WASTE HEAT RECOVERY POTENTIAL FOR HVAC SYSTEMS

Page 1 of 29

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................... 3

2.0

INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

3.0

SETTING THE SCENE ............................................................................................................................................................. 6

4.0

AIR-TO AIR HEAT RECOVERY OPTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 9

5.0

SPECIFIC NUMBERS............................................................................................................................................................. 15

6.0

AT DESIGN OR RETRO-FIT? ............................................................................................................................................... 17

7.0

WORKED EXAMPLE ............................................................................................................................................................. 18

8.0

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................................................... 21

APPENDIX 1............................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
APPENDIX 2............................................................................................................................................................................................. 22

Page 2 of 29

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1

Report Summary

1.1.1

The brief for this report was to carry out a review of the Air-to-Air Heat Recovery technologies
available for use in the Commercial and Industrial business sectors. The target audiences are Energy
Engineers and those involved in Facilities Management.

1.1.2

The research for the report considered a number of commercially available Air-to-Air Heat Recovery
Technologies; with particular focus on Sensible heat recovery.

1.1.3

The premise of the report is that where possible the use of air re-circulation is optimized before heat
recovery is considered.

1.1.4

The report outlines why Heat Recovery should be considered and presents the potential effects on
Capital and Operating costs.

1.1.5

The report presents a list of Technical data to be considered; and a list of information required by the
designer at design stage to allow the economic viability of heat recovery to be assessed.

1.1.6

The report describes the various commercially available Heat Recovery technologies and presents a
comparison table of the technologies showing typical operating parameters, advantages and
disadvantages.

1.1.7

The report outlines factors to be taken into account when considering technical options at Design
and Retro-fit stages of a project.

1.1.8

The report presents a worked example using a run-around coil Heat Recovery assembly. The
calculation results show the total nett KWh savings, the total nett annual cost savings and the
predicted simple Payback Period.

1.1.9

Finally the report presents sample Heat Exchanger selections based on the design conditions used
in the worked example.

1.2

Findings/ Conclusions

1.2.1

Following after optimization of air recirculation and control strategies, the potential for Heat
Recovery should be considered on every new project, and on existing projects if not already
previously considered.

1.2.2

All heat recovery devices add to the system resistance in an air handling installation, and therefore
increase operating costs. Heat recovery becomes economically justifiable when the capital
investment is recouped by the nett operating cost savings, within a reasonable Payback Period. As a
number of variables have to be considered, each situation needs to be assessed to determine if the
application of heat recovery is viable.

1.2.3

The four types of Air-to-Air Heat Recovery devices described in this report are suitable for
Commercial and Industrial applications; however the particular technical challenges of the project
will dictate the most suitable solution, e.g.,
-

Where cross-contamination is a concern, Run-around coils or Heat pipes are recommended.

Where supply and extract air streams are in close proximity Heat pipes, Plate Heat Exchangers
or Rotary Wheels may be used.
Where air supply and extract air streams are separated Run-around coils are the only viable
option. This is often the case in retro-fit situations.
Plate Heat Exchangers are widely used in Residential and Commercial large and small scale
applications.
Where Sensible and Latent energy recovery is required a Rotary Wheel is the most suitable
choice.
Where the exhaust air stream contains corrosives; suitably treated run-around coils or Plate Heat
Exchangers may be used.

Page 3 of 29

1.2.4

Heat pipes are particularly suitable in dehumidification applications, e,g, Swimming Pools

The worked example in section 7.0 shows the Total nett energy savings and the Total annual cost
savings for a 5.0 m3/s air handling system (full Fresh air) using a run-around coil heat recovery
installation. The simple Payback Period is calculated at 1.2 years.
The Table below shows comparative data for the other heat recovery technologies using similar
design conditions:
Heat Recovery
Device

Effectiveness
(%)

Capital
Cost ()

Total Annual
Cost Saving ()

Simple Payback
Period (Yrs)

Heat Pipe

49

14,500

11,032

1.3

Run-around Coil

49

13,200

10,602

1.2

Rotary Wheel

67

11,000

15,873

0.7

Plate Heat
Exchanger

67

10,000

14,499

0.7

Note: The costs indicated are rough order of magnitude figures which include capital cost of
equipment, controls, installation and design fees.

