US20180328610A1 - Air curtain apparatus - Google Patents
Air curtain apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20180328610A1 US20180328610A1 US15/976,017 US201815976017A US2018328610A1 US 20180328610 A1 US20180328610 A1 US 20180328610A1 US 201815976017 A US201815976017 A US 201815976017A US 2018328610 A1 US2018328610 A1 US 2018328610A1
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- Prior art keywords
- air curtain
- air
- curtain apparatus
- axial fan
- duct
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F9/00—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F9/00—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains
- F24F2009/005—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains combined with a door
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F9/00—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains
- F24F2009/007—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains using more than one jet or band in the air curtain
Definitions
- the present application relates to air curtain apparatuses of the type used to create an air curtain transverse to a door to limit air infiltration through the door.
- Air curtains also known as air doors, are conventionally used in industrial or commercial installations in which relatively large doors must be occasionally opened and therefore result in heat or energy losses.
- An air curtain is a continuous wide stream of air that forms a thermal barrier lessening heat loss through the open enclosure. Air curtains may be used when doors are repeatedly open, for example in a commercial building with high occupancy. Air curtain apparatuses create an air curtain, i.e., a flow of air across the opened door to limit energy loss to the exterior, whether it be heating energy loss or air conditioning energy loss.
- an air curtain apparatus comprising: a generally upstanding duct having an upper inlet and a lower inlet; a plurality of axial fan units connected side-by-side to a wall of the duct, the axial fan units having rotational axes parallel to one another to blow air from an interior of the duct in a flow direction generally parallel to rotational axes; and means to selectively close one of the inlets while opening the other of the inlets.
- an air curtain apparatus comprising: a generally horizontal duct having at least one inlet and defining at least one outlet in a wall thereof; a plurality of axial fan units mounted side-by-side across the at least one outlet defined in the wall of the duct, the axial fan units having rotational axes generally parallel to one another and side-by-side to blow air from an interior of the duct to an exterior of the duct; and at least one grill positioned adjacent to the axial fan units in a downstream flow path of the axial fan units, the at least one grill directing an air flow of the axial fan units into a downwardly directed air curtain.
- a method for creating an air curtain comprising: collecting air in a duct; exposing the air in the duct to side-by-side axial fan units blowing the air out of the duct in a downward direction; exposing the air blown downstream by the side-by-side axial fan units to at least one grill directing the air into forming an air curtain directed downwardly.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly fragmented, of an air curtain apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmented perspective view of an axial fan unit of the air curtain apparatus of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3A is a schematic view showing a use of the air curtain apparatus of FIG. 1 in a vertical arrangement relative to a door with ceiling air in the operation;
- FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the air curtain apparatus of FIG. 3A in a floor inlet operation
- FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the air curtain apparatus of FIG. 1 in a horizontal arrangement
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an air curtain apparatus used as a booster in a ventilation system.
- FIG. 6 is a schematic view the air curtain apparatus of FIG. 1 in a horizontal arrangement, with its air make-up unit.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown an air curtain apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure at 10 .
- the air curtain apparatus 10 is of the type that is used to create an air curtain in numerous different applications, especially in industrial and/or commercial settings, across closable openings, such as entrance/exit sliding doors ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ) and garage doors at reception docks or garages ( FIGS. 1 and 4 ). Other uses are contemplated as well.
- the expression air curtain is used herein although such apparatuses may also be known as air door, etc.
- the apparatus described herein is one that produces a continuous wide stream of air that forms a thermal barrier lessening heat loss through an open door or open enclosure.
- the air curtain apparatus 10 is shown having axial fan units 20 supported by an integrated duct 30 .
- the air curtain apparatus 10 may also comprise a supporting structure 40 ( FIG. 4 ), a trigger switch 50 ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ), heating coils 60 and a thermostat 70 .
- the air curtain apparatus 10 is constituted of multiple side-by-side axial fan units 20 , mounted to the integrated duct 30 , to form a self-supported upstanding structure.
