This paper analyzes the types, characteristics, and application status of total heat exchangers. It discusses the research progress of plate-fin heat exchangers and introduces the working process and characteristics of OxyCell heat exchangers.
1. Rotary Heat Exchanger
Rotary heat exchanger technology is relatively mature, with advantages of high efficiency, self-cleaning, and wide applicability. However, it has large volume, fixed position, high resistance, and cross-contamination [2]. Due to the energy consumption of moving parts and inherent structural defects, air leakage and core contamination problems remain unsolved, affecting its overall performance.
2. Plate-Fin Heat Exchanger
Plate-fin heat exchangers have become the research focus in industrially developed Western countries because they have no moving parts and therefore no air leakage or core contamination issues. The structure of a plate-fin heat exchanger is shown in Figure 1. The separator is made of hydrophilic material with good heat transfer and moisture permeability, and is airtight. When there is a temperature difference and water vapor partial pressure difference between the airflows on both sides of the separator, heat and mass transfer occur between the two airflows. Plate-fin heat exchangers offer advantages such as high heat transfer efficiency, compact structure, lightweight and robustness, strong adaptability, and good economy. However, their resistance is relatively large, and the structure of the sealing gaskets needs further improvement.
Energy conservation in air conditioning systems has become an urgent priority. Reducing the energy consumption of air conditioning systems is of great significance for decreasing building energy consumption, alleviating current power shortages, optimizing the energy structure, and protecting the environment. Among these measures, utilizing total heat exchangers is an effective approach for energy conservation in air conditioning systems. This paper analyzes the current application status and research progress of total heat exchangers.
