Applications

Heat recovery in ventilation systems with plate heat exchangers

How crossflow plate heat exchangers in hall, commercial and building ventilation transfer the heat of the extract air to the outdoor air without the streams mixing.

Ventilation systems in halls, commercial buildings and offices extract warm air and draw in cold outdoor air. Without heat recovery, the heating has to bring all of the outdoor air up to room temperature.

How the plate heat exchanger works

Extract air and outdoor air flow through the plate stack on separate levels. The heat passes through the plates from one stream to the other; the air streams themselves do not mix. The plate pack has no moving parts.

What the sizing looks at

If the extract air cools below its dew point, condensate forms. With very cold outdoor air it can freeze at the cold end. The sizing checks both and picks the plate spacing to match the permissible pressure drop.

Suitable designs

If the plate pack sits inside a ventilation unit, the installation block is enough. For direct duct connection there is the flange frame, and for frost protection and free cooling the version with bypass damper.

Frequently asked questions

What does the sizing need?

Volume flows, temperatures and humidities of extract and outdoor air plus the permissible pressure drop per side. From these the configurator calculates outlet conditions and condensate.

Does the heat exchanger freeze in winter?

That depends on outdoor temperature and extract air humidity. The sizing checks the freezing risk at the cold end and flags when a bypass or preheating is needed.