protection against constant weather changes.
The Basic
It is used to cover the small doors of shops and car service outlets in restaurants to help reduce the entry of dirt, dust and small insects.
Energy saver
Suitable for use in large buildings such as banks, commercial centers, wedding halls and an infinite number of places. It is used in order to reduce the waste of energy spent on air conditioning, to keep the indoor atmosphere comfortable without unpleasant odors emitted from the outside and without dust and insects as well.
Industrial
It is manufactured to be used on the doors of warehouses and factories to resist the significant change in temperature and keep the internal environment isolated from the outside thanks to the thick air barrier. Industrial air curtains and commercial
air curtains do not require regular maintenance, and can operate in harsh environments with high temperatures.
Luxury
It is manufactured to be used on the doors of warehouses and factories to resist the significant change in temperature and keep the internal environment isolated from the outside thanks to the thick air barrier. Industrial air curtains do not require regular maintenance, and can operate in harsh environments with high temperatures.
Benefits of air curtains / Air curtain purpose
Everywhere you open the doors, people try to close them immediately because the internal cooling will leak out and hot air will replace them! But the owners of commercial centers always prefer to follow the policy of open doors because it motivates passers-by to enter and stay for a longer time and brings them benefit and profit. For this reason, the air curtain door is very important.
In addition to the dissatisfaction of customers because they do not feel the mild atmosphere that is supposed to be available by operating the air conditioning, the places near the entrances and doors are not used at all due to the ingress of car exhaust, odors, and high temperature.
Keeping the doors open all day means letting in insects, dust and heat waves, and over time the indoor environment of the place turns from comfortable to noisy, which makes the air curtain door a distinctive option.
Although the adaptation devices work for long periods of time non-stop! Continuous waste of energy does not mean only spending money but also contributing to global warming and climate change. Air curtains were invented in 1904 AD and were constantly developed to serve in countless places to benefit from the benefits that accrue to building owners in the short and long term, such as:
Benefits of air curtains
1- Energy saving
Air curtains save from consuming a large amount of energy resulting from the use of the air conditioning for long periods and will also save from the maintenance of the air conditioning, which quickly perishes during its work throughout the day to equalize the incoming heat by closing and opening the doors. The value of the air curtains for commercial use can be recovered and collected within a short period of time because the energy and amounts spent on creating a cool place in the summer will decrease with the presence of the air curtain.
2- Indoor protection
Everywhere you have air curtains, you can be sure that they will largely prevent the entry of particulates, dirt, smoke, odors and dust through the open gates. Reduces the entry of airborne pollutants such as viruses and microbes thanks to the durability of the air barrier.
3- Improving the indoor environment
The possibility of exploiting the spaces near the entrances allows for maintaining a comfortable temperature equal to the internal temperature of the building. It prevents the passage of heat waves inside the interior, which causes inconvenience to customers and increases the duration of their stay in the markets. You do not need to clean the air conditioner filters repeatedly after installing the air curtains.
4- Better protection system
Prevents condensation and ice formation on the doors and ceilings of refrigerators and refrigeration warehouses. The condensed snow in those places falls after a while on the cartons stored inside the warehouse and causes damage to those cartons! Air curtain refrigerator eliminate the need to install plastic curtains on refrigerator doors, which prevent vision and accumulate dirt around them due to the frequent contact with cartons and equipment, and violate safety requirements. The air barrier resulting from the work of the air curtain makes the movement of traffic through the doors unobstructed, obscuring the vision such as fog and rain, and contributes to the drying of the spilled water on the ground in record time.
5- Climate isolation
In the era of development, it became possible to keep the doors of warehouse refrigerators open for longer periods without a significant change in the degree of cooling thanks to the durability of the air barrier that prevents the exchange of air between an open area and a closed area.
Air curtains have proven their worth in the long run as the best and cheapest way to keep moisture and hot air out in the summer and to prevent cold air from entering in the winter.
6- Insect prevention
In restaurants and places that sell sweets and meat, flies, mosquitoes, and bees spread more because they are a source of food for them. Air curtains contribute significantly to reducing the presence of insects inside the place without the need to use chemical pesticides or electric shock devices, thanks to the durable air barrier. The air curtain door makes insects usually avoid resisting the air stream coming out of the air curtain because of its unusually high speed, which reduces the spread of diseases inside the enclosed space.
