Test Results and Methods: Residential Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers for Maintaining Indoor Air Quality and Saving Money

摘要

LBL has constructed a facility for testing various performance aspects of residential air-to-air heat exchangers. When used in conjunction with a mechanical ventilation system, a residential heat exchanger permits the adequate ventilation of a residence while recovering most of the energy normally lost during ventilation. By constructing or retrofitting a home so that it has low natural infiltration rates and by using a heat exchanger-ventilation system, a homeowner can save energy, reduce heating and cooling costs, and prevent the buildup of indoor-generated air contaminants. Results obtained on five different residential heat exchangers are presented. The performance criteria and the test facility are described. The performance parameters measured were heat exchanger effectiveness (a measure of heat transfer ability), airstream static pressure drop, and fan system performance. The performance of the five heat exchangers differed greatly. The ability to transfer heat ranged from 43% to 75% of the theoretical maximum. The resistance to air flow varied by a factor of two. One of the heat exchangers was highly susceptible to leakage between airstreams and one had an unstable performance. In the future, additional heat exchangers will be tested, a new test system will be used to measure cross-stream leakage, and the possibility and consequences of freeze-up within the heat exchangers will be investigated. (ERA citation 06:016964)