CFD simulation different inner structure of air heat exchanger

Abstract

Air heat exchanger is the key equipment to fresh air ventilation system, which is helpful for energy recovery. Hence, how to promote the heat exchanger performance are commonly studied. In the present paper, air heat exchanger thermal efficiency was investigated in an office room in summer and four kinds of difference structure of air heat exchanger performances were simulated by computational fluent dynamics (CFD), and showed the air heat exchanger internal temperature distributions and thermal efficiencies. It was found that inner temperature distributions of difference structure of air heat exchanger were difference. The results showed that increasing inlet velocity from 1.2 m/s to 2.5 m/s, thermal efficiencies declined 25 % and energy recovery decreased, and pressure dropped no more than 20 Pa. The study provided that the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger was affected by the inner structure of air heat exchanger, and inlet velocity was the most important factor.