Behavior of an Air Curtain Subjected to Transversal Pressure Variations

The mass transfer and the influence of sudden external perturbations on the behavior of an air curtain are evaluated by means of experimental and numerical studies. The air curtain, consisting of a plane air jet, is combined with a laminar flow unit. They constitute an "open" protection device intended to protect a localized area against any external airborne contamination. The external perturbations are characterized by fast pressure changes, such as drafts which can be experienced in a room. Numerical and experimental results both show that the air jet is strongly perturbed by the pressure gradient in the lateral direction. The jet is subjected to a brutal back and forth motion, breaks, and generates a swirl which is responsible for pollution entrainment inside the protected area. Gas concentration measurements suggested that there is an inlet jet velocity for which the pollution is minimal. These experimental results, corresponding to a strongly unsteady flow, were qualitatively well-predicted by the standard k- model.