- the axial fan units 20 are arranged to be side-by-side and thus form a stack ( FIG. 1 ) or row of axial fans depending on the orientation of the air curtain apparatus 10 , the air curtain apparatus 10 being in a vertical orientation in FIG. 1 .
- the air curtain apparatus 10 is said to be modular in that axial fan units 20 may readily be attached or detached from the air curtain apparatus 10 during manufacturing, to create air curtain apparatuses 10 of different heights (in the vertical orientation) or different length (for horizontal use).
- the axial fan units 20 are electrically wired so as to be independently powered (e.g., off the 120V general supply), such that failure of one of the axial fan units 20 does not cause a complete shutdown of the air curtain apparatus 10 .
- the air curtain apparatus 10 has a redundancy for continuous operation.
- the expression side-by-side may describe the fact that the axial fan units 20 are in a parallel arrangement relative to one another, as opposed to being serially arranged in a duct.
- Each of the axial fan units 20 is of the type having a square or rectangular housing 21 for a circular outlet 22 .
- a fan 23 blows air through the outlet 22 .
- the axial fan unit 20 is said to be axial in that an axis of rotation of the fan 23 is generally parallel to a flow direction out of the fan unit 20 .
- the axis of rotation of the axial fan unit 20 is generally shown at X in FIG. 2 , and this orientation is advantageous in that the side-by-side arrangement of axial fan units 20 is relatively compact compared to squirrel cages.
- the axial fan units 20 may be direct drive or pulley-driven units. In the shown embodiments, the axial fan unit 20 have their respective fan axes generally parallel to one another (i.e., parallel, quasi-parallel, within 10 degrees of bring parallel).
- grills 24 cover the various outlets 22 .
- a single grill 24 may be sized to cover multiple outlets 22 , but it is considered to provide one grill 24 per outlet 22 .
- the grill 24 is double louvered (also known as double louver grill or grille), with fixed vertical and horizontal louvers, to form a grid of square vents.
- the double louvered grill is arranged so as to direct the air flow in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the fans 23 .
- Other arrangements are considered, such as a louvered grill, circular grill, etc.
- the air curtain apparatus 10 must create a flow that is parallel to a plane of an opening, and the axial fan units 20 are configured with the grills 24 and oriented to give the air flow this parallel direction. Accordingly, the air curtain is created by the concurrent action of the multiple axial fan units 20 all blowing air in the same direction.
- the axial fan units 20 may be inside to build pressure in the integrated duct 30 , with the air exiting through the grills 24 in a generally laminar stream as guided by the grills 24 .
- the double louvered grill 24 defines square or rectangular vents having dimensions ranging from 0.375′′ to 1.125′′ (e.g., 0.5′′ ⁇ 0.5′′) in length and width, with a depth of at least 0.25′′, to create the directional air flow.
- connection bars 25 may be used to align the axial fan units 20 in the side-by-side relationship shown.
- Other connection arrangements are contemplated, for instance using the structural integrity of the housings 21 or of the integrated duct 30 , among other possibilities.
- the integrated duct 30 is typically made of sheet metal that forms a passage for air.
- the fan units 20 are directly mounted to an opening in a wall of the integrated duct 30 , with necessary sealing to limit or avoid air leaks. Accordingly, the axial fan units 20 direct air from an interior of the integrated duct to an exterior thereof.
- the integrated duct 30 when the air curtain apparatus 10 is used in a vertical configuration as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 A/ 3 B, may have a lower or floor inlet 31 having its own louver 31 A and an upper or ceiling inlet 32 with its own louver 32 A ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ).
- the inlet 31 may be spaced from the floor and not directly on the floor and the ceiling inlet 32 may be spaced from the ceiling, not directly at the ceiling.
- the floor inlet 31 is at an end of the integrated duct 30 that is adjacent to the floor
- the ceiling inlet 32 is at an end of the integrated duct 30 that is adjacent to the ceiling.
