Heat Exchanger Block Layout for Compact Low-Noise Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat recovery ventilation units are either not compact enough or require excessive energy to operate, leading to increased airflow noise.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger block with specific air flow passage configurations, including cross and parallel flow regions, and ventilators to manage air flow efficiently, allowing for compact design without excessive energy consumption and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the heat recovery ventilation unit is made compact, then the device size is reduced, but the air throughput capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple individual flow passages arranged in parallel, with each passage handling a portion of the total air flow. This segmentation allows the compact heat exchanger to maintain high air throughput capability by distributing flow across multiple channels rather than requiring a single large passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow passages are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration with multiple layers and directions (first direction and second direction perpendicular to each other). This multi-dimensional arrangement maximizes the heat exchange surface area within a compact volume, enabling both small device size and high air throughput capability simultaneously.
2Productivity
If larger ventilators are used to increase air throughput, then the air flow rate is improved, but the airflow noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation system uses multiple smaller flow passages instead of a single large passage, allowing the use of smaller, quieter ventilators that can collectively provide the required air flow rate. Each ventilator operates at lower speeds and generates less noise while the combined effect achieves the necessary productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the heat exchanger have optimized local flow characteristics with varying passage dimensions and configurations. This allows efficient air flow distribution across multiple channels, enabling the system to achieve high air flow rates through coordinated operation of multiple smaller ventilators rather than one large noisy ventilator.
3Productivity
If larger ventilators are used to increase air throughput, then the air flow rate is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system distributes the ventilation load across multiple smaller flow passages and corresponding ventilators. Smaller ventilators consume less energy individually, and their combined energy consumption is lower than that of a single large ventilator required to achieve the same total air flow rate through a larger passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger incorporates locally optimized flow passages with specific dimensional characteristics that reduce flow resistance and improve heat exchange efficiency. This allows the system to achieve high air flow rates with lower energy consumption by minimizing pressure drops across the heat exchanger.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a compact and energy-efficient heat recovery ventilation unit that maintains adequate air throughput while minimizing airflow noise.
Implementation Method 1
for exchanging heat energy between first air flows (AF1) passing through said plurality of first air flow passages (AFP1) and second air flows (AF2) passing through said plurality of second air flow passages (AFP2)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat exchanger block 2 and to a heat recovery ventilation unit 1 comprising such a heat exchanger block. In the heat exchanger block 2, the individual flow cross-section (Q1) of flow passages of said plurality of first air flow passages (AFP1) in said parallel flow region (PF) and the individual flow cross-section (Q2) of flow passages of said plurality of second air flow passages (AFP2) in said parallel flow region (PF) gradually, preferably linearly, decrease along a straight line (x-x) perpendicular to the parallel air flow passages (AFP1 and AFP2) and from said first wall (W1) to said second wall (W2) of the block.