Page 4 of 29

2.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1
2.1.1

2.2
2.2.1

Special Working Groups

The Special Working Groups (SWGs) initiative was developed by the Sustainability Energy Authority
of Ireland as part of the Energy Agreement Programme. The SWGs focus on particular technologies,
initiatives and areas of interest to the Programme members. The focus of this report is on Waste
Heat Recovery potential for HVAC systems.
Assumptions and Exceptions
The following assumptions and exceptions have been made during the production of this report,
a. The report focuses on Air-to-Air Heat Recovery technologies for HVAC applications
in Commercial and Industrial buildings.
b. A number of technologies are described, and a worked example presented for a
system using a Sensible (temperature only) Heat Recovery device.
c. The report considers standard HVAC operating temperatures and pressures.
d. The report does not consider summertime cooling of incoming fresh air using an
Energy Recovery device.
e. Recirculation of exhaust air is the cheapest and most efficient form of Heat
Recovery. Others forms of Heat Recovery should only be considered after the need
for fresh air is minimised, and the use of air recirculation and control strategies to
optimise energy consumption at air handling plant have been firstly fully
exploited.

Page 5 of 29

3.0 SETTING THE SCENE

3.1

Why Recover Heat?

3.1.1

Recirculation of building extract air is the cheapest and most efficient form of Air-to-Air Heat
Recovery since it involves little or no energy penalty. However in certain circumstances, e.g. where
the exhaust air contains contaminants such as odours, chemicals, dust or corrosives it may not be
possible to re-use this air. In these circumstances air-to-air heat recovery devices should be
considered in both new and refurbishment projects.

3.1.2

Any time the temperature of the air being discharged from a building is higher than the incoming
air to the building there is a potential opportunity for heat recovery. There is great scope for energy
conservation if the heat in the exhaust air can be reclaimed and applied as a source of energy to
raise the temperature of the incoming outside air. Heat recovery systems use heat energy that
would otherwise be rejected as waste to pre-heat the incoming air, resulting in saved energy, lower
running costs and potentially reduced plant capacities.

3.1.3

A variety of devices are available which facilitate air-to-air heat exchange, these include,

Run-around coils (Water circulation)

Heat Pipe Heat Exchangers
Air-to-Air Plate Heat Exchangers
Rotary Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers

Two of the above devices deliver direct air-to-air heat exchange and two employ an intermediate
circulating medium.
The actual level of heat recovery will depend on the type of heat recovery device selected and the
temperature difference between the supply and extract air streams.
All heat recovery devices create a resistance against which a fan has to operate (pressure drop).
This causes the fan to work harder to maintain flow rate, so increasing electricity consumption.
Where an intermediate circulating fluid is used there is the additional consideration of the
electrical consumption of the circulating pump and the losses from the interconnecting pipework.
The amount of energy saved by installing a heat recovery device is equal to the energy
recovered less the extra energy used in operating pumps, fans, etc.
The final decision on installing heat recovery systems depends on economic viability. As the cost of
electricity is greater than the cost of fossil fuels, the heat recovery device will need to recover
enough energy to economically justify its inclusion, while delivering a reasonable Payback Period.

Page 6 of 29

3.2
3.2.1

Potential effects on Capital and Operating Costs

The following table outlines the potential effects on Capital and Operating costs associated with the
installation of a Heat Recovery system.
Expenditure

Capital Costs

Savings

- Design Costs

- Reduction in Central plant size

- Supply and Installation costs of the

completed assembly

- Reduction in distribution pipework

- Modifications to existing plant and

services to accommodate the new
equipment
- Additional plantroom space
- Controls

Running Costs

- Additional operating costs due to

increased fan power.

- Nett reduction in operating costs due

to heat recovery.