- louvers are described, alternative components may be used, such as traps, doors, flaps, covers. For instance, it is considered to manually select and close/open the inlets with appropriate components.
- the louvers 31 A and 32 A are selectively actuated based on the conditions of operation. For instance, it is known that hot air has a lower density than cold air. In the winter months, the air curtain apparatus 10 may close the lower louver 31 A and open the upper louver 32 A to force warmer air into the integrated duct 30 as shown in FIG. 3A . In such winter use, hot air may be blown across the door to limit infiltration of cold air. Likewise, in summer months in which a dwelling is air-conditioned, the lower louver 31 A may be opened while the upper louver 32 A may be closed to force cold air across the opening of a door and thus prevent hot air infiltration or cold air escape.
- the operation of the louvers 31 A and 32 A may be commanded by the thermostat 70 that measures the outdoor temperature and therefore controls the louvers 31 A and 32 A as a function of the exterior temperature.
- the trigger switch 50 may determine when the air curtain apparatus 10 is to be used.
- the trigger switch 50 may be a position switch that automatically opens the air curtain apparatus 10 when the door is opened, a limit switch that is triggered by movement of a door, or an optical switch that views the door opening.
- heating coils 60 located in the air curtain apparatus 10 .
- the heating coils may be electric coils, or may also refrigerant or coolant coils, or gas burner coil, in which a fluid circulates for heat exchange with the air. It is also considered to have coils of refrigerant from a refrigeration system passing the air curtain apparatus 10 to condition the air before forming the air curtain.
- the various axial fan units 20 of the air curtain apparatus 10 are independently connected to the power system, such that failure of one of the axial fan units 20 will not result in a complete outage of the air curtain apparatus 10 .
- the axial fan units 20 may be controlled in speed by a common rheostat adjusting a powering of the axial fan units 20 .
- the axial fan units 20 may be calibrated to operate within a given decibel level.
- FIG. 4 an alternative embodiment is shown, in which the air curtain apparatus 10 is oriented horizontally.
- the air curtain apparatus 10 is oriented horizontally.
- there may be no need for an integrated duct 30 as the integrated duct 30 is particularly useful to get inlet air at different locations, i.e., the ground or the ceiling. It is however considered to provide the air curtain apparatus 10 with a duct.
- a duct may bend to have a floor inlet for summer use, for example.
- the supporting structure 40 is used to overhang the axial fan portion of the apparatus 10 above the opening.
- the supporting structure 40 comprises chains supporting the axial fan units 20 at a given distance from the ceiling (e.g., at least 12′′).
- the air curtain apparatus 10 supplies itself with warmer air mass that accumulates at the ceiling.
- the air curtain apparatus 10 may have access to sufficiently warm air to operate in winter conditions without having to further heat the air. It is also contemplated to provide a heating coil(s) 60 in a duct of the air curtain apparatus 10 as mounted horizontally as in FIG. 4 .
- a plurality of the axial fan units 20 in the side-by-side arrangement are mounted to a ventilation duct 80 of the main ventilation system.
- An adaptor 81 may be used depending on the shape of the ventilation duct 80 .
- the axial fan units 20 act as a booster on the ventilation system to create the air curtain. It may be necessary to add other components to the ventilation system considering the suction that will be caused by the boosting, such as air intakes, louvers, automatic on/off switches, etc.
- the axial fans may be in the duct 80 , with the double louvered grills 24 being surface mounted or being connected to the adaptor 81 .
- the air curtain apparatuses 10 share a common dedicated ventilation system including a rooftop air make-up unit 90 .
- the air make-up unit 90 feeds off outside air, and may have an integrated fan 91 , to supply the integrated duct with air pressure.
- the integrated fan 91 may be any appropriate type of fan, such as a squirrel cage fan, or one or more of the axial fan units 20 .
