air duct socks from textile for sports facilities

Air socks, unlike metallic ducts, feature a much greater variety of color and shape, which allows them to be used in office facilities where requirements for their appearance are often of the utmost importance. The nature of air ducts' material allows for various images to be printed on them. With the use of TexAir's air ducts, even the ventilation system may feature the corporate color and the customer's company logo.

In the food industry, the primary requirements stated for the ventilation system fall under sanitary and hygienic requirements. For this reason, the ventilation systems must be easy to clean. The air socks satisfy this requirement with ease, since they can be cleaned in washing machines. The use of antibacterial fabrics helps avoid the spread of germs on the walls of the ducts.

TexAir fabric ducts are also used at various industrial production sites, each of which entailing its own unique characteristics. There are large heat flows present at many companies, related to technological processes. The use of air socks allows for additional air flows to be directed into these zones to compensate for the heat flows; meanwhile, the TexAir-S unified tool helps calculate them precisely.

Today, the development of the greenhouse business is undergoing a new growth phase. This is not only facilitating constant demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, but also the advent of new technology for the construction of similar facilities and solutions for creating a microclimate in greenhouse facilities. One such novelty is the use of air socks in air heating systems for greenhouses. Ducts are usually stored in the lower section of greenhouses in order to ensure that as much heat as possible is transferred to the plants. Air socks can also be used for an even supply of carbon dioxide to feed the crops.

Anyone who is running a flower business has the necessity to store his or her flowers, which means that he or she will need a cooler room. It provides flowers the ability to reside under the conditions that are most comfortable for them to survive. However, simply their storage alone in a cooler room does not ensure that they will remain well-preserved, since a strong flow of cool air may cause the plants to become overdried. Air socks help to distribute cool air flow equally and at a low speed throughout the room, which ensures as comfortable conditions as possible for flower storage and helps them retain their appearance for a long time.

A particular feature of ventilation in sports facilities is that such halls are often used for sessions of intense workouts which may be categorized as heavy-duty physical exertion. This, in turn, calls for a particular approach to the ventilation systems' design. Air socks allow for the necessary mobility in the air that is desirable in facilities used for health and exercise as well as an even distribution of air all around the sports hall, ensuring that any no flow areas are missed.

The cooling of products at food production sites is a crucial part of the production process. Most commonly, products are cooled following pre-packaging or heat processing. As a rule, cooler rooms used for storing food products are compact, but are filled up will a large amount of products, so in order to ensure that the cold air is distributed evenly throughout the cooler room, companies often choose to use air ducts. This solution helps ensure even cooling or freezing for products, no matter how far away they are set from the air cooler.

One of the main requirements stated in regards to malls are the high fire-safety requirements they have. For this purpose, TexAir Company offers materials made from a material resistant to burning. The ducts may be manufactured out of different colors of materials, which is an unmistakable advantage they present over traditional systems. Meanwhile, the ability to distribute air all throughout zones will come in handy at such venues, for instance, as grocery cooling sections.

Warehouse complexes are usually distinguished from other facilities by their large areas and high ceilings. Air heating is currently one of the most efficient solutions for such a type of facility. Meanwhile, nothing can achieve this objective better than air ducts. They allow for air to travel at the necessary speed throughout the work area in spite of the great height at which they are installed. Even air distribution ensures a constant temperature, which is a necessary condition for storing various types of products.

CHEMICAL AND CORROSION RESISTENT

In the manufacture of its air socks, TexAir uses materials that are chemically resistant and non-reactive to the majority of components floating around in the air. Meanwhile, for use in aggressive environments or at enterprises whose equipment calls for high requirements in the materials, TexAir uses special fabrics. For instance, material made of out of 100% polyester with no admixtures or additives exhibits sufficient resistance to such substances as synthetic hydrochloric acid, chemically pure sulfuric acid, and ammonium chloride , which allows it to be used for ventilation systems in facilities for microcircuitry production. The features of our products also allow material to be manufactured for ducts or a special coating to be applied on them with a particular combination of properties. In this way, companies may receive a customized material that best handles the aggressive environment that they operate under. This offers the customer a system of specially tailored ducts for each unique type of facility without having to depend on the standard solutions that the market imposes.