- Pump operating costs where runaround coils are employed.

- Reduced Carbon emissions

- Increased maintenance

3.3
3.3.1

Technical items to be considered (at design stage and when considering a retro-fit)
The following technical items should be considered when selecting an Air-to-Air Heat Recovery
device,
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Space accommodation requirements of the Heat Recovery System.

Distance between the supply and extract air streams.
Type of Energy recovery required (Sensible only or Total Energy (Sensible and Latent))
Supply and Extract air quantities (mass flowrates) to be accommodated.
Effectiveness of the Heat Recovery device.
Quality and condition requirements of the Supply Air stream (Is cross-contamination
acceptable? consider the risk of cross contamination between exhaust air streams and supply
air streams due to Carry-over or Leakage).
g. Quality and condition of the Exhaust Air stream (Corrosive, dust laden, High temperature, High
static pressure), leading to additional costs for anti-corrosion coatings, additional filtration,
robust construction, etc.
h. Construction materials consider corrosion, location, differential pressures, contaminants, etc.
i. Additional operating energy and service requirements for the Heat Recovery system, e.g.
electrical supplies and condensate drains.
j. Modification requirements to existing plant and service routes to accommodate the new
equipment.
k. Move-in space provision, i.e. consider the move-in path for a large item of equipment.
l. Construction costs.
m. Disruption to existing occupied areas, e.g. downtime.
n. Additional maintenance costs filtration, cleaning, motor drives, etc.
o. Impact on the performance of existing air handling equipment, e.g. additional pressure drop
resistance on existing fans.
p. Control method (also, additional controls and upgrading of existing BMS systems).
q. Condensation formation and frosting on the exhaust air side of the heat exchanger.
r. Maximum allowable pressure drop through the unit (particularly when the unit is being
retrofitted to an existing system).
s. Air flow arrangements (Plate Heat Exchangers Cross-flow or Counter-flow)
t. Face velocities at the Heat Exchanger.

Page 7 of 29

3.4
3.4.1

3.4.2

Economic Justification
Assuming the technical requirements can be met, the final decision on the installation of a heat
recovery device will be made on the grounds of its economic justification. This justification requires
an assessment of the potential energy savings in comparison to the system capital cost and the
increased operating costs.
In order to carry out an assessment the following information is required,
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

The operating period for the equipment - annual hours run.

The outside air conditions (temperature and hours of occurrence) for the heat recovery season
Local Weather Data.
The extract air temperature.
The supply and extract air volume flowrates.
The Effectiveness (efficiency) of the heat recovery device being considered. Effectiveness
quoted in manufacturers data is usually based on a balanced air flow, i.e. equal supply and
extract air volumes.
The cost of Electricity and Fossil Fuels.
The boiler efficiency
Supply and Extract Fan efficiencies (also include circulating pump efficiencies where a runaround coil assembly is being considered)
The installed cost of the selected heat recovery equipment (including design costs, controls
costs, pipework costs (run-around coils), electrical costs and the cost of any necessary
modification to existing services).

The economic investment is considered justified if the assessment shows the capital cost investment
can be recovered by the energy cost savings related to the installation of the heat recovery system,
within a reasonable Payback Period.
A reasonable Payback Period would be considered to be of the order of 1- 6 years for most
businesses.
3.4.3

The viability of heat recovery increases when:

a.
b.
c.
d.

The number of air changes per hour increases and the heating season lengthens.
The temperature difference between the supply and extract air streams increases.
The supply and extract air streams are within close proximity (though run-around coils can be
considered where this is not the case).
The system operates for extended periods of time, e.g. a system which operates 24/7 will yield
higher savings than a system which operates 10/5.

