Air recuperator for a private house: principle of operation, advantages, disadvantages and do-it-yourself manufacturing technology. Cheap DIY recuperator Coaxial air recuperator for home DIY

Today, a device called a recuperator is increasingly found in ventilation systems. The product is not new, before it was used by industrialists. The high price of the device was beyond the power of a citizen, but a large organization could afford it.

The tangible savings in energy resources made it possible to quickly recoup the investment, and then the savings began. But expensive energy resources forced to pay attention to the recuperator of private homeowners, appeared household models, the price of the product has dropped significantly.

Plate air recuperator

What is a recuperator

Translated from Latin, recuperation is a return. This implies an understanding of the main task of the device - to return heat in winter or cooled air in summer. Indeed, for a normal microclimate, it is necessary to remove the used air from the room, replacing it with fresh air.

Thus, in winter heat goes into the chimney, and in summer the cool flow is replaced by a hot one, and the process of heating or cooling inside the room begins with renewed vigor, consuming valuable energy. The recuperator forces the supply flow to interact with the outgoing one, bringing already partially heated or cooled fresh air into the room. Resources are saved.

Principle of operation and device

The design of the product is quite simple: a monoblock, inside which there are:

• heat exchanger;
• filters;
• fans;
• heaters (if necessary);
• additional devices (noise absorber, bypass duct, etc.). These components are optional.

The recuperator works as follows:

• with the help of a piping system, the incoming and outgoing air flow is brought into the device. In this case, mixing does not occur, they exchange heat through a thin metal partition;
• processed incoming air enters the room.

Efficiency example:

A relatively cheap, technically simple plate recuperator is capable of heating the incoming air with a temperature of -10 degrees to +6 due to an outgoing flow with a temperature of 24 degrees (comfortable home climate). Therefore, the heating system needs much less resources to make the fresh air pleasantly warm again.

Recuperator plates

Application area

1. Plate or tube recuperators are used:
   • heat ventilation system in private households;
   • administrative or office premises;
   • small workshops and warehouses.
2. Rotary devices use:
   • large production facilities;
   • residential buildings or office centers;
   • rooms with excessive or insufficient humidity.
3. The industrial type has found its application in technological processes in various industries:
   • mechanical engineering (cooling of emulsions and oils);
   • energy;
   • pharmaceutical direction;
   • chemical industry;
   • metallurgy;
   • food industry.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of the device include:

• huge savings in energy resources (about 50%);
• the service life is 25 years;
• comfort in a living or work space;
• 3 important tasks are being solved simultaneously:
  • constant supply of fresh air;
  • comfortable indoor humidity;
  • saving money on heating or air conditioning.

But there are disadvantages:

• not suitable for housing up to 200 square meters (payback is approximately equal to the service life);
• if the ventilation system is not provided for by the project, it is extremely difficult and expensive to mount the recuperator;
• a small temperature difference between the street and the house reduces the efficiency of the device to almost 0 (the difference should be at least 20 degrees);
• high price.

Types of devices

There are several types of recuperators:

1. Lamellar or tubular. The most common, technically simple form. There are no moving parts inside the device, it does not require electricity to operate. The efficiency is 40–65%. But there are disadvantages:
   • freezing in winter;
   • lack of the ability to carry out moisture exchange.
2. Rotary. The electric motor drives the heat exchanger to rotate with the incoming flow in the outgoing air. Several tasks are solved in this way:
   • freezing of parts is excluded;
   • heat exchange is regulated (the rotor speed can change, adjusting to the environmental conditions);
   • moisture is partially returned;
   • The efficiency increases to 85–88%.
3. Recirculating water. Another name is a recuperator with an intermediate heat exchanger, the role of which is played by a liquid. The device and efficiency are similar to the plate type, but the design is much more complex. The only advantage is the ability to install individual parts in different locations.
4. Roof (industrial). It features low maintenance and can be installed on the roof, saving ceiling space. Effective work implies a large amount of serviced internal space (workshops, supermarkets, and so on).

Rotary air recuperator

We make a recuperator with our own hands

Necessary equipment and materials

Before starting work, you need to stock up:

• roofing iron, aluminum, copper (at least 4 square meters);
• technical plug or wooden lathsoaked in linseed oil;
• tin or plywood box;
• ordinary sealant;
• mineral wool or other insulating material;
• screws or hardware;
• jigsaw (preferably electric), screwdriver, screwdriver, tape measure.

How to make a drawing?

1. Heat exchanger size:
   • we determine the size (usually 20 by 30 centimeters) and the number of plates (about 70 is recommended);
   • we take into account the thickness of the spacer between the plates (experts stop at 3-4 millimeters);
   • we take into account the number of such cassettes.
2. Diameter of inlet and outlet holes. The larger the diameter, the more powerful the device will be.
3. The size of the enclosure should allow for free air circulation at the inlet and outlet.
4. We provide a place for fasteners (corner) of the heat exchanger.

Recirculating water air recuperator

Assembly guide

1. Plate recuperator:
   • We cut plates of the required size from a sheet of metal or foil.
   • We prepare slats from cork or plywood equal to the length of the side of the plate.
   • We glue the slats on the plates so that there is a place for the flow to pass (at least 3 guides, two at the edges, one in the middle).
   • We connect the plates perpendicularly to each other (smooth side to the rail). So we get the gaps in which the incoming and outgoing air will move alternately.
   • In addition to mounting for the heat exchanger, the housing must contain 4 holes equal to the diameter of the ventilation pipes (twin holes).
   • We collect boxes, having previously provided a valve to be able to block the incoming flow. This is necessary in order to defrost the system with warm streams if necessary.
   • We attach the device to the ventilation system, seal the excess cracks.
   • The casing is enclosed in a heat-insulating casing to increase efficiency.
2. Tubular recuperator. The device is much simpler, cheaper than the previous one, but takes up a lot of space. This is because the length of the pipe directly affects the productivity of the system. Work order:
   • On a plastic sewer pipe (at least 2 meters long) with a diameter of at least 160 millimeters, a splitter is put on with an outlet opening size of about 100 mm.
   • A pre-stretched maximum aluminum corrugation with a diameter of 100 mm is inserted inside, which is hermetically attached to one of the splitter holes.
   • We put on the splitter on the other side and fasten the corrugation.
   • so that air from the room flows inside the corrugation, and incoming flows outside.
   • The plastic pipe is also insulated with mineral wool or other means.

Industrial (roof) air recuperator

• the length of the tubular recuperator directly affects the efficiency, so do not be afraid to make a device of 3.4 meters;
• the distance between the plates of 3 millimeters is optimal, if it is more, then the efficiency falls, if less, then the condensate crystallizes and the channels are blocked;
• 70 plates in a cassette is also optimal, with a large number of incoming pipes must be very large, which for small house unacceptable;
• calculate the required performance before manufacturing the device. Ventilation should be comfortable, not problematic.

Recuperator with intermediate heat carriers

Create a healthy microclimate in modern country houses it is practically impossible without using a ventilation system. Such structures provide fresh air flow into the equipped plastic windows and the doors of the room and take the waste outside. However, any supply and exhaust ventilation system has one significant drawback. When used in winter time home owners have increased heating costs. After all, the air coming from the street cools the rooms and they have to be heated additionally.

