How Ulti HCR Air Doors Work: A Technical Overview

If you are looking for a way to improve the temperature and humidity control of your cooler and freezer doors, you might have heard of HCR Air Doors. These are innovative devices that create a curtain of high-velocity air across the entranceway, forming an invisible barrier that prevents heat loss and moisture build-up. But how do they work exactly? And what are the benefits of using them? In this blog post, we will answer these questions and provide a technical overview of how HCR Air Doors work.

 

What are HCR Air Doors?

HCR Air Doors are products of Jamison HCR Door Company, a leading manufacturer of cold storage doors and air doors. HCR stands for Horizontal, Curvilinear, and Recirculatory, which describe the key features of the air door design.

HCR Air Doors consist of two main components: a fan unit and a nozzle unit. The fan unit is mounted above the doorway and draws in air from the surrounding environment. The nozzle unit is attached to the fan unit and directs the air stream horizontally across the doorway in a curvilinear shape, to counteract the forces of the exfiltrating cold air, and infiltrating warm air into a freezer or cooler. The air stream then recirculates back to the fan unit, creating a closed loop system.

 

How do HCR Air Doors work?

The basic principle behind HCR Air Doors is to create a counter-flow force that balances the two-way flow-through force caused by air temperature differences between the inside and outside of the cooler or freezer. When there is a temperature difference, warm air tends to flow into the cold space, while cold air tends to flow out of the cold space. This results in heat loss, energy waste, and moisture accumulation on the floor, and ice in the freezer.

To prevent this, HCR Air Doors generate a high-velocity air stream that acts as an invisible door, blocking the unwanted air exchange. The air stream is shaped in a curvilinear manner to match the contour of the doorway and to minimize turbulence and leakage. The air stream is also recirculated to reduce energy consumption and to maintain a constant pressure and velocity.

 

 

What are the benefits of using HCR Air Doors?

HCR Air Doors offer several benefits for cooler and freezer applications, such as:

Energy Efficiency: HCR Air Doors can reduce heat loss by up to 85%, resulting in lower energy bills and lower carbon footprint. They can also reduce the load on the refrigeration system, extending its lifespan and reducing maintenance costs.

Environmental Control: HCR Air Doors can prevent moisture build-up, frost formation, fogging, icing, and condensation on the doorway, floor, walls, ceiling, and products. They can also prevent dust, insects, odors, and contaminants from entering the cold space.

Product Quality: HCR Air Doors can maintain a consistent temperature and humidity level inside the cooler or freezer, ensuring optimal product quality and shelf life. They can also prevent product shrinkage, spoilage, and damage caused by temperature fluctuations.

Workflow Efficiency & Safety: HCR Air Doors can improve workflow efficiency by allowing easy access to the cooler or freezer without opening and closing physical doors. They can also reduce traffic congestion, noise, and accidents caused by physical doors.

 

Why not install Traditional Vertical Air Curtains?

HCR Air Doors and vertical air curtains are both devices that create a stream of air across a doorway to prevent heat loss and moisture build-up. However, HCR Air Doors have several advantages over vertical air curtains.

HCR Air Doors use a horizontal, curvilinear, and recirculatory design that matches the contour of the doorway and minimizes turbulence and leakage. Vertical air curtains use a straight and downward design that may create gaps and allow air exchange, as well encouraging condensation on the floor. While HCR Air Doors can provide up to 85% efficiency, vertical air curtains are typically only 30-50% efficient at eliminating air infiltration.

HCR Air Doors have lower noise levels than vertical air curtains, as they use low noise centrifugal fans and special acoustic dampeners. Vertical air curtains use high-velocity fans that may generate more noise.

HCR Air Doors are more energy efficient than vertical air curtains, as they recirculate the air and reduce the load on the refrigeration system. Vertical air curtains use ambient air or heated air that may increase the energy consumption.

HCR Air Doors are more versatile than vertical air curtains, as they can be used for doorways with different heights, widths, and temperature ranges. They also have different models and options to suit different applications and conditions. Vertical air curtains are limited by the size and shape of the doorway and may not work well for extreme temperatures.

 

What are the different types of HCR Air Doors?

HCR Air Doors come in different models to suit different applications and conditions. Some of the common models are:

Model AC: This is the basic model that works for doorways with low temperature differentials and temperatures above freezing. It uses ambient air as the source of the air stream.

Model CAC: This model is for applications where temperatures and humidity exceed the limits of Model AC. It adds a heater unit to condition the air as it mixes inside the vestibule⁴. It also uses sensors and software to automatically adjust the performance and integrate with the facility’s refrigeration control and monitoring system.

Model DCAV: This model uses two recirculatory air curtains, creating an air vestibule between them where the air is captured and treated to a non-frost, non-fog state⁴. It is suitable for applications with extreme temperature differences and high traffic.

Model 3CAV: This model is similar to Model DCAV but adds another vestibule for improved efficiency and increased temperature range applicability. It is mainly used for applications with very high traffic and very low temperatures.

Model NPAC: This model is designed to counteract the one-way flow-through force caused by negative building pressure or wind effects⁴. It uses positive pressure air as the source of the air stream.

How to choose the right HCR Air Door for your application?

To choose the right HCR Air Door for your application, you need to consider several factors, such as:

• The size and shape of the doorway
• The temperature and humidity levels inside and outside the cooler or freezer
• The frequency and duration of traffic through the doorway
• The type and condition of the existing door (if any)
• The available space and power supply for installing the air door
• The budget and return on investment for the air door

 

Reach Out – We Can Help

To help you with this process, you can contact Ulti Group, the authorized distributor in New Zealand. They can provide you with a quote survey form, a site visit, a customised solution, and a professional installation service.

We can provide a free energy assessment and door survey so you can understand what benefits an HCR Air Door could bring to your facility.