Air curtains - Systema's solution for reducing heat loss in industrial buildings

Radiant heating and blow heating in large buildings

The heating of medium- and high-rise areas requires unconventional solutions in order to minimise the operating costs of the facilities. Traditional heating system solutions practically do not allow the required temperatures to be reached in large and high spaces. Such solutions are practically impossible to achieve the required and compliant temperatures.

When designing a project, the designer's priority is to ensure that the air parameters in the building are correct, in accordance with the standard requirements for the building. This means correctly dimensioning the heat requirements of the rooms and selecting the number of infrared heaters or air heaters with a specific output and blowing range to ensure a comfortable temperature for the occupants.

When analysing the economic question, an important aspect for the investor is the costs incurred for the investment as well as the subsequent operating costs. Increased costs for e.g. gas or electricity consumption are compounded by the costs of heat losses covered by the increased consumption of the heat source. Doorways in large-scale buildings are very often not only opened, but also remain open for long periods of time. In this way, warm air escapes to the outside of the building during winter and hot air and insects enter the building in summer.

A practical and, above all, engineering solution to this issue is the installation of air curtains.

Air curtains - the need for them in industrial buildings and logistics parks

Air curtain is a complementary product to the heating system for large buildings. Air curtains are used to separate rooms with two different temperatures by limiting the exchange of air between the room or room and the outside environment.

For frequently opened doorways air curtain prevents heat loss due to cold air entering the building through doorways in winter and warm air in summer. In addition, the air curtain provides a barrier against the entry of insects or other pollutants into the building protected by such a device.

An air curtain used indoors prevents the exchange of heat between two rooms with different temperatures without the need to install doors, which are impossible to install due to the purpose of these rooms.

Air curtains - principle of operation

Air curtains are equipped with fans specially designed and made for them and driven by an electric motor. The fans (2 to 8 in number) produce an air stream that passes through a suitably designed discharge gap. This results in a blowing of air along the opening or gate, which provides a stable and interference-resistant air barrier at a speed that allows effective protection along the entire length / width of the opening.

Air curtain - selection and installation

Air curtains are selected for their specific installation location. The height of the doorway determines the choice of air curtain model. The width of the entrance determines the number of air curtains used. If a single air curtain is narrower than the entrance, two independent air curtains are installed opposite each other.

Air curtains are designed for installation inside buildings, rooms and not outdoors. Air curtains require an environment that is not directly exposed to the weather (e.g. rain or snow) and in rooms where there is no danger of explosion.

SV air curtains can be installed both horizontally and vertically. The correct installation distances from building partitions must be observed to ensure optimum operation and maximum performance.

Technical considerations

When using air curtains, it is important to bear in mind the negative pressure in the building, which may affect the effectiveness of the air curtain. It is important in this case to design the ventilation system in such a way that the amount of mechanically exhausted air is balanced by a similar amount of supply air.

Air curtain - available models Systema Polska

Series SV air curtains by Systema Polska consists of thirteen models, from the SV 14 to the SV 55. The air curtains are manufactured in modular units of 2 to 8 modules. Depending on the model, the width of the module is 0.65m, 0.7m and 0.8m. On request, we can customise the dimensions of the air curtains within a length range of 0.65 m to 6 m with an accuracy of 5 cm.

The smallest model of the SV14 air curtain is equipped with 2 Ø 450 mm fans, while the largest model is equipped with 8 Ø 450 mm fans. The air flow achieved by the SV air curtains ranges from 6,000 m3/h to 23,000 m3/h.

The modular housing allows any jet discharge dimension between 1.3 m and 6 m to be achieved.

The casing of the air curtains is made of galvanised steel, powder-coated with high-quality polyester lacquer.

Air curtains are not relatively heavy appliances, the largest model weighing 200 kg. However, their dimensions usually require dedicated delivery by truck.

Hot air curtains are individually designed to customer requirements. Usually, hot air curtains are equipped with gas-fired air heaters.

Air curtains We divide hot and cold air curtains according to the heater used or not used.

Available accessories for air curtains

Air curtains require no special servicing of the unit. They do, however, require an electrical connection to a transformer speed controller. The speed controller requires a current intensity that is sufficient to protect the air curtain. Systema Polska has several speed transformer regulators in its product range, thus allowing the exact choice of regulator(s) to be made not only from a technical, but also from an economic point of view.

Summary

Air curtains are often underestimated by designers, investors and facility owners alike. This is the result of a number of factors, not only economic, or should we say increased investment.

„Problematic” is not only the issue of „open doors” in winter and the intrusion of outside air into the building, which causes thermal discomfort for the people in the area. Air curtains go a long way towards eliminating the impact of external factors on energy consumption.

On the other hand, the purpose of the building, the impossibility of installing an actual building envelope, precisely because of the purpose of the building, means that they are also increasingly used in logistics facilities and industrial halls.

They are most often installed to prevent the influx of cold air in winter and the ingress of hot air in summer, forgetting another important aspect. Air curtains work well as a barrier against the influx of outside exhaust gases, dust and pollutants and insects.