Experimental investigation of a ceramic heat regenerator for heat recovery in a decentralized reversible ventilation system

Abstract

The operational characteristics of decentralized, wall–mounted, ductless, reversible heat recovery ventilation unit (HRV) with a ceramic honeycomb stone for sensible thermal energy storage and recovery were investigated in a full-scale, long-term experiment. Parametric experimental studies were carried out to obtain the operation cycles, supply air temperature, thermal effectiveness and sensible heat recovery under real working conditions of the heating season in Dfb Koepper-Geige climate. An experimental study was carried out to obtain data for determining the characteristics of supply air temperature as a base for further effectiveness and thermal sensible energy calculation. For comprehensive evaluation of the HRV the three specific effectiveness has been established as the instantaneous (from 100 to 63%–67% for the external temperature of −3 and 10 °C respectively), the air supply cycle (80–81%) and the long-term operation (62–63%), as a new approach to operation characteristics in the form of equations easy to implement in HVAC simulation programs and calculation sheets for future building energy simulation, building energy performance calculations, complex and simple engineering calculations, etc. Preserved open and universal form of research procedure and proposed equations, as a directly applicable characteristics, enable effective engineering calculations and analyzes, and allow for determining the operational characteristics of other devices with analogous operating principles.