NEUTRAL TO MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC FIELDS

One of the characteristics of antistatic fabric is the pressure from an electrostatic charge that is created as a result of friction from air particles. Since the duct materials are primarily dielectric, fabrics are used which are made out of carboniferous thread in order to remove the static charge from the duct. This allows the customer to use such ducts in facilities where additional requirements are necessary to protect against explosions.

NONFLAMMABLE

The company places a particular emphasis on the development and integration of new types of fabrics with different properties. For instance, elastic, fire-proof material with a special silicon covering withstands the influence of temperatures of up to 380°C and may be used in ducts in facilities with special requirements. In this regard, the characteristics of this material exceed the essential requirements for the materials pertaining to the fire-safety category G1 and B1, thus the ducts negate any need for the customer to conduct any additional fire-safety protection measures.

ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

The antibacterial effect was achieved by way of adding special properties to the fabric by including special threads within the material (bacteriostatic or antibacterial). The content of threads with antibacterial properties is somewhere between 5 and 99% of the entire volume of the fabric and may feature such components as triclosan, pure silver or silver ions, silver zeolites (silver with a non-organic ceramic base), copper oxides, and non-organic bonds of silver and zinc. The use of such materials provides a means to extend the life cycle of the fabric diffuser during intervals between operations.

INSTALLATION FLEXIBILITY

TexAir presents a wide selection of various standard sizes and geometrical shapes of ducts. For instance, for facilities with low ceilings we recommend using semi-circular-shaped ducts; meanwhile, for ceilings on which no systems can possibly be placed, we recommend them in the form of a segment or a sector. Such a variety offers the chance to select the most convenient, lowest-cost shape option and duct placement, regardless of the particular features of the facility.

MAY BE USED WITHIN A BROAD TEMPERATURE RANGE: FROM -50°C TO 380°C

TexAir Company has materials at its disposal with a broad range of consumer properties. Since the conditions under which the fabric ducts may be used vary greatly, each type of fabric used features its own temperature range. This allows customers to choose the most suitable solution for their facility, rather than overpaying for a universal option.

LIGHT-WEIGHT

Air ducts are quite a bit lighter-weight than metallic ducts. The maximum thickness of the material is about 600 g/m², so the average weight of a linear meter of a duct usually is less than a kilogram. This allows them to be snapped onto self-supported constructions in which the use of traditional systems would be out of the question. Thus, the use of fabric air ducts offers a means to provide a full-fledged ventilation system in such facilities without in any way restricting the customer.

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY

The ducts feature a smooth inner surface designed to minimize losses due to air friction against the wall, which impedes the deposit of contaminations during use. The materials used in production feature a hygiene certificate, are tested, and have been approved; they do not cause any allergic reactions and are thus completely safe and suitable for use in various facilities. This allows air socks' use to continue to expand in such fields where previously metallic ducts were used by default.

LOW-COST

TexAir air ducts provide for efficient distribution of air without any additional, expensive distribution devices. Furthermore, such ducts allow customers to cut back on their budget substantially thanks to the simplicity of installation as well as the lower cost of the materials and components compared to the zinc-coated ducts. When folded up and packaged their overall dimensions are far less, resulting in lower logistics expenses. Textile air ducts do not require many elements that traditionally systems call for, in particular: air distribution elements (diffusers, anemostats, grids, etc.), mufflers, numerous attachments and connecting parts, and fixtures.

CONVENIENT ASSEMBLY: DISSASSEMBLY AND EASE OF INSTALLATION

One of the main advantages with textile air socks is their ease of assembly. In this regard, customers can save as much as up to 90% in expenses compared to dealing with traditional metallic systems. And keeping in mind that any ventilation system must be services and periodically cleaned, the ease of its disassembly and subsequent installation gives fabric ducts an unmistakable advantage over its zinc-coated counterparts.

EASY-TO-REPAIR

Any segment in TexAir's ducts can be easily replaced. This is thanks to its simple zipper fastening connection mechanism. If suddenly for any reason one has the need to switch a segment of the duct, this can be easily done by the customer on his or her one without having to call in a representative of an installation organization.