This problem is being solved in an elementary way. In order to reduce heat loss, you just need to include in the ventilation system a special device called an air recuperator. It will not be difficult to acquire it. Companies engaged in the production of ventilation systems sell different types of similar equipment. Recuperators can differ in design, performance and, accordingly, cost. The simplest model can be assembled with your own hands.

What is a recuperator

Devices of this type are, in fact, ordinary small heat exchangers... The outside air entering them is heated due to the cooling of the waste room air discharged outside. At the same time, the flows inside the recuperator are not mixed, which is achieved due to the special design of the equipment.

Types of air recuperators

By design, heat exchangers for ventilation systems are:

There are other types of recuperators. However, they all have a rather complex design and are used in the same way as rotary ones, mainly only at enterprises.

How to assemble a plate recuperator

Very often, the owners of country houses make and install an air recovery system of this particular type. Assembly technology such heat exchangers are not too complicated and includes the following steps:

• manufacturing of the actual plate heat exchanger;
• housing installation.

What materials will be needed

To do plate air recuperator for the ventilation system, you need to prepare:

Heat exchanger assembly

The metal sheet must be cut into plates 200x300 mm. This operation should be done as carefully as possible. Finished plates must have perfect geometry... The presence of burrs on them is unacceptable. It is best to cut steel or aluminum with a grinder, folded into bundles of three sheets. It is unlikely that it will work out with scissors with high quality.

The finished heat exchanger must have a height of 300 mm. Based on this and choose required amount plates. Connect the finished elements in such a way that the distance between them is 2 - 4 mm. Pieces of sheet cork 5x5 cm are used as gaskets.

On the edge of the long sides of the first plate, 3 such spacers are laid. Then the second metal element of the pack is installed on them. On its short sides in the middle, one gasket is laid. The assembly is continued in the same order until the heat exchanger reaches the desired height, also laying the corners. Fixing elements can be produced, for example, on liquid nails. In order for the heat exchanger to turn out to be durable, at the end of the assembly, some load is placed on it for a while.

The box for the heat exchanger is knocked down from 18 mm plywood or chipboard.

Its size should be slightly bigger sizeand plates in length and width. The walls can be fastened with screws or self-tapping screws. Preliminarily, in two of them, two holes are cut for the air duct nozzles. It is necessary to assemble the body in such a way that they are located diagonally to each other (two holes on one wall at the bottom, two others on the opposite wall at the top).

Air recuperator assembly and insulation

The heat exchanger is inserted into the knocked-down case on the edge. That is, in such a way that the edges of the plates are located in relation to its bottom at an angle of 45 degrees... Since the dimensions of the heat exchanger practically coincide with the dimensions of the box, it must stand tightly. At the next stage, fittings under the air ducts are inserted into the holes made in the walls of the box. Their attachment points are coated with sealant.

To avoid rotting plywood or chipboard, it is advisable to paint the recuperator body with enamel or oil paint... The recuperator is usually installed in the attic of the house. After both air ducts are connected to it: supply and exhaust, you can proceed to its insulation. To do this, it is best to take glass wool or mineral wool.

What other materials can be used

The metal heat exchanger is, of course, the most reliable and durable design. However, sometimes home owners use other materials to assemble recuperators with their own hands. This could be, for example, cellular polycarbonate... In this case, the sheet of material is also cut into plates of the same size. Further, several of these elements are cut into thin strips of spacers. When assembling, five strips are superimposed on each square - two at the edges and three as stiffeners.

How to assemble a tubular recuperator

The design of this type of heat exchanger is elementary. It is even easier to manufacture a tubular recuperator than a plate recuperator. To assemble it, you need to purchase the following materials:

When buying materials, it should be borne in mind that the longer the length of the finished device, the more efficiently it will recuperate air. The assembly of this type of heat exchanger is carried out as follows:

1. A corrugation is spirally packed inside the pipe. It should be stretched completely.
2. Splitters are put on both ends of the pipe.
3. The corrugation is hermetically attached to one of their outlets on both sides.

The exhaust air duct is connected to the tubular recuperator so that the flow passes through the corrugation. Supply attached to free outlets adapters. As a result, the flow passing through it will move along the pipe itself, taking heat from the walls of the corrugation.

The recuperator is very useful device, which must be supplemented with the ventilation system. Moreover, self-assembly of the simplest models of such equipment is a task, as you can see, quite feasible. Make such a structure with your own hands and you can significantly save on heating.

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Heat recovery efficiency

Recuperation is heat exchange, and in translation from Latin “return of used”. In the supply and exhaust ventilation, the recuperator takes heat from the air leaving the room and gives it to the cold supply air. In winter, the difference between the temperature of the exhaust air and the air supplied to the house can reach 40 degrees. Usually heating occurs due to heating devices, that is, the wallet of the residents of the house.

In the heat, the recuperator is also useful, because the hot fresh air from the street makes the air conditioners work more intensively. A heat recuperator for ventilation, correctly assembled with your own hands, will reduce the difference between the temperature of the incoming and outgoing air flows by 4 - 5 times.

Benefits of heat recovery ventilation:

• homemade heat recuperator in ventilation systems has an efficiency of at least 65%;
• ventilation of an apartment with recuperation allows you to save at least 30% of your electricity bills;
• very simple construction does not fail, since there are no moving parts in it;
• the heat exchanger in the heat recuperator of the ventilation system is easy to maintain and maintain;
• the device works without using electricity;
• heat recovery provides not only ventilation of the apartment, but in some cases also regulates humidity.

The savings from heat exchange are the higher, the greater the difference between the temperature in the house and outside.

Making a plate ventilation recuperator with your own hands

In a plate recuperator for ventilation, the flow of incoming and outgoing air is separated by plates of heat-conducting material.

Thus, the streams do not mix, but heat is released.

The ventilation system with a plate type recuperator is simple and very common. A person with minimal mechanic skills can make do-it-yourself supply and exhaust ventilation with recuperation.

Work progress:

The basis of a recuperator for a ventilation system is a heat exchanger. Heat exchanger plates are cut from thin sheet metal (galvanized) or PCB. It is necessary to cut 20x30 cm plates. They should be very even and neatly cut. Metal is best cut with a jigsaw, avoiding the use of metal scissors;



• A distance frame made of technical cork, PCB or wood up to 3 mm thick is made between the plates. The frames are glued to the plates with polyurethane glue. So that the resistance to air flow is not strong, the gaps between the plates should be about 4 mm .;
• The structure is glued with a neutral sealant that does not cause corrosion;
• The casing for the recuperator in ventilation is made of sheet metal or plastic, metal or MDF. From the inside, the box is lined with mineral wool or other insulation with a layer of 5 cm;
• On opposite sides of the box, two holes are made, to which plastic flanges are attached, equal in diameter to the air pipes. All cracks are carefully sealed with silicone;
• To drain condensate from the heat recovery ventilation unit, a drain pipe must be fitted.

