Abstract:
Abstract: Vertical air curtains are often used to separate two different zones to reduce contaminant
transfer or even to provide aerodynamic sealing from one zone to the other. In this isothermal
full-size experimental research work, the contaminant transfer between zones is reduced using an
air extraction from the “contaminated” compartment and an air curtain. This work correlates the
minimum exhaust air flow rate required to reach the aerodynamic sealing at the opening connecting
two different zones with the jet nozzle velocity for small nozzle thicknesses (5 mm, 10 mm and
16 mm), particularly for Reynolds numbers below 3800. Following the experimental study, a general
physical law that relates the jet parameters (angle, nozzle thickness and jet velocity at the nozzle)
with the average velocity through the opening (for the condition of acceptable contaminant tightness)
was obtained. The results showed that the average velocity of the flow across a door protected by an
air curtain required to keep the aerodynamic sealing varies linearly with Re. The slope, however, is
different below and above Re = 3820.