COMPATIBLE

The ducts are easily connected with metallic ducts into a unified, combined system. For assembly onto the supply line, a connecting component is provided for on the duct which can be used to connect a textile system to the end of any shape or configuration. This is very convenient since it doesn't require the manufacture of any specially shaped elements on the customer's part.

BALANCE

The ducts do not require any additional measures to return a balance as a result of the air flow. The customer is delivered a fully prepared, balanced system in terms of the air distribution system's air flow and pressure. For this reason, the customer will no longer have the need to subsequently readapt the system following installation.

HYGIENE

The air socks can be operated with faster air speeds than metallic ducts and feature a smooth inner surface. For this reason, the TexAir ducts do not accumulate a dust layer in the course of their operation. The entire system, including all its passages and turns, are manufactured out of fabric, so it can undergo cleaning and washing with no restriction in a washing machine. As a result, the amount customers will be able to save on subsequent servicing is also an unmistakable advantage that fabric ducts have.

LENGTHY SERVICE LIFE: 10 YEARS OR MORE

The fabric ducts are produced out of certified materials characterized by a high level of durability and wear-resistance. The ducts can handle a large number of washing cycles in a washing machine. If the rules of use are properly observed, the service life of the air socks will exceed 10 years. Meanwhile, considering the fact that people clean traditional systems, due to the expenses, as seldom as possible, air socks are the most preferable option from an operation perspective as well.

AESTHETICS

The air ducts are capable of accentuating and adding variety to the design of an interior. This is yet another benefit that TexAir brings to the table. Depending on the customer's interior, we can offer the choice of various construction styles and a broad color range. Furthermore, ducts with a neon lighting and their one-of-a-kind of appearance could add to your facility a touch of exclusivity. This designer solution will undoubtedly attract a greater level of attention to your facility among visitors.

AIR DISTRIBUTION

Air socks are used both for air distribution and transportation with nearly identical efficiency.
through permeable fabric;
through microperforation – holes less than 1 mm in diameter;
through perforation – holes over 1 mm in diameter;
through an exit adapter: air exits in a direction perpendicular to the flow's direction – through an open end – the air is supplied into another fabric duct.
Perforated ceiling panels (diffusers)
Various methods exist for air distribution in textile systems.

Microperforation provides a means to supply and disperse air at a small distance away from the duct's surface while perforation, of a larger diameter, offers the ability to provide air emission a greater distance away and in a particular direction. If there is a need, one can combine dispersed and directional air emission.

The vast majority of ventilation systems works with a small excess pressure somewhere between 70 and 300 Pa. However, the parameters of facilities, in particular the distance from the ducts to the work area, may differ greatly. Air distribution conditions also differ, for instance, for air conditioning, heating, or ventilation. Correspondingly, this could involve emitting cooled air in a facility with a low ceiling; meanwhile, warm air in a facility with a high ceiling must be emitted differently. Since when air distribution of the same principle is used in these two cases, the speed of the air in the work area will differ greatly.

Depending on where the textile ducts are used and for what purposes, TexAir uses different air distribution systems for its projects.

LOW-SPEED AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

The primary feature of these systems is the emission of air with a relatively low-range stream distance. The air is emitted through micro holes created by a laser on the surface of the fabric. Meanwhile, both air permeable material and air impermeable material can be used. The outflow of air through each individual micro hole is very little, so the air loses its speed very quickly as it exits.

The result of this is that there is practically no draft, which is especially important while the cool air is being supplied. In the event that such air distributors are placed on the ceiling, the cold air will slowly descend.

However, should one choose such a system of air distribution, one should keep in mind that due to the short range of microperforation, there will be a relatively low degree of mixing in the air. There are also restrictions in the air's emission for each line meter in such ducts, so, often times, when the dimensions of a cooler room are particularly large, or when the company needs to emit a significant amount of cold air, they rather choose a combination of microperforation and additional perforation with a certain specially calculated diameter of holes.

