Comparison OLEFINI XEH XEH-08L/R vs OLEFINI Mini 800 Mini 800S

The highest heating power provided by a air curtain.

The simplest general rule for the selection of heaters is that for 2.5 – 3 m3 of heated space in a room with good thermal insulation, it is necessary to have at least 100 W of thermal power. In other words, for rooms with a standard ceiling of 2.5 m, one can proceed from the formula of 100 W per 1 m2 of area.

At the same time, it must be taken into account that the air curtain's purpose is not so much to heat the premises but to prevent the entry of outside air into them through open openings. Therefore, the main performance specs for such units are airflow rate and range (see below), and it makes sense to pay close attention to the heat output only if it is planned to use the air curtain also as the main heater. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that part of the power (sometimes very significant) can be lost especially when it comes to a frequently opening door without a vestibule. If other sources of heating are used in the room, the power of the air curtain can be quite low.

Anyway, to calculate the optimal values of heat output, it is best to use special formulas (or entrust the calculations to a specialist) — so that, on the one hand, the device successfully handles its tasks, and on the other hand, does not consume excess electricity, because energy consumption is directly related to the intensity of heating. (See "Fan power" for details on...electricity consumption.)

Also note that for water-type models (see above), the actual heat output depends on several external factors: the type of coolant, its temperature, the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet, etc. Therefore, the heat output given in the official specifications is quite approximate and does not always correspond to practical indicators.

The supply voltage means the type of power supply required for the normal operation of the air curtain. 230 V and 400 V networks differ not only in operating voltage but also in connection format.

— Single-phase (230 V). Traditional household mains 230 V, from which ordinary sockets are powered. 230 V mains are extremely widespread, they are present in almost all rooms that have electricity at all. The main disadvantage of such a power supply is poor suitability for electrical (see "Type") high power units. Already with a heat output of more than 5 kW, the air curtain must be connected in a special way, a regular socket is not suitable for this, and values of more than 10 kW are practically not found among models powered by 230 V.

— Three-phase (400 V). Mains for 400 V provide a high power supply — loads of tens or even hundreds of kilowatts can be connected to them, which makes this option very convenient for high-performance air curtains. On the other hand, a three-phase connection is much less common than a single-phase connection; its presence is typical for premises designed for industrial equipment: workshops, large trading floors, etc.

The amount of air that the air curtain can drive through itself in a certain time (usually indicated on an hourly basis).

Performance is one of the main parameters that determine the efficiency of the air curtain. The optimal value of this parameter depends primarily on the size of the door to be blocked. However, when calculating, it is also necessary to take into account several additional issues: the width and general configuration of the door, the presence of a vestibule, etc. Specific recommendations for calculating the required performance can be obtained from special sources or heating engineers.

The highest airflow speed that a air curtain is capable of delivering.

Usually, the speed is measured directly at the outlet because airflow weakens with distance. The practical significance of this parameter is that high speed has a positive effect on performance (see above) and range (see below) because a highspeed air curtain drives a lot of air through itself, and the airflow travels a long distance. At the same time, note that models with the same airflow speed may differ markedly in other performance specs due to differences in design and technology. Therefore, we can say that this parameter is of secondary importance and only complements the range and performance data.

Additional functions provided in the design of the air curtain.

— Air heating. The ability to use the unit for heating the air. Despite their name, not all over-door heaters have this function — many of them are not heaters, but rather "air" curtains. It is because the main task of any curtain is to cover open openings, and not to heat the room. Nevertheless, air heating not only allows the air curtain to be used as a heater (additional, or even the main one) but also increases the efficiency of its main purpose in cold weather.

— Thermostat. The presence in the design of the thermal curtain of a thermostat — a device for adjusting the outlet air temperature. This function is found only in models with heating mode (see above); it allows you to adjust the temperature in such a way as to ensure efficient and comfortable operation of the curtain and, at the same time, avoid unnecessary consumption of electrical or thermal energy (depending on the type of curtain, see above).

— Overheat protection. The presence of a safety system that protects the thermal curtain from overheating during operation. Overheating can occur for various reasons: clogged or blocked air ducts, electrical circuit failures, etc. However, it is a sign of an emergency and can lead to unpleasant consequences — up to accidents with injuries to people. Special protection avoi...ds these consequences: it turns off the device when the temperature rises critically.

— Remote control. Presence of the remote control in a set of delivery of an air curtain. The ability to control the unit from a distance is very convenient, and it can be especially useful for thermal curtains installed in hard-to-reach places — for example, at high altitudes, where it is simply impossible to reach without a ladder or other devices.

General dimensions of the over-door heaters. The amount of space occupied by the unit during installation depends on the dimensions, but also the dimensions of the space it covers — namely the width of the airflow (or height, if the flow is directed not down, but to the side). Most air curtains have characteristic elongated proportions, and the mentioned width/height corresponds to the largest dimension of the device.

Note that the width and height of the air curtain, in this case, are indicated for the standard installation method (see above): for example, devices installed on top will have a large width at a low height, and side ones vice versa. For models with universal mounting, the dimensions can be indicated in different ways, but it is usually not difficult to evaluate the characteristics of the flow in them if we take into account the elongated proportions described above — the largest dimension is usually the same as the width/height of the flow.

Features of choosing an air curtain in terms of dimensions (and, accordingly, the width of the covered space) also depend on the type of its installation. When mounted above the doorway, the width of the unit must be no less than the width of the doorway (and ideally, a little more, with some margin). If the curtain is installed on the side, it is enough that its height is 3/4 of the height of the opening — due to the peculiarities of the movement of heated air, this will completely cover the required space.