For engineers, designers, and contractors, determining the right HVAC system for their commercial and industrial building projects is critically important. An air curtain may be a small part of a building’s HVAC package, but it can help turn a good building design into a great building design. Many commercial HVAC systems require additional products to ensure that they provide the intended results, and even enhance the environment, such as maintaining the temperature-controlled air within the building’s footprint and reducing the building’s total energy consumption. One of those key products is an air curtain. An air curtain produces an invisible shield of air that separates the climate-controlled indoor air from the non-conditioned outdoor air. Air curtains are also very effective in minimizing the infiltration of flying insects and other windborne contaminants, such as dust and fumes.
When specifying air curtains, engineers, designers, and contractors must consider numerous factors, the opening’s dimensions and orientation, and the air curtain’s application (thermal migration, flying insects, dust, fumes, etc.). Additionally, the air curtain may be required to integrate with the building’s existing HVAC equipment, as well as the building’s structural, architectural, and electrical designs. It is also not uncommon for air curtains to be integrated into the building management system (BMS).