Wall-Integrated Plate Heat Exchanger Housing for Quiet Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ventilation systems with heat recovery face challenges in energy-efficient installation, noise reduction, and condensate management in airtight buildings, particularly due to the limitations of wall openings for decentralized systems and the size constraints of central systems, leading to inefficiencies and increased construction costs.
Innovation Solution
A device allowing large-area plate heat exchangers to be installed parallel to the building wall with efficient condensate drainage and noise reduction, utilizing a housing design with a circumferential sealing lip and expansion joint for easy inspection and integration into thermal insulation composite systems, enabling high-efficiency decentralized ventilation with reduced noise and thermal bridges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If large-area heat exchanger plate levels are installed in decentralized wall openings, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but fan noise and external noise inside the building increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger plate levels are installed vertically parallel to the building wall instead of horizontally, utilizing the vertical dimension of the wall opening. This dimensional change allows large-area heat exchangers to be installed in decentralized locations while the housing design with acoustic insulation and double-wall construction reduces noise transmission to the building interior.
2Loss of energy
If large-area heat exchanger plate levels are installed in decentralized wall openings, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but cold and heat bridges in the building wall increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is nested within a housing that is integrated into the building wall structure. The housing contains the heat exchanger plate levels and includes insulation layers that thermally isolate the heat exchanger from the building interior, preventing cold and heat bridges while maintaining high heat transfer efficiency between the heat exchanger plates.
3Ease of manufacture
If large-area heat exchanger plate levels are installed horizontally, then installation in wall openings is simplified, but condensate drainage becomes problematic and can damage the building
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger plate levels are installed vertically parallel to the wall instead of horizontally, changing the orientation from horizontal to vertical. This vertical orientation enables condensate to drain naturally downward along the plates and into a collection chamber at the bottom of the housing, which then drains to the outside through a dedicated outlet, eliminating the risk of condensate damage to the building.
4Loss of energy
If central ventilation systems are installed, then heat recovery efficiency is improved, but ventilation ducts have to be installed throughout the building
Solution Approach 1:
The central ventilation system is segmented into multiple decentralized ventilation units, each installed in a wall opening of an individual room. Each unit contains its own heat exchanger and fan, providing localized heat recovery. This segmentation eliminates the need for extensive ventilation ducts running throughout the building while maintaining effective heat recovery in each room.
5Ease of operation
If decentralized ventilation systems are installed in each room, then ventilation needs are met, but a large number of wall openings have to be made in the sealed and insulated building
Solution Approach 1:
The housing design is made universal and modular, allowing the same standardized unit to be installed in different wall openings throughout the building. Each housing contains all necessary components (heat exchanger, fan, insulation, drainage) in a compact integrated design, making the installation process consistent and relatively simple across multiple locations while providing decentralized ventilation to each room.
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
This solution enables high-efficiency heat recovery (up to 95%) with reduced fan and external noise, effective condensate drainage, and cost-effective installation, minimizing the need for large wall openings and preventing thermal bridges, while allowing flexible air flow distribution and easy maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
these enable greater heat transfer in the cold season and greater cooling of the supply air in the warm season
Implementation Method 2
The housing (1) has a circumferential watertight sealing lip and expansion joint
Implementation Method 3
both fan and external noise inside the building > 25% reduced, measurable in dBa
Implementation Method 4
the plate levels of the plate elements run parallel to the building wall, allow condensate drainage downwards under all possible ventilation conditions
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a housing (1) for air routing, for condensate drainage and for holding a plate heat exchanger and the associated fan technology, such as fans and electrical cables, etc., for decentralized installation on an outer wall of a building. It is envisaged that the housing with the largest side surface of the housing directed towards a building wall, mounted on an outer wall of the building or in a recess of the thermal insulation composite system or in a niche of the outer wall, and the heat exchanger plate levels installed in the housing preferably run parallel to the building wall, are large , i.e. the sum of the four side lengths of the heat exchanger plates divided by four, is a multiple of the diameter of the respective air inlet ducts into the building interior, and the inclined air ducts of the built-in plate heat exchanger (10) are preferably at 45° to the vertical axis, with the air ducting through the respective direct air inlets and air outlets (1Ia, 1Ib, 1IIa and 1IIb) per module and or optionally lateral air inlet and air outlet (3) is possible and the respective air inlet and air outlet of the respective air flow has a height offset with a level difference between the outdoor inlet t duct (1Ia) and internal air supply duct (1IIa) or the external exhaust air duct (1Ib) and internal exhaust air duct (1IIb) corresponding to the height of the plate heat exchanger, so that the condensate arising in the plate heat exchanger flows safely to the outside via a groove with an internal drain pipe on the lower inside the lower-lying outside air supply air duct (1IIa) or the outside air exhaust air duct (1IIb) can flow off.