- the air make-up unit 90 may have a heating coil(s) 60 . The air curtain apparatuses 10 then create the appropriate flow and curtain effect.
- the air curtain apparatus 10 described herein may have different characteristics in comparison to other air curtain systems, such as those including squirrel cage fans.
- the air curtain apparatus 10 of the present disclosure is more compact, lighter, and may be less expensive, with an effective flow rate to energy consumption rapport.
- the axial fan units 20 are capable of being subjected to relatively high levels of static pressure, enabling their use in the arrangement of FIG. 5 , for example, in ventilation ducts 80 , in a retrofit manner for example.
- the air curtain apparatus 10 operates a method for creating an air curtain, by collecting air in a duct; exposing the air in the duct to side-by-side axial fan units blowing the air out of the duct in a downward direction; exposing the air blown downstream by the side-by-side axial fan units to at least one grill directing the air into forming an air curtain directed downwardly.
- Collecting air in the duct includes inletting air from an air mass gathered proximal to and below a ceiling.
- Collecting air in the duct includes inletting air proximally to a floor. Inletting air proximally to the floor and inletting air from the air mass gathered proximal to and below the ceiling are selected as a function of a temperature.
- Collecting air in the duct includes collecting air from an existing ventilation system.
- Collecting air in the duct includes collecting air from a rooftop make-up air unit. Exposing the air in the duct to side-by-side axial fan units is performed when a door opening is detected.
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Abstract
Description
- The present application claims priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/504,161, filed on May 10, 2017.
- The present application relates to air curtain apparatuses of the type used to create an air curtain transverse to a door to limit air infiltration through the door.
- Air curtains, also known as air doors, are conventionally used in industrial or commercial installations in which relatively large doors must be occasionally opened and therefore result in heat or energy losses. An air curtain is a continuous wide stream of air that forms a thermal barrier lessening heat loss through the open enclosure. Air curtains may be used when doors are repeatedly open, for example in a commercial building with high occupancy. Air curtain apparatuses create an air curtain, i.e., a flow of air across the opened door to limit energy loss to the exterior, whether it be heating energy loss or air conditioning energy loss.
- Conventional air curtains use squirrel cage ventilators. However, such squirrel cage ventilators are relatively voluminous and heavy, difficultly scalable, whereby there is room for improvement.
- It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a novel air curtain apparatus, addressing issues related to the prior art.
- Therefore, in accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an air curtain apparatus comprising: a generally upstanding duct having an upper inlet and a lower inlet; a plurality of axial fan units connected side-by-side to a wall of the duct, the axial fan units having rotational axes parallel to one another to blow air from an interior of the duct in a flow direction generally parallel to rotational axes; and means to selectively close one of the inlets while opening the other of the inlets.
- In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an air curtain apparatus comprising: a generally horizontal duct having at least one inlet and defining at least one outlet in a wall thereof; a plurality of axial fan units mounted side-by-side across the at least one outlet defined in the wall of the duct, the axial fan units having rotational axes generally parallel to one another and side-by-side to blow air from an interior of the duct to an exterior of the duct; and at least one grill positioned adjacent to the axial fan units in a downstream flow path of the axial fan units, the at least one grill directing an air flow of the axial fan units into a downwardly directed air curtain.
