The electric thermal curtain is a device designed to protect heated rooms from air from the inside. Such devices can be used year-round. In winter, they perform the functions of heat shields, because the flow of heated air does not allow the outside to flow inside the room. In the summer, they perform similar tasks, only allow you to keep cool inside the air-conditioned space. The electric thermal curtain is mounted horizontally directly above the opening, or vertically from two or one side. Such decisions are quite relevant for shops, warehouses, kiosks, entertainment and cultural centers, consumer services premises.
Benefits
In addition to the main task set for this equipment, it also solves several secondary ones, including the prevention of drafts in the room, as well as the retention of dust and unpleasant odors from the outside. An electric thermal curtain will protect from annoying insects, as they simply can not get inside the room. With their help, it is possible to significantly reduce heat loss in rooms where doors are constantly opening. These are inconspicuous devices that do not pose any danger to humans. The presence of a thermostat allows us to ensure that the optimum temperature level is constantly maintained in the room automatically. These are safe devices that immediately turn off in case of overheating. An electric air-thermal curtain prevents drafts that occur in open window or door openings with a significant difference in temperature in the room and beyond.
Varieties
Such equipment can be of several types: mixing and sliding. The first type of curtain involves the dilution of cold air with a warm stream. The gate valves are placed in open apertures and strongly resist a warm air stream.
All thermal curtains are usually divided into three types: electric, water and air without heating. In this case, the first type is considered. The choice of the device should be based on a whole range of parameters, the first of which is length, then - productivity, power, control method, type of installation and type of heating elements.
Length
The electric thermal curtain (prices can vary greatly depending on the brand and capacity, amounting to at least 4,500 rubles) has a length of 600-2000 mm. The most common are devices within 800-1000 mm, which can be installed above a standard doorway. If the curtain is selected correctly, then its length should be equal to the width of the door or window opening, or slightly overlap it. If the doorway is too large, several devices are combined to obtain the desired result. Only in this way can one be sure of protecting the opening from the penetration of an air stream from the outside.
Performance
This parameter is the main one for any curtain, since the air flow rate, as well as the optimal installation height, depend on it. For example, with the task of protecting a standard doorway with a width of 0.8-1 meters at a height of 2.0-2.5 m, the Ballu electric curtain airs perfectly with a flow of 900-1200 m 3 / h. At the exit, the air flow rate in this case will be 8-10 m / s, and at the floor level - 2.5-3.5 m / s. But devices with such characteristics cost 500-700 dollars or more. That is why, in order to save money, devices with weaker characteristics are often installed, which are designed to protect openings with a height of 1.5 meters. In this case, the lower part of the opening will serve as a gate for air to enter from the outside, so the desired effect from the use of such equipment is only partially achieved. In the presence of a vestibule it is allowed to use Teplomash electric air curtains with low performance, as double doors already serve as an obstacle to cold air.
Installation height
Directories usually specify this parameter. Despite the fact that the installation height is completely dependent on the pumping and the length of the curtain, many manufacturers indicate different values of the minimum height for models of the same type. Domestic manufacturers usually indicate a higher installation height compared to foreign market leaders.
Turbine
This is a rather important structural element of such a device as a thermal curtain. The electrical layout of the turbine suggests that it is placed along the entire length of the device. In this case, the engine is mounted on the side. Since the manufacture of a turbine with a length of more than 800 mm is a rather complicated process in technological terms, some manufacturers switched to the use of a technical solution with a central location of the engine, on the sides of which there are two radial turbines. For example, some electric curtains electric KEV are designed according to this principle. So, the cost of the device has significantly decreased. However, this causes a failure in the central part of the air stream, due to which not only the protective properties of the flow are worsened, but also an uneven blowing of the heating element occurs. And this often leads to damage with subsequent failure.
Power of thermal curtain
In addition to the primary task of cutting off outdoor air, this device is able to heat indoor air. For reference, we can assume that heating 10 square meters of a room without heating with a ceiling height of 2.8-3 meters requires 1 kilowatt of power. That’s all - subject to high-quality thermal insulation of the ceiling and walls, since it is practically impossible to heat a temporary room. If the electric thermal curtain is installed in a well-heated room, then this function is completely optional, so you can choose the device with the lowest power, or just an air curtain. This is due to the fact that the main function of the device is performed by the air flow, and not its temperature, so the heating power is not the most important parameter.
Type of heating elements
Here we are talking about a heating element or a spiral. A spiral heater is a metal wire that is twisted into a spiral. This element is familiar to many in domestic "plate" heaters. The disadvantage of such a heating element is that it provides a high heating temperature, which burns oxygen and shortens the life of the device.
TEN is a more expensive and preferred option. This is a heating element made of wire or graphite, mounted inside a hollow metal tube with a diameter of about 10 mm. The free space is usually covered with quartz sand, characterized by high thermal conductivity. At the same time, it is possible to achieve a significant increase in the area of the heating surface, and this reduces the operating temperature. To further increase the heat dissipation of the heating element, a strip of metal is wound around it, which makes it look like a miniature round heating radiator.
disadvantages
All curtains with heating function have one feature - at the output of even the most powerful models, the air will be only warm, but not hot. For example, most often the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet does not exceed 21 degrees, which can easily be explained by such a high rate of blowing of the heating elements. That is why the thermal curtain cannot replace the heat gun or any other device for heating, where the blowing speed is several times lower and the air temperature is much higher.