In well insulated buildings the ventilation heat is sometimes higher than the heat losses by transmission. For a air change rate of 0,8 per hour the specific heat flux must be calculated with 25 w/m², so heat recovery can save some energy. In all considerations the saving in the heating system must be compared with the additional energy for the fans, because this energy is of a higher quality. To optimize the heat recovery system, the different designs of the heat exchanger, the annual running hours and the annual hours for heat recovery must be taken into account.
Mechanical devices such as exhaust fans and air handlers interact strongly with natural infiltration. In the past, the effects of mechanical systems have either been treated separately from those of natural infiltration or have been combined using simple models. This paper extends the theory of the interaction of unbalanced mechanical systems with stack-driven infiltration. The effects of leakage distribution and the flow exponent on fan efficiency are discussed. A simple model for combining the two effects is presented and compared with two previously proposed models.
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