Residential air-to-air heat exchangers: a study of the ventilation efficiencies of wall- or window-mounted units

Technical Report · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6623417· OSTI ID:6623417

Offermann, F. J.; Fisk, W. J.; Pedersen, B.; Revzan, K. L.

Mechanical ventilation systems with air-to-air heat exchangers can be installed into residences to provide energy efficient supplementary ventilation for the purpose of controlling indoor concentrations of contaminants, odors, and moisture. Wall or window-mounted units have become particularly attractive because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to install, however, because they lack an air distribution system, concern has arisen over their ventilation performance. To address this concern, a series of experiments was conducted on two different models of wall- or window-mounted heat exchangers in two multi-room research facilities. The nominal ventilation efficiencies of these units have been determined by measurement of tracer gas decay rates at several indoor locations to be in the range of 0.44 or 0.65. No significant correlations between nominal ventilation efficiency and heat exchanger model or operational strategies were observed. Significantly higher local ventilation efficiencies were noted in the rooms where the heat exchangers were operating. Some preliminary tests indicate that internal leakage between the airstreams contributes significantly to the ventilation inefficiency of these systems.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6623417
• Report Number(s): LBL-14358; ON: DE83004752
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
BUILDINGS
DATA
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HOUSES
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LEAKS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR FLUORIDES
TESTING
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VENTILATION SYSTEMS