Page 8 of 29

4.0 AIR-TO AIR HEAT RECOVERY OPTIONS

4.1

System Descriptions

4.1.1

The following describes commonly available Heat Recovery technologies,

4.1.2

Run-around coils (Water circulation)

Figure 1 Run-around coils

The run-around coil arrangement is essentially a Sensible heat transfer device. Finned air-towater heat exchangers are installed in the ducts between which the heat is to be transferred. A
closed loop, counter-flow water or water/glycol (for freeze protection) circuit is used to transfer
heat from the warm extract air to the cooler supply air. An expansion tank is required to allow fluid
expansion and contraction. A three-port temperature control valve allows regulation of the circuit
and prevents the exhaust coil from freezing. The valve is controlled to maintain the temperature
of the fluid entering the exhaust coil at 5C or above. This condition is maintained by by-passing
some of the fluid around the supply air coil. The valve can also ensure that a prescribed air
temperature from the supply air coil is not exceeded.
The small temperature differences attainable in HVAC applications will result in deep coils
(typically 6-8 rows).
Overall heat transfer efficiencies are relatively low given the two stage heat transfer process
(exhaust air to fluid & fluid to supply air). Electrical energy costs required to drive the circulating
pump and overcome the additional coil pressure drops (Supply air coil and Exhaust air coil), and
maintenance costs need to be taken into account.
A significant advantage of this arrangement is its flexibility Supply and Exhaust ductwork do not
need to be in close proximity, coils may be fitted to any number of exhaust ducts and the heat
collected and distributed to any number of similar supply air ducts. Diversity of energy availability
and energy demand between air handling plants may thus be used to best advantage.
The system is particularly useful where cross contamination between the exhaust air stream and
the supply air stream is a concern (e.g. Laboratory application), since the arrangement does not
involve close contact of air streams.
Modulation control can be achieved by pump operation an/or bypass valve arrangements on the
coils.
A 25% (by mass) inhibited glycol mixture is often used in the circulating pipework to provide frost
protection of the circuit. The concentration of glycol affects the specific heat capacity of the
circulating fluid and the efficiency of the heat exchanger. The greater the concentration of glycol,
the lower the specific heat capacity, and the lower the heat transfer efficiency.
Coil heat recovery loops use coils that are constructed to suit their environment and operating
conditions. To ensure optimum operation of the coils the air streams should be filtered. Anticorrosion protection of the exhaust air coil may be provided when the exhaust coil is placed in a
corrosive air stream.

Page 9 of 29

Main Features:
Materials of construction:
Tube Material Copper, Aluminium and Stainless Steel
Fin Material - Copper, Aluminium and Stainless Steel
Performance:
Effectiveness: 50 65% (Sensible)
Resistance to air flow: Approx. 150 500 Pa
Typical Applications:
General HVAC systems in Commercial or Industrial applications where sensible heat recovery
is required.
Retrofit HVAC applications where plant space is limited and/or supply and extract ductwork
are not in close proximity.
Where cross-contamination of air streams in not permitted.

4.1.3

Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger

Figure 2 Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger

The Heat Pipe heat exchanger is essentially a Sensible heat transfer device. The Heat Pipe has its
origins in the nuclear industry and was further developed as part of the space programme. The
device is a passive heat exchanger of which there are two main types vertical and horizontal.
Finned tubes are mounted in banks in a similar manner to a cooling coil. Supply and extract
sections are separated by a dividing partition.
A working fluid is employed to effect heat transfer. The fluid used is selected to suit the
temperature range required and would typically be one of the common refrigerants. The heat
exchanger is made up of rows of conductors. Each individual conductor is a sealed tube, pressure
and vacuum tight, provided with an internal wick of woven glass fibre normally as a concentric
lining to the tube.
In operation, the heat applied in the evaporation section (exhaust air duct) will cause the fluid to
vaporise and travel to the condensation section (supply air duct) of the pipe. As the vapour
condenses the heat is transferred and the vapour returns to a fluid, thus completing the cycle.
When mounted in the horizontal orientation, capacity control of the pipe is achieved by adjusting
the horizontal angle of the heat pipe about the centre of its base. This is achieved through the use
Page 10 of 29