Tips for manufacturing a plate recuperator for ventilation

To reduce the noise from ventilation with a heat recuperator, a box is constructed from a moisture-resistant material (plasterboard), the walls of which are lined with insulating material;

• When designing ventilation with heat recovery with your own hands, it is necessary to take into account the speed of air movement, which can be increased by no more than 1 ms;


• The total area of \u200b\u200bthe heat exchanger plates should be 3.5 - 4 square meters. meter to obtain a recuperator efficiency of 60%;
• It must be borne in mind that in frosts from -10 degrees and below, the plate heat exchanger can be covered with ice. It is defrosted from time to time, and a differential pressure sensor is installed in the warm half. In the event of freezing of the ventilation system with recuperation, the sensor will register an increase in the pressure drop, air will be supplied through the bypass, and the heater will thaw due to the heat of the exhaust air.

Making a tubular recuperator with your own hands

The ventilation unit with the recuperator of the tubular coaxial type is easier to assemble than the plate type. But it is more massive and the longer the device, the more efficiently it works.

Materials for the manufacture of a tubular recuperator for ventilation:

• pVC sewer pipe 200 cm long and 16 cm in diameter;
• air aluminum corrugated pipe 400 cm long and 10 cm in diameter;
• splitter adapters with a diameter of 10 cm.

Work progress:

The corrugation is stretched and inserted in a spiral into a plastic pipe. Each of the ends of the corrugation is attached to one of the rings of the splitter and treated with a sealant.

On the one hand, the fan drives warm air from the room into the resulting device, while cold air from the street penetrates between the walls of the plastic pipe and corrugation. Through thin aluminum walls, heat is transferred from the exhaust air to the fresh air.

The advantage of this system is that supply and exhaust ventilation with heat recovery compared to plate ventilation in a smaller amount of condensate. And even its presence does not interfere with the operation of the recuperator. At the same time, a tube-type recuperator is not suitable for installation in an apartment due to its size, but for a private house the design is very good.

Another type of supply and exhaust ventilation system with heat recovery is presented in the video:

It is possible that the efficiency of the ventilation units with heat recovery given by us is lower than that of branded devices of factory production. But by assembling any of them yourself, you significantly save money, and subsequently get an effective installation and comfort in the room. Self-made ventilation systems with recuperation are very often equipped in garages and in country cottages.

strojdvor.ru

The principle of operation of the recuperator

The internal design of the recuperator allows the temperature to be transferred from the flow leaving the room to the cold air entering from the street.

This transfer takes place in various ways, but in any case, by means of additional heat exchange material, so that the two streams do not mix (or practically do not mix).

How efficient the work of the recuperator is will depend on its design, the volumes that it pumps through itself and the temperatures outside the window. But in any case, the indicators are significant - from 50 to 91% savings.

Types of structures

There are several main types of recuperator designs:

1. Lamellar.
2. Rotary.
3. With coolant.
4. Tubular.

Lamellar - consists of assembled sheets of aluminum, which has the best thermal conductivity at an affordable material price. Easy to operate, no moving parts, inexpensive. The efficiency is 40-70%.

Rotaryhas a rotating shaft powered by electricity and two channels with countercurrent flows. The air heats up a part of the rotor, it turns and transfers heat to the cold stream in another channel. The efficiency is usually higher for such devices, but:

• volatility;
• big sizes;
• difficulty of reproduction;
• the complexity of repair and maintenance;
• and also the fact that the streams are a little bit mixed ...

... make the rotor less popular with consumers.

DIY air recuperator for home

The plate model is the easiest to make, so let's take a closer look at it.

Pros and cons of a plate recuperator

Pros of the plate model:

• good efficiency;
• simplicity of design;
• availability of materials;
• energy independence;
• there are no rubbing elements, which means it will last a long time.

There are also disadvantages that you need to know about right away.

The main problem is icing in severe frosts. This is due to the fact that indoor air is more saturated with moisture than outside. When normal conditions this moisture falls into condensation, but in frost it seizes, forming a layer of ice.

Several solutions have been invented to combat freezing:

• Automatic diversion of the flow bypassing the plates to allow warm air to warm up icing (during this period, the room is not heated).
• Heating the recuperator to a temperature that does not allow ice to linger (reduced by 20% efficiency).
• Cellulose cassettes that absorb moisture, returning it through the adjacent compartment into the apartment. Humidifier effect + no condensation.
• In your home, the easiest way to make a "ground heat exchanger" - the supply pipe is buried below the level of soil freezing. The length of the underground air duct is up to 50 m. The intake increases the efficiency, heats up the flow in winter and cools in the summer, and this is an excellent way to fight ice.

We can say that cellulose cassettes are the best solution, because with their use, the recuperator operates in any weather, electricity consumption does not increase, and there is no need to arrange a condensate collector and drain it into the sewer.

Materials for making

What you need to prepare if you decide to assemble a plate recuperator yourself. Materials:

1. Sheet metal (aluminum is best, but roofing iron, textolite, getinax, or cellular polycarbonate can be used). The thinner the metal, the better the heat transfer will take place.
2. Wooden slats for laying between the plates (a technical plug or a simple cord is also suitable). Thickness 2 - 3 mm - the thinner the better. Width - approx. 10 mm.
3. Sealant (not acidic).
4. Glue.
5. Material for the body. It can be plywood, metal, MDF or a finished box.
6. 4 flanges of the same cross-section as the pipes.
7. Minvata (4 cm thick).
8. Corner.
9. Hardware.
10. Dedicated fan or cooler.

The parts will be cut with a power tool.

We make a recuperator for home - product drawings

Squares with a side of 20-30 cm are cut from metal. You need to make about 70 pieces. If you cut several pieces at once, it will be faster and smoother.

The slats are dried and cut to the size of the side of the square (20 or 30 cm). The blanks are glued on two sides of each square and left until the glue is completely dry. You do not need to glue the slats on one square.

The upper parts of the slats are coated with glue, and a sandwich is assembled from all the squares. Important! Each next square must be rotated at right angles to the previous one. The channels alternate, lying perpendicular to each other.

The upper square is glued, without slats. With the help of corners, the structure is pulled together and fixed.

All cracks are treated with a neutral sealant.

Flange mountings are made.

The heat exchanger is inserted into the housing. For this, guides from the corner are made on the walls of the case. The heat exchanger will need to be positioned so that it rests against the corners of the side walls (you get a rhombus). Condensation will drain to the bottom. It is important here that two isolated spaces are obtained, and the air intersects only inside the plate structure.

A small hole is made into which a hose is inserted to collect and drain moisture.

Four holes are cut in the body for the flanges.

It will be great if you make a place for attaching filters at the entrance.

The walls of the building are finished with mineral wool.

Now you can install the fan and install the unit into the ventilation system.

Recuperator calculation

What power is needed for a recuperator for a particular room. The calculation formula is as follows:

Q \u003d 0.335 x L x (t end - t start).

• Qproductivity (cubic meters per second).
• L is the amount of supply air that must be supplied per person (60 m 3 per hour for the person who is constantly in the room, and 20 m 3 for a temporary visitor.).

