air curtain ventilation

In typical Chinese commercial kitchens, the large amount of heat and moisture that is generated must be removed. The ventilation and energy consumption rates can be huge. Middle and small scale commercial kitchens in China produce an exhaust airflow rate so large that without a reasonably effective ventilation system, the temperature and contaminant concentrations are far more than acceptable levels. To fulfil all the requirements of indoor air conditioning in an economical manner, a new air distribution pattern called air curtain ventilation (ACV) is presented in this study.

This paper focuses on the performance of a new air curtain ventilation system. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is used to visualize and investigate the airflow characteristic of an air curtain in an enclosure and the airflow pattern and temperature fields are measured and analyzed in detail. The air supply velocity and the slot inlet location were varied during the experimental process. The current results show that with the increase of air supply velocity the cooling effect in the occupied zone is further strengthened.

The air distribution characteristics formed by an "air curtain" ventilation approach are investigated in detail. The airflow visualization and full-scale experimental results of air distribution in an occupied zone are reported in this paper. The Coanda effect of air curtain ventilation and the spreading airflow over the floor in a room are demonstrated. Additionally, the "air lake" or "air pool" phenomenon created by air curtain ventilation resembles displaced air movement to some extent.