How Commercial Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Work

How Commercial Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers Work

Commercial Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers (CAHEs) are commonly used in building heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. They reduce energy consumption by recovering heat from the discharged air to improve energy efficiency.

Consisting primarily of multiple thin plates, air flows between the plates and heat is transferred by conduction through the plates. This design is usually highly efficient and small in size.

The working principle of commercial air-to-air heat exchangers is mainly based on the transfer of heat. The following is the basic working process:

Air flow: the heat exchanger is divided into two air passages: on one side there is exhaust air (usually warm air from inside the building) and on the other side there is fresh air (from the external environment).

Heat transfer:

When the warm exhaust air passes through the heat exchanger, its heat is transferred through the walls of the heat exchanger to the opposite fresh air channel.

At the same time, the fresh air absorbs the heat released by the exhaust air as it passes through the heat exchanger, thus heating itself.

Energy recovery: In this way, the heat in the expelled air is recovered, reducing the demand on the heating system and thus energy consumption.

Humidity control (optional): some air-to-air heat exchangers also allow for humidity control along with heat exchange, helping to improve indoor air quality.