  Controlling the air quality is of the utmost importance in today buildings.
Vertical air curtains are often used to separate two different climatic zones
with a view to reduce heat transfer. In fact, this research work proposes an
air curtain aimed to ensure a proper separation between two zones, a clean one
and a contaminated one. The methodology of this research includes: (i)
small-scale tests on water models to ensure that the contamination does not
pass through the air curtain, and (ii) an analytical development integrating
the main physical characteristics of plane jets. In the solution developed, the
airflow is extracted from the contaminated compartment to reduce the curtain
airflow rejected to the exterior of the compartment. In this research work, it
was possible to determine the minimum exhaust flow necessary to ensure the
aerodynamic sealing of the air curtain. This article addresses the methodology
used to perform the small-scale water tests and the corresponding results.