of a tilting mechanism fixed to the body of the device. Pleated flexible connectors attached to the
supply and exhaust ductwork allows freedom for the tilting movement. Face and by-pass dampers
may also be used to achieve capacity control.
The capacity of the device will vary according to the numbers of coil rows, the fin spacing and the
air velocity across the coil.
Supply and Exhaust ductwork cannot be separated.
Module sizes range from 50 l/s to 36000 l/s.
Main Features:
Materials of construction:
Tube Material Copper or Aluminium
Fin Material Aluminium
Performance:
Effectiveness: 45 65% (Sensible). The effectiveness of the heat exchanger is dependent on
the relative direction of airflows in the supply and exhaust ducts. Counterflow gives the best
performance. Parallel flow will reduce the efficiency by about one fifth of the quoted counterflow performance.
Resistance to air flow: Approx. 150 500 Pa
Manufacturers claim there is no risk of cross contamination between air streams, but this is
subject to the quality of the construction of the device.
This technology is seldom used in HVAC applications due to the relatively high capital cost.
Typical Applications:
General HVAC systems in Commercial or Industrial applications where sensible heat recovery
is required.
Particularly where plant space is tight and supply and exhaust duct are running side by side.
Used as an alternative to Plate Heat Exchangers on air handling unit installations where plant
space availability is an issue. Note: Only a viable alternative on air volume flowrates exceeding
5-6 m3/s.
Used in dehumidification applications, e.g. Swimming Pools

4.1.4

Air-to-Air Plate Heat Exchanger

Page 11 of 29

Figure 3 Cross-Flow Air-to-Air Plate Heat Exchanger

Plate Heat Exchangers are available in many configurations, materials, sizes and air flow patterns.
They are manufactured in modular form, arranged to handle any airflow, effectiveness and
pressure drop requirement. They are simple devices with no moving parts. The two air streams
(supply and extract) may be directed in Cross-flow or Counter-flow form, however design,
construction and cost restrictions usually result in the cross-flow arrangement being favoured. The
casing of the unit is compartmented to form narrow passages carrying, alternatively, supply and
extract air streams. The construction of the plates permits a large surface area to be packed into a
compact space. Heat is transferred by conduction through the separating plates. The plates are
normally constructed from aluminium or stainless steel.
An anti-corrosion coating may be applied to the to heat transfer plates when the units are
installed in a corrosive environment. Alternatively, Polymer plates with anti-corrosion properties
are also available.
Capacity control of the device is achieved through the use of face and by-pass dampers.
Most plate heat exchangers are provided with condensate drains to remove the condensate
formed in the exhaust air section as the heat transfer takes place and the relative humidity of the
air increases.
Freezing of the exhaust air is a potential problem. This can be controlled by preheating the
incoming supply air or by-passing the heat exchanger with part of the incoming air.
Units are available to handle air volumes in the range of 25 l/s to 50000 l/s and may be built in
modular form to suit any requirement.
Supply and Exhaust ductwork cannot be separated.
Main Features:
Materials of construction:
Plate material Aluminium, Stainless Steel and Polymer. Paper is used in small Commercial
plate heat exchange units.
Casing material: Steel

Performance:
Effectiveness: 50 80% (Sensible). Plate Heat exchangers can achieved higher efficiencies
because of the single stage heat transfer process and are therefore not inhibited by additional
secondary losses associated with the run-around coil arrangement.

Page 12 of 29

 Resistance to air flow: Approx. 150 300 Pa at a face velocity of 3 m/s. With differential
pressures in excess of 1000Pa, high delta-P plate heat exchangers should be selected to avoid
plate deformation.
Typical Applications:
Central Plant Heat Recovery from exhaust air for space heating of Offices, Warehouses and
Factories.
Local ceiling mounted heat recovery units for small Commercial applications.

