3726 (RP-645) -- Effectiveness of Cold-Storage Door Infiltration Protective Devices PDF

Reports on field tests in operating cold storage facilities of the effectiveness of cold-storage door protective devices in reducing infiltration. Tracer gas decay methods were employed to measure the effectiveness of the protective devices under various operating conditions, including different temperatures and humidities, negative pressure situations and forklift traffic. Eight different protective devices were tested, including plastic strip curtains, vertical and horizontal air curtains, fast-operating doors and vestibule combinations. Finds that effectiveness results ranged from a low of -230% to a high of 98%. The low effectiveness results were caused by negative pressure situations. Finds that in general effectiveness results agreed well with manufacturers' specifications and data from other researchers. Infiltration for open-door conditions was also measured and compared to previous research.

KEYWORDS: Testing, site testing, cold rooms, air infiltration, doors, performance, efficiency, comparing, tracers, air curtains, vertical, horizontal, curtains.