Modeling incomplete adiabatic mixing of return and outdoor air streams in an air handling unit

The mixing of different air streams is a process commonly found in air handling systems. One of the most common examples of this process is found in the air handling unit mixing box where outdoor air is mixed with return air. In the adiabatic mixing process, the energy leaving the mixing box equals the energy entering the mixing box. In order to calculate the energy in the mixed air stream, it is only necessary to know the energy in the outdoor and the return air streams. As a result, it is not necessary to consider whether the mixing process is ideal or not.