- In accordance with yet another embodiment, there is provided a method for creating an air curtain comprising: collecting air in a duct; exposing the air in the duct to side-by-side axial fan units blowing the air out of the duct in a downward direction; exposing the air blown downstream by the side-by-side axial fan units to at least one grill directing the air into forming an air curtain directed downwardly.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly fragmented, of an air curtain apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmented perspective view of an axial fan unit of the air curtain apparatus ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3A is a schematic view showing a use of the air curtain apparatus ofFIG. 1 in a vertical arrangement relative to a door with ceiling air in the operation; -
FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the air curtain apparatus ofFIG. 3A in a floor inlet operation; -
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the air curtain apparatus ofFIG. 1 in a horizontal arrangement; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an air curtain apparatus used as a booster in a ventilation system; and -
FIG. 6 is a schematic view the air curtain apparatus ofFIG. 1 in a horizontal arrangement, with its air make-up unit. - Referring to the drawings and, more particularly, to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown an air curtain apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure at 10. Theair curtain apparatus 10 is of the type that is used to create an air curtain in numerous different applications, especially in industrial and/or commercial settings, across closable openings, such as entrance/exit sliding doors (FIGS. 3A and 3B ) and garage doors at reception docks or garages (FIGS. 1 and 4 ). Other uses are contemplated as well. For clarity and consistency, the expression air curtain is used herein although such apparatuses may also be known as air door, etc. The apparatus described herein is one that produces a continuous wide stream of air that forms a thermal barrier lessening heat loss through an open door or open enclosure. - Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , theair curtain apparatus 10 is shown havingaxial fan units 20 supported by an integratedduct 30. Theair curtain apparatus 10 may also comprise a supporting structure 40 (FIG. 4 ), a trigger switch 50 (FIGS. 3A and 3B ),heating coils 60 and athermostat 70. - Referring to
FIG. 1 , theair curtain apparatus 10 is constituted of multiple side-by-sideaxial fan units 20, mounted to the integratedduct 30, to form a self-supported upstanding structure. Theaxial fan units 20 are arranged to be side-by-side and thus form a stack (FIG. 1 ) or row of axial fans depending on the orientation of theair curtain apparatus 10, theair curtain apparatus 10 being in a vertical orientation inFIG. 1 . Theair curtain apparatus 10 is said to be modular in thataxial fan units 20 may readily be attached or detached from theair curtain apparatus 10 during manufacturing, to createair curtain apparatuses 10 of different heights (in the vertical orientation) or different length (for horizontal use). Moreover, in an embodiment, theaxial fan units 20 are electrically wired so as to be independently powered (e.g., off the 120V general supply), such that failure of one of theaxial fan units 20 does not cause a complete shutdown of theair curtain apparatus 10. Hence, theair curtain apparatus 10 has a redundancy for continuous operation. The expression side-by-side may describe the fact that theaxial fan units 20 are in a parallel arrangement relative to one another, as opposed to being serially arranged in a duct. - Each of the
axial fan units 20 is of the type having a square orrectangular housing 21 for acircular outlet 22. Afan 23 blows air through theoutlet 22. Theaxial fan unit 20 is said to be axial in that an axis of rotation of thefan 23 is generally parallel to a flow direction out of thefan unit 20. The axis of rotation of theaxial fan unit 20 is generally shown at X inFIG. 2 , and this orientation is advantageous in that the side-by-side arrangement ofaxial fan units 20 is relatively compact compared to squirrel cages. Theaxial fan units 20 may be direct drive or pulley-driven units. In the shown embodiments, theaxial fan unit 20 have their respective fan axes generally parallel to one another (i.e., parallel, quasi-parallel, within 10 degrees of bring parallel). - Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 ,grills 24 cover thevarious outlets 22. As show inFIG. 