Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow Conditions
This study investigates the thermal performance of various counterflow air-to-air heat exchangers under unbalanced flow conditions, aiming to enhance the efficiency of heat recovery systems. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is critical in energy-efficient buildings to reduce heat loss, whic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/117 |
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| author | Kazimierz Kaminski Pawel Znaczko Ewa Kardas-Cinal Norbert Chamier-Gliszczynski Krzysztof Koscielny Krzysztof Cur |
| author_facet | Kazimierz Kaminski Pawel Znaczko Ewa Kardas-Cinal Norbert Chamier-Gliszczynski Krzysztof Koscielny Krzysztof Cur |
| author_sort | Kazimierz Kaminski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the thermal performance of various counterflow air-to-air heat exchangers under unbalanced flow conditions, aiming to enhance the efficiency of heat recovery systems. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is critical in energy-efficient buildings to reduce heat loss, which can reach up to 60% in air exchange processes. This research focuses on the effects of flow imbalance on the heat transfer efficiency of three specific heat exchangers: two commercially available models (Recair Sensitive RS160 and Core ERV366) and a custom 3D-printed prototype (GV PROTO). Experimental tests measured temperature efficiency under both balanced and unbalanced flow conditions, with results indicating that flow imbalance significantly impacts thermal efficiency. Among the exchangers, the RS160 displayed the highest temperature efficiency, maintaining performance better than the others as flow rates increased. The results of the study show that even small differences in the thermal efficiency of different heat exchangers under balanced airflow conditions transform into significant differences under unbalanced conditions. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how real-world ventilation imbalances affect heat exchanger performance, offering insights to optimize energy efficiency in ventilation systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8588eb46a9ef40f9bb1e6de89b6e4205 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-8588eb46a9ef40f9bb1e6de89b6e42052025-01-10T13:17:09ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732024-12-0118111710.3390/en18010117Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow ConditionsKazimierz Kaminski0Pawel Znaczko1Ewa Kardas-Cinal2Norbert Chamier-Gliszczynski3Krzysztof Koscielny4Krzysztof Cur5Faculty of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, 75-453 Koszalin, PolandFaculty of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, 75-453 Koszalin, PolandFaculty of Transport, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-661 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Economics, Koszalin University of Technology, 75-453 Koszalin, PolandFaculty of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, 75-453 Koszalin, PolandFaculty of Aviation, Polish Air Force University, 08-521 Dęblin, PolandThis study investigates the thermal performance of various counterflow air-to-air heat exchangers under unbalanced flow conditions, aiming to enhance the efficiency of heat recovery systems. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is critical in energy-efficient buildings to reduce heat loss, which can reach up to 60% in air exchange processes. This research focuses on the effects of flow imbalance on the heat transfer efficiency of three specific heat exchangers: two commercially available models (Recair Sensitive RS160 and Core ERV366) and a custom 3D-printed prototype (GV PROTO). Experimental tests measured temperature efficiency under both balanced and unbalanced flow conditions, with results indicating that flow imbalance significantly impacts thermal efficiency. Among the exchangers, the RS160 displayed the highest temperature efficiency, maintaining performance better than the others as flow rates increased. The results of the study show that even small differences in the thermal efficiency of different heat exchangers under balanced airflow conditions transform into significant differences under unbalanced conditions. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how real-world ventilation imbalances affect heat exchanger performance, offering insights to optimize energy efficiency in ventilation systems.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/117heat recoveryair-to-air heat exchangersmechanical ventilationtemperature efficiencyunbalanced conditions |
| spellingShingle | Kazimierz Kaminski Pawel Znaczko Ewa Kardas-Cinal Norbert Chamier-Gliszczynski Krzysztof Koscielny Krzysztof Cur Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow Conditions Energies heat recovery air-to-air heat exchangers mechanical ventilation temperature efficiency unbalanced conditions |
| title | Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow Conditions |
| title_full | Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow Conditions |
| title_short | Comparison of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of Selected Counterflow Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Under Unbalanced Flow Conditions |
| title_sort | comparison of the heat transfer efficiency of selected counterflow air to air heat exchangers under unbalanced flow conditions |
| topic | heat recovery air-to-air heat exchangers mechanical ventilation temperature efficiency unbalanced conditions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/117 |
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