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A_Berner_Revolvair

Revolutionary: Air Lock Aims to Keep Lobbies Comfortable

Nov. 13, 2018
Pennsylvania firm unveils first air curtain system for revolving doors designed and engineered by a U.S. manufacturer.

(New Castle PA - November 12, 2018) -- Berner International, the company that saves energy and creates healthy, comfortable environments, has introduced the RevolvAir Air Curtain System for Revolving Doors. It allows building owners, specifiers, and facility managers to meet the expectation of building occupants that they will be able to comfortably socialize, work, and hang out in the lobbies and main entrances of hotels, office buildings, and other commercial and public buildings.

The Berner RevolvAir is the first air curtain system for revolving doors designed and engineered by a U.S. manufacturer. 

While revolving doors significantly reduce a building’s energy consumption, they are not “airtight.”  The revolving door acts as an air lock, bringing in people, but also outside temperatures and fumes into the lobby. Extreme hot or cold outdoor temperatures along with fumes can adversely affect an indoor environment’s ambiance. Adding a RevolvAir over the revolving door works to negate the airlock effect, keep the lobby comfortable and reduce the building’s overall energy costs.

The RevolvAir is specifically-sized to fit each revolving door’s diameter, configuration and brand. It creates a separating air barrier at the building’s conditioned interior by blocking unwanted exterior air trapped within the moving door sections. Therefore, lobby entrances are protected from outdoor air elements, fumes and odors infiltration from the moving sections, as well as through the revolving door assembly’s gaskets and seal gaps. The RevolvAir offers plenums in either concealed or aesthetically exposed configurations that can also be installed within a bulkhead.  Trim packages come standard in a white powder coating to blend in with the space. However, any hue from the RAL color chart is available as well as metal finishes, such as anodized aluminum or brushed stainless steel to aesthetically match the finishes of the revolving door.

One of the RevolvAir’s unique features is Berner’s patented Intelliswitch™, the HVAC industry’s most state-of-the-art, green and user-friendly digital controller designed exclusively for air curtain operation in commercial occupied spaces. The Intelliswitch can operate as a stand-alone air curtain controller or it can be interlocked with any building management system (BMS). The Intelliswitch has a time clock, time delay and built-in thermostat, 10-speed fan control and other integrated features to help end-users customize their air curtain functions.  The new “Berner APP” wi-fi mobile application for smartphones can also monitor and program Intelliswitch functions. The air curtain can be activated by the revolving door manufacturer’s interlock, the BMS or motion sensors.

The 10-speed fan feature, facilitated by an energy-efficient 1/2-hp motor and direct-drive fan blower, is critical for achieving the proper air curtain performance fundamentals and balance of volume, velocity and uniformity (VVU Balance).  As there is no wind pressure / air pressure difference for the system to overcome, the flexibility of the Intelliswitch allows for lower motor speeds, which in turn allows the system to provide enough CFM at the proper velocity to reach the threshold, without overdoing it, so that the air screen forms.

Electric, steam and hot water coils are available as heating options to improve air comfort of employees and patrons near the revolving door or offset thermal losses within the door enclosure itself. Electric heating utilizes Berner’s patented Venturi Heater, the world’s most efficient electric heater for air curtains.

Other RevolvAir features are:

  • Factory assembled and tested, then shipped as easy-to-install, lightweight modular sections consisting of the air curtain, transition plenum and discharge plenum;
  • Utilizes many proven components, technologies and quality control practices used in Berner’s renowned Architectural Series;
  • Factory-mounted UL-listed control panel;
  • Proprietary, high efficiency Pro-V Nozzle design strategically discharges air to meet the floor a few inches outside the threshold or "break" for a total air seal around the opening;
  • Intelliswitch is RoHS-compliant;
  • Parts warranty is five years—ambient; two years—heated.

For more information on Berner International air curtain products, please call 724-658-3551, or email Miranda Berner at [email protected]

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About Berner: Berner International LLC is a 60-year-old U.S. manufacturer and a leader in the air door/air curtain equipment engineering and manufacturing industry. Berner is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), The Green Building Alliance (GBA), the Air Movement & Control Association (AMCA), and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). For more information on Berner and its products, please call (724)-658-3551 or visit www.berner.com