2 , asingle grill 24 may be sized to covermultiple outlets 22, but it is considered to provide onegrill 24 peroutlet 22. According to an embodiment, thegrill 24 is double louvered (also known as double louver grill or grille), with fixed vertical and horizontal louvers, to form a grid of square vents. The double louvered grill is arranged so as to direct the air flow in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of thefans 23. Other arrangements are considered, such as a louvered grill, circular grill, etc. Theair curtain apparatus 10 must create a flow that is parallel to a plane of an opening, and theaxial fan units 20 are configured with thegrills 24 and oriented to give the air flow this parallel direction. Accordingly, the air curtain is created by the concurrent action of the multipleaxial fan units 20 all blowing air in the same direction. As an alternative embodiment, theaxial fan units 20 may be inside to build pressure in the integratedduct 30, with the air exiting through thegrills 24 in a generally laminar stream as guided by thegrills 24. In an embodiment, the doublelouvered grill 24 defines square or rectangular vents having dimensions ranging from 0.375″ to 1.125″ (e.g., 0.5″×0.5″) in length and width, with a depth of at least 0.25″, to create the directional air flow. - Referring to
FIG. 2 ,connection bars 25 may be used to align theaxial fan units 20 in the side-by-side relationship shown. Other connection arrangements are contemplated, for instance using the structural integrity of thehousings 21 or of the integratedduct 30, among other possibilities. - The integrated
duct 30 is typically made of sheet metal that forms a passage for air. Thefan units 20 are directly mounted to an opening in a wall of the integratedduct 30, with necessary sealing to limit or avoid air leaks. Accordingly, theaxial fan units 20 direct air from an interior of the integrated duct to an exterior thereof. The integratedduct 30, when theair curtain apparatus 10 is used in a vertical configuration as inFIGS. 1, 2 and 3A/3B, may have a lower orfloor inlet 31 having itsown louver 31A and an upper orceiling inlet 32 with itsown louver 32A (FIGS. 3A and 3B ). Although the expressions “floor” and “ceiling” are used, it is pointed out that theinlet 31 may be spaced from the floor and not directly on the floor and theceiling inlet 32 may be spaced from the ceiling, not directly at the ceiling. In other words, thefloor inlet 31 is at an end of the integratedduct 30 that is adjacent to the floor, whereas theceiling inlet 32 is at an end of the integratedduct 30 that is adjacent to the ceiling. Moreover, although louvers are described, alternative components may be used, such as traps, doors, flaps, covers. For instance, it is considered to manually select and close/open the inlets with appropriate components. - The
louvers air curtain apparatus 10 may close thelower louver 31A and open theupper louver 32A to force warmer air into theintegrated duct 30 as shown inFIG. 3A . In such winter use, hot air may be blown across the door to limit infiltration of cold air. Likewise, in summer months in which a dwelling is air-conditioned, thelower louver 31A may be opened while theupper louver 32A may be closed to force cold air across the opening of a door and thus prevent hot air infiltration or cold air escape. - The operation of the
louvers thermostat 70 that measures the outdoor temperature and therefore controls thelouvers trigger switch 50 may determine when theair curtain apparatus 10 is to be used. Thetrigger switch 50 may be a position switch that automatically opens theair curtain apparatus 10 when the door is opened, a limit switch that is triggered by movement of a door, or an optical switch that views the door opening. - Additional heat or cold may be provided by
heating coils 60 located in theair curtain apparatus 10. For example, the heating coils may be electric coils, or may also refrigerant or coolant coils, or gas burner coil, in which a fluid circulates for heat exchange with the air. It is also considered to have coils of refrigerant from a refrigeration system passing theair curtain apparatus 10 to condition the air before forming the air curtain. - According to an embodiment, the various
axial fan units 20 of theair curtain apparatus 10 are independently connected to the power system, such that failure of one of theaxial fan units 20 will not result in a complete outage of theair curtain apparatus 10. Theaxial fan units 20 may be controlled in speed by a common rheostat adjusting a powering of theaxial fan units 20. In an embodiment, theaxial fan units 20 may be calibrated to operate within a given decibel level. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , an alternative embodiment is shown, in which theair curtain apparatus 10 is oriented horizontally. In such a case, there may be no need for anintegrated duct 30, as theintegrated duct 30 is particularly useful to get inlet air at different locations, i.e., the ground or the ceiling. It is however considered to provide theair curtain apparatus 10 with a duct. Such a duct may bend to have a floor inlet for summer use, for example. The supporting structure 40 is used to overhang the axial fan portion of theapparatus 10 above the opening. For example, the supporting structure 40 comprises chains supporting theaxial fan units 20 at a given distance from the ceiling (e.g., at least 12″). The arrangement ofFIG. 