In brackets - the difference between the temperature that you need to reach and that coming from the street.

For example, you need to heat up the air by 20 ° C in a room, which requires 120 m 3 of air per hour.

Q \u003d 0.335 x 120 x 20 \u003d 800 W.

How to find out the efficiency of the finished recuperator

To do this, you need to take measurements of the air temperature at three points of entry:

• From the street before recuperation (t street)
• The incoming flow into the house, after recuperation (t recuperation)
• Stream leaving the house before recuperation (t house)

Efficiency \u003d (t rebuild - t street): (t house - t street)

The result is multiplied by 100%

Example:

Outdoors + 3 ° С, at home + 22 ° С, recovered flow + 14 ° С.

Efficiency \u003d (14 - 3): (22 - 3)

Efficiency \u003d 11: 19 \u003d 0.57

0.57 x 100% \u003d 57%

So, the efficiency of this device, in these conditions - 57%

The same unit, under different conditions, will have different efficiency indicators.

Conclusion

Practice has proven the effectiveness of recuperators for ventilation systems not only in public places, but also in the most ordinary private houses. The experience of many amateur craftsmen has proven that the recuperator can be assembled independently. The devices are not worse than the factory ones, but their cost is several times lower!

microklimat.pro

The advantages of a ventilation system with recuperation

Modern forced supply and exhaust ventilation with recuperation provides at least a threefold increase in efficiency and energy savings compared to traditional direct-flow circuits. Thanks to the use of a heat recovery device called a recuperator, the problem of limiting additional energy consumption, the inflow of clean and fresh air, and ensuring the required level of humidity in the premises is very effectively solved. At the same time, it is important that in a closed space, constantly provided forced air change has the following advantages:

• prevents the development of colonies of dangerous microbes, mold;
• removes carbon dioxide and dust.

External atmospheric conditions do not affect forced ventilation with a recuperator, which compares favorably with natural ventilation.

Recuperator types

The recuperator is the actual heat exchanger, the central unit is effective system... In it, the air pumped into the house is heated or cooled due to part of the energy received from the removed air stream, without mixing with it, due to the design features. According to experts, the future belongs to the schemes of recuperative ventilation, since they provide significant energy savings.

Lamellar

An important parameter of the recuperator unit is its efficiency. To ensure the required efficiency, it must be at least 70-80%. There are several ways to increase efficiency. This is an increase in the time and area of \u200b\u200bheat exchange or preheating of the supplied air. In a private household, it is quite easy to achieve an increase in efficiency in this way, using ground heat exchangers. A plastic pipe with a diameter of up to 200 mm, laid at a distance of up to 50 meters, at a depth of about 2 meters, will additionally warm up in winter and cool the air supplied to the house in summer.

An important parameter of the recuperator unit is its efficiency.

The reception significantly increases the overall efficiency of the entire ventilation system with recuperation. When using a ground heat exchanger in winter, the risk of icing or frost on the plates of a cross-flow or counterflow heat exchanger is reduced due to the large temperature difference of the air flows. Energy consumption for heating the incoming stream is eliminated, the design of the heat exchanger is simplified and its final cost is reduced. If ground heat exchange is not used, the inevitable condensation on the plates will lead to freezing in winter. In this case, additional equipment is installed in the heat exchange unit. This includes an automation unit that controls, according to signals from temperature and pressure sensors, a bypass damper ("bypass") and an additional heater for heating the incoming air until the recuperator plates thaw.

Drawing and scheme of work

Decentralized

In the conditions of multi-storey buildings, another type of heat exchanger is more convenient for apartments, a more compact one, called a decentralized heat recuperator for ventilation air (DRTVV), simply a "warm window". Such systems do not take up much space in the installation. They can be easily positioned openly or disguised in a niche under a window, on a side wall, in the slope of a window opening, etc. The use of such a device is absolutely necessary when installing sealed plastic windows. This heat exchanger provides heated fresh air in winter and cooled in summer, especially if an air conditioner is installed in the room. The work of the recuperator does not affect the temperature in the apartment.

We usually install a more compact recuperator in the apartment - decentralized

A design of this type represents a plastic pipe with a diameter of up to 200 mm and a length of up to 1.5 meters, into which a bundle of thin-walled tubes (aluminum) of equal length is inserted. Their flared ends are assembled into a cassette on two flange plates equal to the inner diameter of the outer plastic pipe. The design uses two tees and L-shaped plastic elbows of the same diameter as the main pipe. A cassette of aluminum tubes is inserted into a plastic tube. Tees and knees are put on the outer edges. On one side, one electric fan is installed in the elbow and the tee, which provide exhaust and air supply. The length of the inner tubular cassette is chosen so as to ensure the passage of the supplied air through two elbows, the exhaust air passes through the tees.

Drawing and working principle

Rotary type

The design of the rotary recuperator has the highest efficiency. In them, oncoming air flows pass through a two-channel duct. A disk rotates in the middle of the box perpendicular to the flows. The disc is made of plates reinforced in the same plane with the flows, or a solid corrugated metal strip coiled into a loose spiral. The metal of the plates or strip of the rotating disc is heated by the warm exhaust air. By turning, the heated part enters the cold incoming stream and heats it up.

Rotary-type recuperators have the highest efficiency

For the effective operation of the structure, the disc must have a large diameter and this is one of the disadvantages that limits the use of rotary recuperators in the domestic sphere. In addition, unlike the previous two types, this design has partial mixing of streams, which requires more sophisticated filtration. And the presence of rotating elements can be considered another “not a merit”.

Diagram of device and operation (air-to-air system)

Which one to choose for an apartment or house

Consideration of the types of existing recuperators can be continued further, talking about the types of ribbed plate recuperators, etc. But the question is of interest self-made of a similar design and its practical application in your own house or apartment. First of all, you need to think about the required type of such a heat exchange unit. If all the windows in the apartment are plastic and effective ventilation is required, it is better to give preference to a ready-made industrial compact assembly DRTVV ("warm window").

The recuperator will provide good ventilation in the room

For private households, where the issue of free space is not so acute, one of the designs of the plate cross or counterflow types is quite suitable. They are the easiest to make on their own. Below is the simplest way to independently manufacture the plate-type heat exchanger itself. Circuit solutions of control automation, a device for switching to a bypass channel, etc. can be found on the corresponding resources of the Network or in special literature.

How to make a do-it-yourself plate recuperator?

Plate materials

When choosing the material for the manufacture of the cassette of the plate heat exchanger itself, there is no fundamental difference from which to collect the plates. Suitable:

• a thin sheet of aluminum or copper;
• thin roofing galvanized;
• sheet textolite or getinax;
• a different kind of plastic.

The thermal conductivity of the plate material has almost no effect on heat transfer. How much do you need? Depends on the number of cassettes collected. For one, about 4 square meters will be enough. If, guided by the theory outlined above, you want to increase the efficiency, you need twice as much for a cassette of the same size. You can make one, but more. However, the requirements for removing possible condensation from the case will not allow the cassette to be "laid" on its side and will have to look for a place for installation.

