Energy Recovery From Building

HVAC Systems

Dr. Deng Shiming

Department of Building Services Engineering
 Energy Recovery

• recover energy that is generated during

building operation;
• reduce the use of natural resource;
• essential quality : not the amount but rather
its ‘grade’ expressed in terms of temperature;
• air side and water side recovery
 Energy Recovery
Exhaust air heat recovery (air side)

• Full use of re-circulated air is the most

efficient method, not feasible, ventilation
requirement;
• When outdoor air is used, opportunity for
recovering energy in exhaust air exists, by
using Heat Recovery Units (HRU);
• Applying to both heating and cooling
 Energy Recovery
Efficiency of an air to air heat recovery unit

Supply air to
Outdoor air
 space, ts , hs
to , h o
O S
ms
Exhaust air
E
E' me + Exhaust air from
space, te, he,
HRU

Schematic of an air-to-air heat recovery unit:

definition of efficiency (cooling)
 Energy Recovery

Efficiency of an air to air heat recovery unit

For sensible heat exchange:

m s ( to  t s )
t   100
m e ( to  t e )
 Energy Recovery

Efficiency of an air to air heat recovery unit

For total heat exchange:

ms ( ho  hs )
h   100
me ( ho  he )
 Energy Recovery
Efficiency of an air to air heat recovery unit

Normally same fresh air supply and exhaust:

to  t s ho  hs
t   100 h   100
to  t e ho  he
 Energy Recovery
Calculation of the annual energy recovered
from using an HRU

Based on energy balance, the energy recovered

from using an HRU will be:

Q  m s ( ho  hs )
 Energy Recovery
Calculation of the annual energy recovered
from using an HRU

From equation considering the efficiency of an

HRU:

hs  ho   ( ho  he )
 Energy Recovery
Calculation of the annual energy recovered
from using an HRU

Inserting the last equation to obtain

Q  m s ( ho  he )
 Energy Recovery
Calculation of the annual energy recovered
from using an HRU

To calculate the annual energy recovered, an

integral over time is needed, and noting that ho
varies with times:

Qtot , yr   m s[ho (t )  he ]dt  m s  [ho (t )  he ]dt

yr yr
 Energy Recovery
Calculation of the annual energy recovered
from using an HRU

when calculating the total annual energy

saving, one has to consider the change of
outdoor weather by using either hourly
weather data or daily data, depending on the
availability of weather data. Usually, hourly
weather data in a design day in each month
should be sufficient.
 Energy Recovery
Thermal wheel (Regenerator)
 Energy Recovery
Thermal wheel (Regenerator)

Psychrometric O
process E'

E S
 Energy Recovery
Thermal wheel (Regenerator)

Typical design values for thermal wheel are:

size, diameter 0.5 to 4.5 m

air flow rate, range 0.2 to 70 m3/s
pressure drops 60 to 250 Pa
efficiency of heat transfer 70 % to 90 %
 Energy Recovery - Thermal wheel

• exhaust air carry over, leads to cross-

contamination (medical / hospital buildings
applications) (Pressure arrangement)
• simple and effective
• condensation or freezing of moisture
• Hygroscopic wheels for latent heat as well
as sensible heat transfer
 Energy Recovery
Thermal wheel (Regenerator)

Outdoor Supply to
indoor
Fan

Exhaust from
indoor

Leakage path across a thermal wheel

Energy Recovery
Heat pipes
 Energy Recovery
Heat pipes
Typical design values are:

air flow rate, range up to 5 m3 /s.

face velocity 2.5 m/s
efficiency of heat transfer:
4 row coil 50%
8 row coil 70%
pressure drop
4 row coil 70 Pa
8 row coil 140 Pa
 Energy Recovery - Heat pipes

a bank of heat pipes can be used in an air

conditioning system

simple and low maintenance costs.

Improved efficiency by tilting the tubes,

normally at 6, with the lower end in the high
temperature air stream
 Energy Recovery
Parallel plate heat exchanger
 Energy Recovery
Parallel plate heat exchanger
 little maintenance is required
 no possibility of cross contamination

X condensation within the unit,

requiring frost protection in winter
X for summer cooling, condensation
can occur on the supply air side: a
risk of bacterial contamination.
Energy Recovery - Run-around system
 Energy Recovery - Run-around system

used where the supply and exhaust ducts

cannot easily be run close together.
• Generally the most appropriate scheme for
use where existing systems are to be
upgraded.
• a more flexible way of recovering heat from
the exhaust air compared with other
methods of energy conservation
 Energy Recovery - Economic analysis
Capital costs
• heat recovery unit;
• associated controls;
• ductwork connections;
• filter in exhaust duct;
• increase in fan size to deal with the additional
pressure drops, supply and extract;
• reduced heater and cooler battery sizes;
• reduced boiler and refrigeration plant sizes.
 Energy Recovery - Economic analysis
Annual costs

• savings in energy for heating and cooling

plant;
• additional fan energy consumption;
• energy consumption of ancillary equipment,
e.g. motor for thermal wheel, pump for run-
around system;
• maintenance costs.
 Energy Recovery

Typical installations of exhaust air HRU in buildings

 Energy Recovery

Typical installations of exhaust air HRU in buildings

 Energy Recovery
Heat recovery from a refrigeration system
(water side)
• The heat rejected to the condenser in the
refrigeration plant for water heating

• When water chillers are used, a special

double bundle condenser may be used to
recover
 Energy Recovery
Heat recovery from a refrigeration system

Double bundle condenser