4 is particularly well suited to operate in winter, as theair curtain apparatus 10 supplies itself with warmer air mass that accumulates at the ceiling. Hence, theair curtain apparatus 10 may have access to sufficiently warm air to operate in winter conditions without having to further heat the air. It is also contemplated to provide a heating coil(s) 60 in a duct of theair curtain apparatus 10 as mounted horizontally as inFIG. 4 . - Referring to
FIG. 5 , in accordance with another embodiment, a plurality of theaxial fan units 20 in the side-by-side arrangement are mounted to aventilation duct 80 of the main ventilation system. Anadaptor 81 may be used depending on the shape of theventilation duct 80. In such an arrangement, theaxial fan units 20 act as a booster on the ventilation system to create the air curtain. It may be necessary to add other components to the ventilation system considering the suction that will be caused by the boosting, such as air intakes, louvers, automatic on/off switches, etc. In the embodiment ofFIG. 5 , the axial fans may be in theduct 80, with the doublelouvered grills 24 being surface mounted or being connected to theadaptor 81. - Referring to
FIG. 6 , in accordance with yet another embodiment, theair curtain apparatuses 10 share a common dedicated ventilation system including a rooftop air make-upunit 90. The air make-upunit 90 feeds off outside air, and may have an integratedfan 91, to supply the integrated duct with air pressure. Theintegrated fan 91 may be any appropriate type of fan, such as a squirrel cage fan, or one or more of theaxial fan units 20. The air make-upunit 90 may have a heating coil(s) 60. Theair curtain apparatuses 10 then create the appropriate flow and curtain effect. - The
air curtain apparatus 10 described herein may have different characteristics in comparison to other air curtain systems, such as those including squirrel cage fans. For example, theair curtain apparatus 10 of the present disclosure is more compact, lighter, and may be less expensive, with an effective flow rate to energy consumption rapport. Theaxial fan units 20 are capable of being subjected to relatively high levels of static pressure, enabling their use in the arrangement ofFIG. 5 , for example, inventilation ducts 80, in a retrofit manner for example. - Therefore, the
air curtain apparatus 10 operates a method for creating an air curtain, by collecting air in a duct; exposing the air in the duct to side-by-side axial fan units blowing the air out of the duct in a downward direction; exposing the air blown downstream by the side-by-side axial fan units to at least one grill directing the air into forming an air curtain directed downwardly. Collecting air in the duct includes inletting air from an air mass gathered proximal to and below a ceiling. Collecting air in the duct includes inletting air proximally to a floor. Inletting air proximally to the floor and inletting air from the air mass gathered proximal to and below the ceiling are selected as a function of a temperature. Collecting air in the duct includes collecting air from an existing ventilation system. Collecting air in the duct includes collecting air from a rooftop make-up air unit. Exposing the air in the duct to side-by-side axial fan units is performed when a door opening is detected.
Claims (19)
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US15/976,017 US20180328610A1 (en) | 2017-05-10 | 2018-05-10 | Air curtain apparatus |
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US201762504161P | 2017-05-10 | 2017-05-10 | |
US15/976,017 US20180328610A1 (en) | 2017-05-10 | 2018-05-10 | Air curtain apparatus |
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Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN114161914A (en) * | 2021-12-31 | 2022-03-11 | 南华大学 | Air curtain system and vaccine vehicle |
US20230072381A1 (en) * | 2020-02-25 | 2023-03-09 | Byoung Woo Kim | Air curtain system including plant cultivation device for air purification |
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- 2018-05-10 US US15/976,017 patent/US20180328610A1/en not_active Abandoned
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Cited By (2)
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US20230072381A1 (en) * | 2020-02-25 | 2023-03-09 | Byoung Woo Kim | Air curtain system including plant cultivation device for air purification |
CN114161914A (en) * | 2021-12-31 | 2022-03-11 | 南华大学 | Air curtain system and vaccine vehicle |
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