Numerical study on variations in the sealing performance of air curtains in large-scale factory opening considering various design factors

In large-scale factories, there are usually openings in the building to increase the efficiency of workers. However, if the factory is heated during winter, openings significantly increase the heating load. Therefore, there is a need for air curtains to be installed at the top of openings in factories to reduce the heating load due to the cold air entering from outside. The main design variables of these air curtains are the discharge angle, speed, and temperature, etc. While there have already been many studies focusing on these design variables, the distance from the opening and the width of the discharge have not been studied even though they also affect the sealing performance. As a result, when the distance from the opening decreases and the width of the discharge increases, we realize an optimum air curtain performance. However, if the distance from the opening is about 1.5 m, by adjusting the discharge angle and the distance from the opening, the sealing performance of the air curtain is improved by 13.7%.