You will need a corner for the cassette racks and flanges. The plates can be shifted with a rolled strip, strip technical plug. If possible, the blanks prepared for the plates can be stamped into U-shaped blanks with a side height of 4 to 5 millimeters. The slats and cork strip should be of the same thickness, their width is up to 10 millimeters.

Material for making the case

• metal sheet or plywood;
• MDF up to 20 mm thick;
• bar for the frame;
• hardware for fasteners;
• mineral wool;
• silicone sealant.

Step by step actions

1. First, square plates are carefully cut. Side up to 300 millimeters. It is important to make all plates the same size, taking care not to deform their edges. It is best to use a power tool by cutting through several sheets that are folded in a bundle. In total, about 70 such blanks are needed per cassette. On the opposite edges of the squares, strips or cork are glued, cut to the size of the side of the plate. Nothing is glued to the last sheet. The glue is given time to dry. The prepared blanks are glued into a cassette. For this, the top sides of the cork strips or strips are smeared with glue, and each subsequent sheet is laid with a turn of 90 degrees. A plate without spacers completes the set. You will get a cassette with alternating channels directed perpendicular to each other - a future heat exchanger.
2. The cassette is pulled together by the frame from the corner. Silicone sealant is filled in the gap. The sides of the cassette are provided with fasteners for flange connections. It should be noted that the cassette should be placed vertically at one of the corners of the square, forming an equilateral rhombus. Condensation will accumulate in the lower part of it. A drainage hole with a tube for removing accumulated moisture is provided here. As mentioned above, more than one heat exchanger cassette can be installed in one housing for greater efficiency. In this case, the second must have the same dimensions as the first. Their adjacent corners should be in close contact, avoiding cracks and gaps. Place silicone sealant on the bottom and top of the joint.
3. The prepared cassette is inserted into the housing. Its internal height and length are equal to the diagonal of the square (if one cassette is used), and its width is equal to the thickness of the set of plates. Holes are made in the walls of the case, opposite the corresponding sides of the cassette, for fastening plastic flanges for air ducts. The heat exchanger must be installed in special guides from the corner, fixed on the walls of the case. The cassette is removable, which is important for its maintenance.
4. For incoming streams, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of installing the simplest removable cassette filters. Mineral wool with a thickness of about 4 centimeters is attached to the inner surface of the walls of the case. To provide forced ventilation, fans are installed to regulate the rotation speed.

Video: making a recuperator at home

Part 1: assembling the case

Part 2: plates

teplo.guru

Types of units

By design features:

• ribbed;
• tubular;
• lamellar;
• ribbed lamellar;
• recirculating water;
• rooftop.

According to the method of installation, a do-it-yourself air recuperator can be:

Collector

Exhaust and inflow go into common channels, the collector is fixed in a specially designated place. It is the main unit of the supply and exhaust ventilation mechanism.

Benefits:

• mounted in any convenient perimeter of the garage or other large premises;
• partial replacement of parts is possible;
• during installation, additional holes and openings are not required.

Channel

The “body” of the device is mounted in the wall channel. The equipment from the manufacturer can be equipped with the "heating" function.

Advantages:

• automatic operation, moderate consumption of electricity;
• ease of installation;
• it is easy to select the required power of the device taking into account the work in one room.

High noise level. Repair manipulations are carried out only by specialists in the workshop. Each factory-assembled recuperator has filter replacement.

Diy plate recuperator

The cheapest ventilation device in the garage.

For the box, you will need four meters of galvanizing and a bar. We cut the acquired metal material into even plates. Mineral wool is laid in the walls of the welded structure and in free cavities. The flexible duct outlet is also placed in a double-layer box with mineral wool to reduce noise during system operation.

Spacers are placed between the plates. A thin strip of technical cork is coated with polyurethane glue. Small gaps are left between the plates for optimal resistance to air flow.

Provide holes in the box for ready-made plastic flanges, the cross-section of which must match the dimensions of the duct pipes. So, a plate heat exchanger in a garage should be airtight from all sides. Use silicone to achieve the goal. Make sure that the temperature of the intake air is higher than that of the exhaust.

1. Equip the finished product with a differential pressure sensor. The built-in mechanism will regularly defrost the heat exchanger in winter: cold air masses will be directed through the bypass if a pressure drop is detected.
2. A multilayer moisture-resistant box is attached in the area of \u200b\u200bthe flexible duct outlet. The heat insulator is laid out from the inside. Simple retrofitting will help save electricity for heating the garage and will enhance the noise insulation properties of the equipment.

Do not place the plates too close together. Icy condensation will appear in winter.

The sheets are made perfectly flat; when working with galvanized, the work is carried out with special scissors or a jigsaw. A properly assembled recuperator with your own hands does not mix clean air that comes from the street with the exhaust air. Heat transfer plates separate the two streams.

An acidic sealant will certainly provoke corrosive processes of the unit, therefore it is advisable to use ordinary acriplast for sealing joints and seams.

Use only neutral compound, common acidic sealant may corrode the unit.

Advantages of the plate heat exchanger

• The efficiency reaches 65%;
• the device is made without rubbing and moving parts, so the mechanism does not need frequent maintenance or repair;
• minimum operating costs.

Tubular air exchange mechanism

This DIY recuperator is distinguished by the creation of air exchange processes as close as possible to natural ones.

To create the device, you need a box and two aluminum or copper pipes, which are intertwined with each other individually. The quality of the work is influenced by the length of the pipes and their tightness to each other. The unit works by means of tubular structures placed in channels. Heat exchange processes are carried out using bundles of welded thin-walled tubes through which air circulates.

Air at room temperature passes through pipes of a smaller section, the metal receives heat. The pipe-in-pipe mechanism for the garage will be a great alternative to factory products.

To achieve an increase in efficiency, it will be necessary to increase the length of the pipe (this will affect the weight of the structure).

Diy rotary recuperator

Principle of operation

It is easy to make your own design, guided by ready-made drawings and projects. First, the fan operates as an exhaust, the temperature of the exhaust air heats up the impeller blades. Then the device goes into reverse mode and draws in air. The reverse process of heat transfer to the incoming flows begins. To reduce heat loss, the walls of the air outlet channel are made of metal. Homemade rotor mechanism has up to 75% efficiency. The impeller is manufactured from very thin and light copper sheets. The plates are heated and cooled alternately.

Advantages

• One of the highest efficiency among similar equipment.
• Does not dry out the air (controls the humidity level).
• Minimal condensation during cold season operation.

A complex design with an electric motor, drive belt, rotor and duct system requires frequent maintenance... Keep in mind that a DIY recuperator of this type is quite noisy. Do not confuse recuperation with air heating.

High-quality recuperator with your own hands with drawing up drawing sketches

1. The size of the future heat exchanger in the garage.

A standard movement is usually 20 or 30 centimeters long.

2. Number of records.

The decision is made by the owner individually, at least 70 pieces are recommended. The thickness of the spacer between the plates is 3-4 mm.

3. Hole diameter.

The larger the cross-section of the pipes, the more powerful the technique will be.

