Ambi-Rad, the leading UK-based manufacturer of radiant tube heating systems and a major distributor of other energy efficient heating and ventilation products, will put on display its Airblock curtain systems at the Big 5 show – which the company claims offers substantial savings in energy costs.

“Where external doors are in constant operation, the heat or conditioned air losses that result can inflate energy costs considerably,” says a company spokesman.
Airbloc air curtains, which have been extensively applied at some of the leading airports, plant and warehouse doors across the globe, offer an economical and fuel-saving solution.
One of the biggest challenges facing any company whose business operation requires the constant opening and closing of external doors is to maintain internal air conditions, he points out. Whether the interior is heated or air-conditioned, a considerable amount of energy is consumed in creating the appropriate air quality for the working environment. Air quality and comfort conditions are affected the moment the doors are opened, he says. 
Elaborating on the benefits of the system, he says: “Opening external doors creates a ‘wind tunnel’ effect. External air – whether cold or hot – is drawn in, immediately altering indoor temperatures and impacting comfort levels for staff. The heating or air-conditioning system has to work twice as hard to restore the working environment.
“If the doors are in constant use, opening and closing throughout the day, most heating or air-conditioning systems are unlikely to cope effectively. Overall energy consumption increases and internal conditions become uncomfortable for employees and customers as temperatures fluctuate.
“Comparative temperature readings for premises without an air curtain show appreciable fluctuations in temperature of between 4 deg C and 10 deg C within the building. With an air curtain, a difference of only 1deg C is the norm.”

Energy-saving alternative
The Airbloc range of air curtains for industrial and commercial applications offers a design solution that allows doorways to remain open with no appreciable detriment to internal comfort conditions or energy usage, says the spokesman.
The system, which can be heated or ambient (unheated) to suit the building’s requirement, can reduce energy loss from an open doorway by up to 80 per cent, he says. In new, well-insulated buildings Airbloc provides the final complement to the low energy concept.
Citing an example of a major application of the product, he says: “At Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong’s main airport, 56 Airbloc air curtains were installed in German national airline Lufthansa’s in-flight catering facility, where it is necessary to maintain cool internal temperatures while keeping out intense external humidity.”The doorways to the Lufthansa in-flight catering building are left open all day for deliveries, rendering it difficult to maintain air-conditioned comfort and forcing up fuel bills to keep the interior cool.  In addition, Hong Kong law demands that doorways to any food preparation area have to be protected to stop insects entering.
“The Airbloc air curtains were tailored to include built-in cooling coils to cope with extremes of heat. Air is drawn into the air curtain at approximately 21 deg C, and cooled to approximately 13 to 14 deg C as it is blown out. The air curtains are high effective and energy efficient.”
With constant use, high-speed or roller shutter doors can wear very quickly. Airbloc air curtains allow these doors to remain open all day, prolonging their life considerably by requiring just a single opening and closing of the doors each day, he concludes.