4.1.5

Rotary Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger

Figure 3 Rotary Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger

A rotary air-to-air heat exchanger has a revolving wheel filled with an air-permeable medium having
a large internal surface area. The wheel is mounted in a supporting structure, and the motor driven
at up to approximately 20 revolutions per minute. Adjacent supply and exhaust air streams each
flow through half of the wheel in a counter-flow pattern.
The heat transfer medium and the form of heat transfer surface varies between manufacturers and
can be selected to pick up Sensible heat only or Total heat (sensible and latent heat). Sensible heat
is absorbed at the warm room exhaust section (exhaust air) and released into the cold outside air
section (supply air).
Because rotary exchangers are compact, counter-flow devices with small flow passages they can
achieve high heat transfer effectiveness. Air contamination, exhaust air temperature and supply air
properties influence the selection of materials for the casing, rotor structure and heat transfer
medium for the heat exchanger.
The exchanger media are fabricated from metal, mineral or synthetic materials and provide either
random or directionally orientated flow through their structures.
Cross-leakage, cross-contamination or mixing between supply and exhaust air streams can occur in
all rotary heat exchangers by two mechanisms Carry-over and Seal Leakage. Carry-over occurs
when air from the exhaust air stream is carried into the supply air stream. This happens each time a
portion of the matrix passes the seals dividing the supply and exhaust air sections. It can be
prevented by installing a purge section on the heat exchanger. The introduction of a purge section
can reduce the level of carry over to reasonable limits, e.g. 0.1%, but cannot completely eliminate it.
Cross-leakage occurs due to pressure differentials between air streams. Air leakage is driven from the
region of high pressure to the region of low pressure. This can be minimised by avoiding large
pressure differentials, providing an effective seal, and placing the fans to promote leakage into the
exhaust air stream.

Page 13 of 29

In many HVAC applications carry-over or cross-contamination is not a concern, however in critical

applications such as Laboratories, Cleanrooms or Operating theatres stringent control of carry-over
is required.
Two methods are commonly used to control the operation of a rotary heat exchanger Supply air
by-pass control (outside air) and speed control of the rotating wheel.
In supply air by-pass control a by-pass damper controlled by a supply air temperature sensor
regulates the volume of outside air allowed to pass through the rotating wheel and therefore
controls the temperature of the supply air.
The second method regulates the rate of heat recovery by controlling the speed of the rotary wheel
using a variable speed drive. Heat recovery increases with wheel speed, but so does carry-over.
Wheel speed is ultimately limited by carry-over.
Maintenance requirements need to be taken into consideration since the rotary wheel is difficult to
clean.
Wheels are available in sizes up to 5.5m diameter to handle air quantities in the range of 25 l/s to
35,000 l/s.
Main Features:
Materials of construction:
Casing material: Aluminium, Steel and Polymer.
Rotor material:
Aluminium, Steel and Polymer.
Exchanger Media: Aluminium, Stainless Steel, Copper or Monel
Performance:
Effectiveness: 50 - 85% (Sensible)
Resistance to air flow: Approx. 150 Pa at a face velocity of 3 m/s
Typical Applications:
General HVAC systems in Commercial or Industrial applications where sensible heat recovery
is required. This technology (using a suitable media) may also be used for Total heat transfer
(sensible and latent).
Not suitable in applications where cross-contamination may be an issue.

Page 14 of 29

5.0 SPECIFIC NUMBERS

5.1
5.1.1

Heat Recovery Efficiency

The heat recovery efficiency or Effectiveness of a device is normally defined as follows:
Effectiveness = Actual Heat Transfer
Maximum possible heat transfer
Exit properties of two air streams can be estimated by knowing the flowrates and the
effectiveness of the two air streams. The effectiveness of a heat recovery device can be used as a
measure of the heat recovered.