4. Case dimensions.

Before you accurately determine the parameters of the box, keep in mind that air circulation at the inlet and outlet should be unimpeded. Determine in advance the location for the fasteners and corners.

Basic rules when choosing the best place for a recuperator with your own hands

• an unobstructed approach to the system to monitor the operation of the unit, replace filters or other partial repairs;
• it is taken into account that there will be noise at the installation site;
• it is necessary to calculate whether it will be convenient to separate the air duct network within the perimeter of the planned installation. By the way, the shorter the air ducts, the cheaper the unit and the lower its performance.

Useful information

To save space under the ceiling, you can install a roof recuperator. The structure is located on the roof, so it does not create discomfort for the owners. The efficiency of the device reaches 65%. Low cost and operating costs cover complex assembly processes using the fastening system.

Simple ways to improve instrument performance:

1. Aluminum, plastic or fiber filters, built into the recuperator ducts, clean the incoming air from dust. These fragments quickly become clogged, so change items regularly.
2. To prevent the supply fan from freezing, turn off the equipment from time to time. Frozen plates will be thawed by the escaping warm air.

A person consumes 15,000 liters of air daily. In the room where people are, it is recommended to renew the air every two hours. This is the task of ventilation. The recuperator forces the outgoing air to heat or cool the air flow that enters the room.

The devices are so simple, a recuperator with his own hands can be made by a person who has basic skills in processing metals and wood. Fresh, clean, warm (cool) air, saving electrical or thermal energy - all year round.

Until recently, such devices were practically not used in everyday life. The era of plastic windows and doors has made living and working spaces virtually airtight. The supply and exhaust ventilation system has become mandatory, and the recuperator has become an indicator not so much of technical advancement as of taking care of one's own health and finances.

Types of recuperators

The principle of operation of a recuperator or heat exchanger is structurally implemented in several forms.

• Plate or radiator.
• Rotary.
• Liquid.
• Using the Peltier effect.

Rotary recuperator - Photo 03

The most technologically advanced and cheapest lamellar : almost all home air recuperators use this type. The rest are not used in everyday life due to the complex device and, accordingly, the high cost. But the highest efficiency of the rotor device is 85%.

Plate recuperator

The main disadvantage of this setup is frosting of plates in winter... Until recently, the fight against ice was reduced to turning on the bypass, which separated the flows and directed warm air from the room to thaw the plates. Naturally, the supply recuperator does not save energy at this time.

Manufacturers managed to solve this problem by replacing metal or plastic plates heat exchanger on cassettes where it is used hygroscopic cellulose... It absorbs moisture from warm air and gives it to cold air.

You can try to make a recuperator with your own hands with paper plates or tubes. However, such cellulose cassettes cannot be used in rooms with high humidity. The use of a double cassette allows increasing the efficiency of the recuperator up to 90%.

Usually the recuperator is installed in the supply and exhaust ventilation system.

Made wisely

The idea of \u200b\u200bmaking a do-it-yourself plate air recuperator begins with the questions: what size it should be and how to calculate the efficiency. The formulas for the calculation are rather complicated, therefore the recuperator is characterized by the volume of air that it is able to pass in 1 hour.

In order to ensure an efficiency of 50-60%, the area of \u200b\u200bthe plates should be about 3.5 m2. Productivity - 150 m3 / hour.

If we divide this volume by the height of the premises, then we find out the area of \u200b\u200bthe rooms in which our recuperator will tirelessly change the air. In our case, it is 62 m2. As already mentioned, the regulations require that the air be changed every 2 hours. During this time, the supply recuperator with the specified area of \u200b\u200bthe heat exchanger plates replace the air volume on an area of \u200b\u200b124 m2.

We make a recuperator ourselves

In order to make an air recuperator with our own hands, we need the following.

1. Thin sheet metal from 0.5 mm to 1 mm or aluminum 2 mm: flat or profiled: 4 m2.
2. Sheet cork (plexiglass, plastic) 2 or 4 mm thick.
3. Tin, plywood or chipboard for the body.
4. Mineral wool or other effective insulation.
5. Adapters for ventilation pipes diameter 150 mm.
6. Sealant (neutral only).
7. Fasteners (depending on body material).

We assume that the recuperator will be installed in the existing ventilation system. The main and only responsible part of our device is the heat exchanger. This is a set of plates with a distance of 4 mm between them (2 strips of technical plug).

If the lowest pair of plates is visible through, then the next pair lying on top is rotated 90 ° and is not visible. The heat exchange scheme of the recuperator with its own hands is no different from the industrial one.

The plates should be flat, 200 x 300 mm or 300 x 300 mm. It is necessary to cut the metal so that the edges do not have burrs and do not bend. The number of plates is limited by the height of the plate pack: the maximum stack height is 300 mm. The basis of the heat exchanger is a sheet of chipboard or metal, 4 corner posts along the height of the heat exchanger with an upper trim and a top panel made of any material.

To give our structure rigidity, we fix the distance strips with a sealant: not only along the edges, but also in the center of the plates. We make a box for the heat exchanger and the recuperator with our own hands is almost ready.

We insulate the box, cut 4 holes, install pipes for flexible air ducts with a diameter of 150 mm. Thus, we provide input-output for the hood and input-output for supply air.

We fix the heat exchanger in the center of the box, arrange partitions so that the inflow and exhaust cross only inside the heat exchanger.

It is important to know that condensation will appear inside the box, on the plates of the heat exchanger. He needs a natural runoff. All air recuperators for a house, apartment or utility room are arranged in a similar way.

We build the recuperator into a forced ventilation system. And only now it is possible to determine the efficiency of the manufactured device. To do this, you must have the following data:

• intake air flow temperature, t1;
• the temperature of the supply air flow at the outlet of the recuperator, t2;
• extract air temperature at the recuperator inlet, t3.

The formula for calculating the efficiency (%) \u003d [(t2 - t1) / (t3 - t1)] · 100.

Tubular recuperator

A tubular supply recuperator is arranged in a similar way: a plastic air duct with side outlets serves as a housing for it. Thin-walled aluminum tubes with a diameter of 10 mm. Length - 40-50 cm.

The open ends of the tubes are hermetically attached to two round plates that are tightly inserted into the duct.

Air flows inside the tubes to the hood. Supply air is supplied through two side outlets and enters the interior of the room. It passes between the tubes, where it heats up.

It is a little more difficult to make such a recuperator with your own hands, but it takes up less space and is more aesthetic. Fans can be inserted into the end of the duct and into the outlet.

In this case, we get a supply and exhaust ventilation system with a built-in recuperator. It can be used in a garage or apartment. To do this, you need to punch the corresponding hole in the wall.

The capacity of such an installation is about 100 m³ of air per hour.

Application of recuperators in a private house

The effect of the use of such devices is significantly increased if the recuperator installation is combined with an underground air duct. The air in it will be heated by the natural warmth of the earth in winter and cooled in summer.

As a result of heat exchange, fresh air can be heated up to 14 - 16 ° C. This scheme is used for individual construction: a do-it-yourself air recuperator will need to be made for specific conditions, and in this case it will not be necessary to heat it up in the worst frosts.