How to Select Air Curtain
Work with experienced air curtain suppliers to choose the right type for your activity. The curtain that is installed on the doors of refrigerator warehouses to keep the cold is completely different from the curtains designed to be installed on the doors of shops. Although air curtains can serve multiple functions in more than one place, unfortunately, there are many of them that are cheap and poorly made on the market, and the real benefits of curtains cannot be obtained from them. Each activity has a different type of air curtain from the other, and in many cases, these types are harmful and useless if their specifications do not match your activity. Installing an improper air curtain device has greater disadvantages than not using it because if it is not compatible with your activity, it will put you in serious technical trouble, and the life of the device will be much shorter.
Do not give a chance to suppliers of inferior curtains to sell you their products, as they will inevitably increase energy consumption to no avail and disturb the interior with their annoying sound. Electricity tariffs are increasing, so do not hesitate to request a free consultation from internationally approved air curtain providers. Look for them, and you will find them to help you! And if you cannot find a knowledgeable and experienced person to guide you in choosing the right type, here are some criteria that will help you choose the perfect air curtain.
1- Determining the goal
Determine the main purpose of the air curtain installation and the location where it will be installed. There are dozens of types of them, and each type has different specifications and limited capacity from the other.
As for the objectives, they can be limited to two or three, such as keeping the room cool, preventing the entry of dust and wind, isolating the interior from outside smells and smoke, preventing the condensation of ice, isolating medical waste and fuel rooms from the outside, or any other objective that must be determined before purchasing the air curtain.
Determining the purpose of installing the air curtains helps the owners of shops, malls, and factories choose the appropriate model that will be compatible with their business environment so that these curtains do not constitute a source of danger and a waste of energy and money.
2- Activity type
Every place and activity have requirements and techniques that must be met in air curtain devices in terms of their size, design, color, and sound to match the nature of the place in which they will be served. Therefore, before buying air curtains, you should take a look at these important aspects and determine to what extent they can meet the needs of the place where you will be installed:
Air Curtain Size and Width: The size and width of the curtain device increase exponentially with the height and width of the door! Small size does not always mean positive, but on the contrary. Industrial air curtains are larger than the air curtains intended for commercial use because the air barrier required for industrial curtains is thicker and stronger to protect wide entrances exposed to strong winds. Therefore, commercial air curtains cannot be used on factory doors because there is not enough space to install industrial air curtains over those doors! There are always alternative ways to install air curtains. As for the width of the air curtain, there are several sizes available, and with the advancement of technology, it has become possible to cover the wide doors in factories with one wide curtain instead of several adjacent curtains at a lower cost and better performance.
Air curtain design: Many technologies are constantly added to air curtains to serve more activities and satisfy customers' different needs, regardless of the environmental conditions. There are various types of air curtains manufactured with designs and insulating materials that enable them to perform their function accurately in prohibited places or require sensitive specifications. For example, the presence of air curtains was previously unwelcome for owners and designers of refrigerator warehouses, fuel and chemical factories, and other places because of their shape and design, which were not compatible with the standards of the place. Some places require the curtain to be non-flammable, explosive, or freezing. Positively, producers of air curtains have added these specifications in various colors and designs to their list of products without the need to pay exorbitant amounts to make curtains with special specifications as in the past.
3- Evaluation of entrances and doors
Air curtain selection criteria Evaluation of entrances and doors It is not possible to purchase any air curtain without studying the size and type of doors and determining the method of installation. Buying an air curtain that is not suitable for doors cannot be used at all, so make sure to know:
Door size: It is necessary to take the dimensions of the door and make sure to choose an air curtain that protects the entire height and width of the door. If the width or height of the door is greater than the size and strength of the air curtain, the door will not be protected from the sides or from the bottom because the air barrier will not reach the threshold. Do not choose the air curtain designed for doors that are higher than your door because the air barrier will hit the ground at high speed and result in confusion and scattering of air, which will cause inconvenience to passers-by, especially infants. The turbulent air will blow out, and all the coldness will come out with it, not to mention the loud, annoying noise of passers-by and staff inside! The noise level and air pressure speed vary from one type to another in air curtains, and this is what many people do not know when buying them, unfortunately! Often their choice falls on the lowest price, and the air curtain becomes a source of nuisance that sometimes reaches unbearable stages, so the air curtain is completely extinguished after a short period of purchase, and the benefit is useless! Be careful not to fall into this mistake that many have fallen into. More than 80% of air curtains have stopped being used by shop owners because of this.