5.2

Comparison of Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers

Page 15 of 29

5.2.1

Table 5.0 below shows a comparison of the different types of Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers

Table 5.0

Run-around coil

Heat Pipe

50 - 65% Sensible only

45 - 65 % Sensible only

Temperature Range (C)

- 45 500C

- 40 40C

- 60 800C

- 55 800C

Typ. Pressure drop (Pa)

150 500 Pa

150 500 Pa

150 300 Pa

100 300 Pa

Typ. Face Velocity (m/s)

1.5 3.0 m/s

2.0 4.0 m/s

1.0 5.0 m/s

2.0 5.0 m/s

Air Flow Arrangements

N/A (1)

Counter-flow
Parallel-Flow

Counter-flow
Cross-Flow

Counter-flow
Parallel-Flow

Cross-Leakage (%)

0 5%

1-10%

Modulation Control

Pump speed control or

by-pass valve

Tilt angle down to 10%

of maximum

By-pass damper

Wheel speed or by-pass

damper

50 l/s and up

50 l/s and up

25 l/s and up

25 35000 l/s

2 (incl. pipework)

20 30 yrs

15 20 Yrs

25 30 Yrs

15 Yrs

Heat Recovery Effectiveness

(%)

Equipment size range (l/s)

Relative Capital Cost (2)
Plant Life Expectancy (yrs)
Advantages

50 - 80 % Sensible only

Rotary Heat Wheel

50 - 85 % Sensible
50 - 85 % Latent

- Flexibility, i.e. Air

streams can be
separated

- Few moving parts

(except tilting
mechanism)

- No moving parts

- Relatively high heat

transfer efficiency

- No risk of crosscontamination

- High pressure
differentials between
air streams is possible

- Low Pressure drop, but can

be selected for high
pressure differentials.

- Low Pressure drop

- Easily cleaned

- Easily cleaned

- Plate material can be

selected to suit a wide range
of applications

- Compact large sizes

- Standard, well proven

coil technology

- Relatively high heat

transfer efficiency

- Matrix material can be

selected to suit a wide
range of applications

-Relatively space
efficient

- Extensively used in
Residential and Commercial
applications

- Suitable for retro-fit

to existing ductwork
systems.

Disadvantages

Plate Heat Exchanger

- Two stage heat

transfer leading to
inefficiencies
- Predicting
performance requires
accurate analysis

-Relatively space
efficient

- Few suppliers

- Sensible heat transfer

only

- Air Streams must be

adjacent

- Relatively low heat

transfer efficiency.

- Some risk of crosscontamination

(depends on
construction quality)

-Filtration required to
protect coils
- Sensible heat transfer
only

- Some risk of crosscontamination

- Cross-contamination
between air streams

- Air Streams must be

adjacent

- Air Streams must be

adjacent

- Sensible heat transfer only

- Fan location is important

- Large space required to

accommodate the wheel
- Regular maintenance is
required.

- Sensible heat transfer

only

- Large surface area to

volume of matrix makes it
susceptible to corrosion.

1. N/A = Not Applicable

2. 1 = Most Expensive, 4 = Least Expensive. Cost comparisons are based on systems handling a
volume flowrate of 5 m3/s.

Page 16 of 29

6.0 AT DESIGN OR RETRO-FIT?

6.1

It is generally more cost effective to include for heat recovery at design stage than to consider it post
project completion. Early consideration allows the full range of options to be technically and
commercially evaluated, and the best solution selected for the particular application. Once the project
has been completed the opportunities are limited.

6.2

Of the technical items outlined in section 3.3 the following will dictate the final selection in a retro-fit
situation,
a. Plant space availability
b. Distance between supply and extract air streams
c. Quality and condition of the supply and extract air streams.
d. Modification requirements to existing services to accommodate new equipment.
e. Move-in space provision.
f. Impact on the performance of the existing air handling plant.