How to make a DIY air recuperator? This question interests the home master. Each person has his own ideas about the comfort of housing. But all these considerations boil down to one simple postulate: in winter, the house should be warm and comfortable, and in summer, on the contrary, cool. It is difficult to create such conditions in the house on your own: you need to heat the house in winter, and cool it in summer. Both of these operations are quite energy-intensive, and the cost of energy is constantly growing.

It is necessary to insulate the housing in some way:

1. Seal all openings.
2. Ensure the tightness of the closing of windows and doors.
3. A good result is given by the insulation of the walls of the home.

Having stopped any movement of air in the room, a person is faced with another problem - a lack of air. You need an inflow of fresh air, which has only one way - through the ventilation ducts. The supply of fresh air will again require electricity. Fortunately, the design of modern ventilation systems has already addressed this need.

What is recuperation? Scientists interpret this concept as the reuse of part of the energy in the same technological process... Forced supply and exhaust ventilation, where a recuperation system is used, is able to increase its energy efficiency up to 3 times in comparison with traditional direct air ventilation schemes.

To prevent energy losses, the ventilation system is equipped with a special device secondary use heat, it is called a recuperator. The recuperative heat exchanger makes it possible to avoid additional energy consumption for processing the incoming fresh air stream.
A tightly sealed apartment receives a whole range of advantages from the influx of fresh air:

1. Dirt and used air are removed.
2. The possibility of developing colonies of pathogenic microorganisms is limited.
3. Mold formation is blocked.

What types of recuperators are there? Any external weather conditions have practically no effect on forced ventilation with a recuperator. As a heat exchanger, the household recuperator provides the incoming air with energy from the removed air, while not mixing with it.

Types of recuperators

The recuperation system can use many ways to recycle energy. The heat recuperator works according to a specific principle. Its types, depending on this, may be as follows:

1. Tubular.
2. Lamellar.
3. Rotary recuperator and others.

All recuperator circuits are divided according to the method of transferring energy from used air to fresh air.

Ways to increase efficiency

The functioning of a heat exchanger is characterized by how efficiently it transfers heat from one agent to another. For the system to be efficient, the efficiency of the recuperator must be at least 70%. Logic suggests that the efficiency of a heat exchanger can be increased in several ways:

1. Increase the time of contact of media with different temperatures.
2. Provide a large contact area for agents.
3. Pre-heating of incoming air.

It is very good if this heating can be carried out at the expense of natural resources.
It is not so difficult to make an air recuperator with your own hands. An original way of organizing recuperation is to use a long piece of pipe buried at a depth of about 2 meters. Such a tubular recuperator will warm the air in winter and cool it in summer.

Such use of the heat exchanger allows to achieve a decrease in the probability of freezing of the recuperator plates due to the noticeable difference in air temperatures at different stages of recuperation. There is no additional cost for preheating the incoming stream. In addition, the use of heating excludes the formation of dew on the elements of the heat exchanger, which can lead to their freezing in the cold season.

Rotary recuperators. The rotary recuperator operates with the highest efficiency. In this unit, streams of warm and cold air pass in one box towards each other. The box contains a disc with corrugated metal plates, which is structurally made in such a way that the material of the plates is first heated in a stream of warm air, and then, continuing to rotate, enters the cold stream, where it gives off the accumulated heat.

Recovery in such a heat exchanger is not without its disadvantages, which are manifested in the partial mixing of the two streams and the need to increase the diameter of the heat exchange disc to achieve higher efficiency. In addition, the use of rotating elements has never been a virtue of the system.

The problem of choosing a recuperator for the home

Being a very popular innovative solution, the electricity recuperator deserves a very long story, but do-it-yourself drawings of the recuperator are much more interesting, especially since it can be successfully applied in your home. And you should start by choosing the type of recuperator. This is where your own experience should come in handy.

In an apartment with plastic windows, a "warm window" will be used. In private households, where there is usually enough free space, a plate recuperator of a counterflow or cross type of air movement is used. It is such a homemade recuperator that is easiest to do with your own hands. Drawings of a plate recuperator and the automation necessary for its operation in sufficient quantities can be found on the Internet and in special literature.

Device manufacturing

How to make a plate recuperator yourself? Do-it-yourself plate recuperators are easy to make. It is only important to understand well how the plate recuperators work. For this, the principle of operation must be well understood and the circuit of the device must be studied. The first step is to resolve the issue of the material of the heat exchange plates, especially since there is no single option for the plates filling the heat exchange cassette. Therefore, any material can be used:

• aluminum sheet;
• roofing galvanized;
• sheet textolite;
• getinaks and other types of plastic.

The process of energy exchange does not depend in any way on the material of the plates. The density of the set of plates in the cassette and the number of cassettes used have a much greater influence on the operation of the heat exchanger. The more efficiency you want to achieve, the more cassettes you will have to use in your heat exchanger. Theoretically, you can get by with one block of records, but a large one.

The principle of operation of the recuperator

Considering the inevitability of condensate formation on the plates, the recuperator should be provided with a system for removing it from the device. To make a cassette, you will need a corner for the frame and material for laying the space between the plates. A sheet of metal or thick plywood is suitable for the body.

You will also need:

• mineral wool;
• sealant;
• fastening.

Plates should be stacked, taking care to keep the edges intact. In a block, they should be collected at least 70 pieces. The edges of each plate should be pasted over with strips or cork. Elements are glued in a special way, crosswise. This design will provide a cassette with air channels alternating at right angles. The cassette is sealed with silicone sealant. The incoming air should be filtered. The inner surface of the case must be pasted over with mineral wool, with a layer of at least 4 cm.

The cassette, which is a heat exchanger, is inserted into special guides in the housing, which makes it easily accessible for maintenance. Variable speed fans are used to generate air flow. The homemade recuperator is ready. Its efficiency will depend solely on the build quality of the device.

H recuperators can be used to partially reduce heating costs in winter and air conditioning in summer.These are supply and exhaust devices in which the air can be partially heated without the use of additional energy (warm water, electric heaters)... Such ventilation devices are gaining popularity in Europe, where utilities are more expensive, and you need to save more thoughtfully.

Structurally, recuperators are divided into several types, depending on the design of the heat exchanger. Below we will consider the structure and other nuances of using plate-type models.

H what is a plate recuperator: device

Structurally, it is a rectangular or square box (body) with 4 branch pipes to which air ducts are supplied. 2 branch pipes are located on 1 end of the body, 2 more - on the opposite. On each side, one branch pipe is intended for supply air, the other for the air duct from the hood.

The enclosures are made of aluminum or galvanized steel.

Inside the body there is a cubic block, assembled from a large number (several dozen) of thin (up to several millimeters thick) plates. Gaps (slots) of 2-4 mm are made between them. Plates can be made of different materials - steel, cellulose or plastic. This unit is a heat exchanger that will transfer heat between the fresh and exhaust air streams.

The gaps are alternately perpendicular to each other. Half of the gaps are "directed" to the inlet branch pipes, the other half to the exhaust duct branch pipes. Thus, air passes through them without mixing.

The location of the heat exchanger and the flows passing through it is easiest to understand from the photo below.

