Thermal performance analysis of plate heat exchanger with different configurations for the heat recovery system in buildings

Due to the scarcity of conventional energy sources, a lot of efforts need to be taken regarding energy conservation in the buildings, including heat recovery of air ventilation systems. The present paper focuses on new methods to improve the thermal performance of the heat recovery system by investigating the heat transfer characteristics and the flow development in a flat-plate heat exchanger (FPHE) using three different rib-grooved surfaces (trapezoidal, triangle and semi-circular), the numerical simulations were carried out for uniform wall heat flux equal to 290 W/m² for air as the working fluid, the Reynolds number varies from 500 to 2000 for three different channel heights. The numerical results indicated that, rib-grooved surfaces have a significant impact on heat transfer enhancement with an increase in the pressure drop through the channel. The effect of rib-grooved patterns on the heat transfer and the fluid flow is more significant in a narrow channel especially for trapezoidal and triangle corrugated surfaces, because they have sharp edges. Based on the present research, the FPHEs with the added rib-grooved surfaces are recommended to provide an efficient and compact heat recovery system. Moreover, it was found that by applying the new design, a considerable amount of energy and power could be saved.