6.3
6.3.1

6.4
6.4.1

6.5
6.5.1

6.6
6.6.1

6.7
6.7.1

6.8
6.8.1

Plant space availability

Run-around coils and heat pipe heat exchangers will generally occupy less plant space than Plate
Heat Exchangers or Heat Wheels.
Distance between supply and extract air streams
In order to accommodate Rotary Wheels, Plate heat Exchangers or Heat pipes supply and extract air
streams need to be in close proximity. With run-around coils supply and extract air streams can be
separated by a considerable distance.
Quality and condition of the supply and extract air streams
Rotary Wheels and Plate Heat Exchangers are susceptible to cross-contamination due to crossleakage. Heat Pipes and run-around coils present no issues with cross-contamination.
Modification requirements to existing services to accommodate new equipment
The installation of Heat Pipes, Rotary Wheels and Plate Heat Exchangers require that the connecting
ductwork services are in close proximity. The extent of modifications required to existing services to
accommodate the new equipment will depend on the routing of the services and the space
available to accommodate the additional equipment. Run-around coils can generally be
accommodated with significantly less disruption to existing ductwork services.
Move-in space provision
The available move-in space requirements for new equipment will impact on the final selection.
Rotary Wheels, Plate Heat Exchangers and Heat Pipe assemblies are relatively large when compared
to a run-around coil assembly, which can be broken down into its component parts.
Impact on the performance of the existing air handling plant
All new equipment will impact on the performance of existing plant to which they are connected.
Careful consideration is needed to ensure the pressure drop at the new equipment aligns with the
available static pressure at the existing plant.

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7.0 WORKED EXAMPLE

7.1
7.1.1

Below is a worked example based on the use of a Run-around coil Heat Recovery device.
The resultant heat energy savings, running cost savings and payback period are based on the
following input data,
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

7.1.2

Weather Data Dublin 1966 to 1995 (Refer to Appendix 1 to this document). The range of
temperatures is taken from -5C to 21.
24 hour operation of the air handling system and heat recovery device.
Boiler efficiency:
90%
Fan efficiency:
80%
The boilers are gas fired. The price of Natural Gas is 4.0 Cent per kWh.
The price of Electricity is 10.0 Cent per kWh.
The extract air temperature is 22C.
The run-around coil system Effectiveness is 49%.
The supply and extract air volumes flowrates are balanced at 5.0 m3/s respectively.
The supply air heat recovery coil has an airside pressure drop of 104 Pa.
The exhaust air heat recovery coil has an airside pressure drop of 138 Pa.
The volume flowrate of the water/glycol circuit is 5.3 kg/s.
The waterside pressure drop in the water/glycol circuit is 100 kPa.
The efficiency of the circulating pump in the water/glycol circuit is 65%.
The Total Heat Recovery savings are based on an external temperature limit of 14C.

Appendix 2 to this document includes equipment selections for alternative Heat Recovery devices
using the above design parameters.

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Run-around Coil Installation Worked Example - Calculation Results

Run-around Coil Installation Simple Payback Period

Page 20 of 29

8.0 REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Eurovent 10/1 (1986) Heat Recovery Devices Specifications, Terminology, Classification and Functional
Characteristics.
Eurovent 10/3 (1989) Heat Recovery / Energy Conservation Some Typical Methods.
Besant R.W., C.J. Simonson, Wei Shang Design for Air-to-Air Heat and Moisture Exchange in HVAC
Applications.
ASHRAE Handbook (2007) - Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Applications.
BSRIA TN 11/86 (1986) Selection of Air-to-Air Heat Recovery Systems.
Article Bureau of Energy Efficiency Waste Heat Recovery.
BSEN 13053 (2001) Ventilation for buildings- Air Handling Units Ratings and performance for units,
components and sections.
BG2/2009 Illustrated Guide to Ventilation, BSRIA.
CIBSE Guide B Heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration Chartered Institution of Building
Services Engineers, London.

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APPENDIX 1
DUBLIN 30 YEAR WEATHER DATA 1965 to 1995

APPENDIX 2

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Alternative Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger selections

Selection Summary Sheet

Air-to-Air Run-around Coils Fresh Air Coil
Air-to-Air Run-around Coils Exhaust Air Coil
Plate Heat Exchanger
Rotary Heat Exchanger Heat Recovery Wheel
Heat Pipe

Selection Summary Sheet

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Air-to-Air Run-around Coils Fresh Air Coil

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Air-to-Air Run-around Coils Exhaust Air Coil

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Air-to-Air Plate Heat Exchanger

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Air-to-Air Heat Recovery Wheel

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Heat Pipe

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Page 29 of 29