There are also holes in the casing for draining condensate (which is released stably in such recuperators) and for defrosting.

Additionally, some devices may have:

1. Inlet filter.
2. Fans (both inlet and outlet).
3. Heater (on the inflow) - to additionally heat the air from the street.

Principle of operation

The principle of operation of such installations is as follows. Fresh air is supplied through one of the ducts (from the street, cold in winter), on the other - air is removed from the room (heated to a temperature comfortable for a person).

Warm air passing through the plate heat exchanger (through the gaps between the plates) gives it its heat. Due to it, cold air is heated, which goes along the other half of the gaps, in the other direction. This process is called recuperation.

As a result, the air flow is partially heated, but this does not consume the energy of the heaters (that is, heating is free).

Types by plate material

X the performance and efficiency of a device largely depends on what its heat exchanger plates are made of. It can be:

1. Aluminum or galvanized steel. Metal heat exchangers are cheap, but freeze quickly. Due to this, their efficiency is less than that of analogues. In addition, due to freezing, they require regular heating.
2. Cellulose (specialty paper). They have a relatively higher efficiency, but are not suitable for rooms with high humidity (swimming pools, saunas, car washes, as well as production rooms with humid air). Under the influence of condensation, the paper from which the plates are made quickly deteriorates.
3. Plastic. They have a high efficiency (higher than that of steel ones), they are not afraid of freezing, like cellulose ones. The downside is the higher cost compared to the other two options.

AT ides in the direction of air flows

An important nuance - the heat exchanger device can be performed in several ways.The difference lies in the "route" of air flows. According to this characteristic, plate recuperators are divided into 3 types:

1. Direct flow: both air flows move through the heat exchanger in the same direction.
2. Counterflow: both air flows move through the heat exchanger in opposite directions (towards each other).
3. Cross-flow (cross-flow): streams cross in the heat exchanger.Such a device is the simplest, and due to this - widespread.

Purpose and scope

The main task of the recuperator is to reduce the cost of maintaining the required indoor temperature. In winter, such installations partially heat up the air coming from the street, in summer they partially cool it.

Can be used as the main ventilation device for inflow-exhaust, and as an additional one. As the main one, they can be used for small buildings (for example, for a private house). As additional - it can be used for buildings of any scale and purpose (from warehouses to shopping centers).

In fact, on the territory of the Russian Federation and the countries of the former USSR, such equipment is used only for non-residential premises - shopping centers, warehouses, industrial facilities, various institutions, public service buildings, and so on.

Pros and cons of plate recuperators

Advantages:

• relatively simple installation and maintenance;
• durability: there are no moving parts and electronics in the recuperator (duct fans and automation are connected separately) - which prolongs the service life of the device;
• the design of plate recuperators of any kind is simple compared to other types of recuperators (so much so that it can be assembled by hand);
• ease of repair (due to simple design).

The main disadvantages of models with plastic and metal heat exchangers:

• the formation of condensation during operation;
• freezing (due to the resulting condensate), due to which it is imperative to provide for the possibility of heating;
• Efficiency - 40 - 6 0%, which is a relatively small indicator (if you put additional heat exchangers inside the case, then it can increase to 85-90%);
• due to interruptions in operation during defrosting, efficiency decreases.

Cons of models with cellulose plates:

• inability to use in rooms with humid air;
• impossibility of repairing the heat exchanger - damaged blocks only need to be replaced (which increases the cost of maintenance);
• the ability to easily damage the plates (during installation, repair, maintenance);
• absorption of odors, which can then "return" to the room.

Comparison with a rotary regenerator (video)

Characteristics and calculation

Of the main characteristics that affect the calculation, one can single out:

1. Heat exchanger material (discussed above).
2. The number of plates and the size of the heat exchange unit (the larger the size and the more plates, the higher the efficiency will be).
3. The duration of the stay of the air flow inside the heat exchanger (the longer, the greater the efficiency).
4. Air flow power.
5. Dimensions (both the body itself and the diameters of the nozzles).

Who produces such equipment and how much does it cost?

On the territory of the former USSR, you can find devices of the following brands:

1. Vents.
2. Rowen.
3. 2vv.
4. Korf.
5. Luftmeer.
6. Remak.
7. Shuft.

Here is the approximate cost of some models:

1. Vents, case size 400x200 mm, cross flow. Body material - galvanized, plate material - aluminum. The cost is about 18,000 rubles (one of the cheapest options for such a technique).
2. Luftmeer, the same characteristics. The cost is about 27,000.
3. Shuft, the same characteristics. The cost is about 19,000.
4. Remak, the same characteristics. The cost is about 30,000.
5. Korf, case size 500x300 mm, otherwise the same characteristics. The cost is about 32,000.
6. Vents, case size 1000x500 mm, otherwise the same characteristics. The cost is about 74,000.

Creating a homemade plate recuperator with 3 units (video)

How to make a do-it-yourself plate recuperator?

Since the prices for such equipment start at $ 300-400, and the device itself is relatively simple, you can make it yourself.

1. Galvanized steel sheet, 0.5-1.5 mm thick, with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 4 m² - for making plates. For the convenience of work, you can take separate sheets of rectangular or square shape, with an area of \u200b\u200babout 1 "square".
2. A roll of technical cork, layer thickness 2 mm - as a spacer to create gaps. Instead of a cork, you can take plastic, plexiglass or wooden slats.
3. Any insulation - foil mineral wool or foam, about 5 cm thick. It will be more convenient and safer to work with foam.
4. Metal corners.
5. Any sheet metal / MDF sheet / plastic sheet is for the case.
6. Silicone sealant, glue.
7. Plastic flanges, 4 pieces - for fixing the supplied air ducts. Their diameter should be the same as the diameter of the ventilation ducts that will be supplied.
8. 1 small diameter tube for condensate drainage.
9. Bulgarian.
10. Fasteners.

We will consider the stages of work step by step below.

First, a homemade heat exchanger is created:

1. About 70 square sheets are cut, the side is 20-30 cm. An obligatory nuance: all plates must be the same size, even, without burrs and curvatures. To do this, it is most convenient to cut sheets of blanks into several pieces, fold them in a pile and cut like this.
2. Gaskets are cut - thin strips long towards the plate. More than 200 of them will be needed.
3. A plate is taken, and 3 strips are glued to one side of it: 2 on two opposite edges and 1 in the center (parallel to the rest).
4. The second plate is taken, 3 strips are glued to either side of it in the same way.
5. The second plate is rotated relative to the first so that the spacers on them are perpendicular to each other.
6. The gaskets of the second plate are coated with glue and pressed against the free side of the first plate.
7. The third plate is taken, 3 strips are glued to either side of it.
8. The third plate rotates like the first (according to the arrangement of the strips), and the second is glued on top.

We got 3 plates glued to each other with the same gap between each other. Since the gap is created by thin strips, there remains between these strips free space - it is through it that air will pass.

Since the holes between 1 and 2 of the plate "look" in one direction, and the gaps between 2 and 3 - in the other (perpendicular to the first), air flows will pass through different air ducts without mixing.