Door type and location: small, large, and automatic doors; warehouse and storage doors; refrigerators; circular doors; central ovens; and all types of doors can be protected by air curtains. Each door must be known by its type, location, and number of times of use. For example, the automatic doors and entrances that open and close continuously to receive marketers in the malls are installed with air curtains with a more durable air barrier, completely different from the curtains that are installed on the manual entry and exit doors behind the mall due to the difference. The size of the entries and the peak of use.
Installation method: To get the best performance and to take full advantage of the benefits of the air curtain, always make sure to install the air curtain near the door. The incorrect installation of the air curtain affects its performance to a large extent! And it is useless farther away from the door or if it is installed in a diagonal way. The method of installation and the selection of the appropriate curtain for the place must be determined in terms of knowing the dimensions of the entrance and referring to the manufacturer’s instructions in the manual for use before starting the installation. Air curtains can be installed externally if controlling the entry of insects is the main goal of their installation, or internally if the goal is to keep cold and save energy. Each model of the air curtains has a method of installation that may differ from other models:
hidden installation
horizontal installation
vertical installation
- Horizontal installation: by installing the air curtain, whether from the inside or from the outside, horizontally, through iron bases or bars at the top of the door, and making it clearly visible. The space above the door is used to install the air curtains on it, and it must be sufficient longitudinally and transversely to properly install the Windream air curtain device. In the absence of sufficient space, hidden or vertical models are resorted to.
- Concealed installation: The air curtains, which are designed to be hidden inside the false ceiling, can be used to reduce noise and have a more beautiful exterior. Make sure that the distance between the false ceiling and the upper edge of the door does not exceed fifty centimeters. In general, air curtains designed to be visible cannot be hidden inside the false ceiling because they violate safety requirements.
- Vertical installation: In some places, vertically designed air curtains can be installed, whether from the inside or outside, through the mounting bases on the floor next to the door. For wide and large doors that sometimes cannot be installed horizontally, it is preferable to use vertical air curtains to be installed from the right and left sides. Vertical air curtains need a floor space next to the door, are far enough from the door control panels and the traffic path of cars, vans, and trucks, and require more care and attention. There are several other ways to install air curtains, and no matter how different these methods are, they must comply with the manufacturer’s instructions. Take into account the method of cleaning and changing the filters, if any, and how to access the air curtain device to carry out cleaning and maintenance work for the internal components before starting the installation.
Availability of extensions: In some places, vertically designed air curtains can be installed, whether from the inside or outside, through the mounting bases on the floor next to the door. For wide and large doors that sometimes cannot be installed horizontally, it is preferable to use vertical air curtains to be installed from the right and left sides. Vertical air curtains need a floor space next to the door, are far enough from the door control panels and the traffic path of cars, vans, and trucks, and require more care and attention. There are several other ways to install air curtains, and no matter how different these methods are, they must comply with the manufacturer’s instructions. Take into account the method of cleaning and changing the filters, if any, and how to access the air curtain device to carry out cleaning and maintenance work for the internal components before starting the installation.
4- The effect of atmospheric pressure
Air curtain selection criteria The extent of the impact of atmospheric pressure To obtain the greatest benefit from air curtains, it requires knowing the condition of the outside atmosphere, the location of the building, its internal temperature and the extent of the influence of atmospheric pressure.
If the buildings are spaced in a high and open area, the doors will be exposed to wind and rain due to the permanent fluctuation of the atmosphere. While the buildings are located in small areas and built close to each other, the doors and entrances of these buildings will be less exposed to the wind.
Cold air leaks out from the bottom of the door because its density is greater compared to hot air with less density, which crosses inward from the top of the door. The great difference between the temperatures and the abundance of winds and heat waves results in a huge heat exchange between inside and outside at the entrance area.
The working principle of the air curtains is to pump an air barrier controlled in direction, speed and quantity to reduce the temperature exchange between an open area and a closed area! The resistance of the air barrier is affected as the temperature difference increases and the effect of atmospheric pressure increases in addition to some other factors, so it is necessary to study the size of the building, its location, the sizes of the doors, the number of air entry and exit outlets, and the temperature of the indoor air conditioning well before choosing the air curtain because its benefits will be limited to the greater the effect of the pressure force. air over the air barrier. There are two types of pressure:
equal pressure
negative pressure
positive pressure
Negative pressure: Air and external winds enter the building through the doors and outlets and replace the conditioned air if the building is under the influence of negative pressure because the air in the atmosphere moves from high pressure (+) to low pressure (-). There are several reasons why buildings are under the influence of negative pressure, which allows heat to easily enter the interior:
- The entrances and exits are exposed to storms and strong wind waves.
