A TRNSYS-based parametric study of building ventilation systems incorporating Rotary Heat Recovery Wheels
The progressive tightening of building regulations is reducing heating and cooling demands. As a result, ventilation (previously a secondary energy use) has become increasingly relevant. In Spain, current regulations mandate air-to-air heat recovery with minimum effectiveness and maximum pressure dr...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha |
| Repositorio: | RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/47768 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2026.130592 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359431126009002?via%3Dihub https://hdl.handle.net/10578/47768 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Air-to-air heat recovery HVAC system Mechanical ventilation Rotary Heat Recovery Wheel TRNSYS |
| Sumario: | The progressive tightening of building regulations is reducing heating and cooling demands. As a result, ventilation (previously a secondary energy use) has become increasingly relevant. In Spain, current regulations mandate air-to-air heat recovery with minimum effectiveness and maximum pressure drop thresholds, but they are based primarily on airflow and operating hours, overlooking local climatic variability. This study evaluates the energy performance of ventilation systems equipped with Rotary Heat Recovery Wheels (RHRWs) in five representative Spanish climatic zones using the simulation tool TRNSYS. The analysis considers heating, cooling, and evaporative cooling modes following typical tertiary-building operating schedules and various RHRW effectiveness levels. A novel performance metric, (defined as electricity use per cubic meter of fresh air supplied), proved useful for cross-climate comparisons. In heating mode, ranged from 1.5 Whe/m3 in colder zones to 1.0 Whe/m3 in milder ones. In cooling mode, hotter climates reached 1.0 Whe/m3, while colder zones stayed below 0.5 Wh/m. Evaporative cooling achieved over 50% energy savings in hot climates, though it required significant water consumption. A key contribution is the development of robust correlations between, standardized climatic indicators — Heating Degree-Days (HDD18), Cooling Degree-Hours (CDH18, CDH27) — and heat recovery effectiveness, providing a predictive framework for ventilation system design. |
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