The slow speed of the flow of air conditioning in the work zone is one of the main conditions not only for people to comfortably reside in the room, but also for many technological processes. These may be the processes of cheese ripening, cutting and packing sausages and meat products, prepackaging fruits and berries, and much more. In such facilities air socks play not only a ventilation role but can also be a crucial part of the technological process.

As an example of the efficiency of such air ducts, one can take a look at a sausage ripening factory. Sausage is stored suspended in a room with a particular temperature and humidity. Meanwhile, along with fermentation, a process takes place in which the moisture is extracted from the product, so in the event of an improperly calculated supply system, the air can blow against the product with a higher speed and the moisture removal process may take place quicker than needed. Even if these losses amount to a mere several excess grams per kilogram of the finished product, in the event that the factory has a volume of dozens of tons, this could entail substantial financial losses for the producer.

HIGH-SPEED AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

For high-speed systems, the recommended height of ducts' suspension above the floor level ranges from 3 to 10 meters. Such air ducts are most efficient when used for ventilation and air heating.

This system is distinguished by the much greater range of its air stream compared to the low-speed system.

The physics of the air distribution process itself also differs. Due to the excess pressure inside the fabric air duct, the air exits the holes at a high speed, the diameter of which varies from 4 to 12 mm. The high speed at which the air exits the holes and the significant volume allows the air flow to reach the work area located at a significant distance away from the textile air duct. The way this system operates is similar to the operation of an injector in a modern combustion engine. With the help of the injector, a well-blended mixture of air and gasoline steam is fed into the engine. In a similar way, the movement of the air stream takes place from the holes of the duct in a high-speed system. This injection principle provides for the high-quality mixture of the air located in facility. Meanwhile, the friction of the layers and the whirling of the air flow renders the heat (cold) emission process more efficient than in traditional systems with grids and diffusers.

One could provide as an example an air heating system for a finished product warehouse implemented using air socks. At the project's implementation stage, the customer encountered difficulty with the use of metallic ducts, since the construction that they needed to attach them to was self-supported. It couldn't handle the weight of the metallic ducts and it would be financially very expensive to attach them onto additional columns. Yet another condition was the location of the ducts which were 7 meters above the floor in order to avoid impeding the movement of the loading equipment. In order to tackle this task, air socks were used which, due to their light weight, were attached right onto the roofing construction. The resulting implemented high-speed air heating system also came with significant financial implications for the customer...

HYBRID TYPE AIR DISTRIBUTION

The hybrid type air distribution system combined low-speed and high-speed types. Its use is worthwhile in cases where the objective is to distribute air in a facility into different work areas at once, located at varying distances from the duct emitting the air. Meanwhile, the speed in these work areas will not exceed the required values. To ensure this, a calculation of the air distribution is computed for each zone separately, taking into account the distance of each work zone from the emitted air, the required air speed in each zone, the static pressure figure in the channel, as well as the temperature data.

Such types air distribution find use in facilities with a large amount of equipment and zones for servicing where people work as well as in facilities where it is technically impossible to divide supplied ventilation according to different zones.

TRANSITION SYSTEM

Air socks are used both for air distribution and transportation with nearly identical efficiency. When they are used as a transition system, they are made out of material with low air permeability in order to avoid the formation of condensation. To combine it with metallic ducts, various shapes of elements will be used, which are also manufactured out of fabric.

In the drawing transition elements are shown in bright grey while the emission elements are in blue.

If a significant amount of fresh air is not required in the facility according to the air exchange calculation, but at the same time it occupies large areas that are not being used for a productive amount of work, then equal air emission across its entire volume may not be well-advised. In such cases, air socks are used with the ability for local air emission along with transition sections. This is especially crucial in office facilities without borders where workspaces alternate with hallways. TexAir air ducts can be designed in such a way as to ensure the most comfortable possible conditions for employees and implement them in one of the office facilities. If the flow of air is constant along the entire length of the fabric air ducts, then in order to ensure comfortable conditions for the employees, one has to go with the a more powerful and expensive setup; however, in the case of local air emission, there is no need. One can do without the former and adopt a much more low-cost solution.