- The wind entering the interior continuously through the doors as a result of the building’s response to the wind, confining it, collecting it and pressing it with great force to the bottom to move from areas of high atmospheric pressure to areas of low atmospheric pressure, which often causes an increase in the speed of the warning winds from the top of the building to the bottom towards the doors.
- The presence of more than one window or door in several directions of the building open at the same time. The force of pressure increases as the size of the building increases and the sizes of the corridors and internal courtyards adjacent to the entrances.
- A fire occurred inside the building.
- The presence of places that cannot be adapted to on the ground floor of the building due to a defect in the air conditioning extensions.
The presence of fans and extractors that work continuously has the capacity to draw more air from the adaptation.
Note: The modern hoods used for kitchens work with high efficiency and are supported by additional ventilation outlets that prevent the occurrence of a large negative pressure effect on the place.
Positive pressure: It is the movement of air from inside to outside the building thanks to the work of fans and air conditioners to prevent the leakage of hot outside air to the inside. The building can be under high positive pressure due to fans distributed on the ceilings and walls of that building for the purpose of constantly renewing the indoor air. The movement of air from the inside to the outside of the building may be undesirable, but it occurs due to an increase in the number of fans and air conditioners needed or an imbalance in the distribution of air inside the building.
- To get the best performance from air curtains in commercial places, it is always preferable to maintain an internal pressure slightly greater than the external atmospheric pressure, which ensures that the air barrier emerging from the air curtain is strengthened by the constant atmospheric variables to prevent the outside air from leaking into the interior.
- Air curtains manufactured by certified companies have a much greater ability than cheap curtains to keep the indoor atmosphere isolated from the outside thanks to the multiplicity of technologies and properties of speed control and the thickness and quantity of the air current.
5- Methods and means of control
With the continuous progress and development of smart systems, controlling air curtains to obtain better efficiency at the lowest cost is not difficult with the variety of accessories and control units. It is worth noting that air curtains have become required to serve more than a hundred activities thanks to the multiplicity of technologies and options. These techniques and accessories differ from one type to another according to the need for them:
Control method: There are several ways to control the air curtain, including:
Wired control unit with curtain device.
Remote control (remote control).
- A multi-functional wall control panel that allows the user to better control the air curtain by linking it with smart building control systems (BMS).
- Multi-speed electric wall switch (Switch).
Air curtain door sensor: With its presence, the air curtain operates automatically with the door open and comes in several types:
- Magnetic.
- compressor .
- The round head operates with the movement of the door.
Motion sensor.
Cooling and Heating: Air curtain producers have developed several methods for cooling and heating the air barrier emerging from the air curtains through cooling and heating units installed internally or externally. It various from one type to another according to the type, size and activity of the air curtain. The goal is to heat and cool the air entering through the doors to increase the efficiency of the air conditioning.
Filters: Filters are mostly used to protect the interior curtain parts (engines, electrical parts, cooling and heating units). Its types differ according to the type of air curtain. It can be cleaned and reused repeatedly, and the cleaning time is scheduled based on the place and periods of use. In industrial environments, it is often dispensed with due to the presence of engines that are not affected by external factors.
Air curtain structure: The external structure can be made of one piece or several assembled pieces and is made of galvanized iron, steel, aluminum, fiber or copper. Galvanized iron is dominant in most types and steel is made for places with an acidic or very humid environment.
Types of engines: The type and origin of engines contribute to a large extent to determining the value of the air curtain because they are the main controllers of its life. In all types of fans, the power of the fans must be sufficient to deliver the air current to the threshold at a constant speed:
Tangential
Small in size and low in cost, but requires constant maintenance
Centrifugal
It gives more air with a greater extension, its price is higher and it does not require maintenance
Axial
It is used in industrial air curtains and has a strong ability to withstand harsh environments
Belt Drive
It is used for giant doors and needs constant maintenance and replacement of the belt
Noise Calibrator: Fans produce the sound of noise! But the reason for the high noise is the movement of air through the entrances and exits of the air curtain. The permissible noise standards differ from one place to another. In warehouses and factories, high noise does not affect the environment of the place, unlike the environment of centers and public buildings that do not allow the noise standard to exceed 62 decibels.
When installing more than one air curtain to protect one door, the noise level shall be increased by at least 2 decibels. In most cases, the air curtains do not comply with the permissible noise standards due to the negligence of the owners of the malls when purchasing them, which makes them a source of nuisance and are always turned off.