Recouperative heat exchanger
A recouperative heat exchanger is normally a higher temperature heat exchanger with short exchange periods, the materials used can be metal or plastic. It is a more direct form of heat exchange than a regenerative heat exchanger and therefore more efficient over shorter periods. Flat plate heat exchangers are normally recouperative heat exchangers.
A regenerative heat exchanger is is where heat is exchanged via temporary storage or heat sink, it is therefore more reliant on longer exchange periods but can run at lower temperatures. One substance is absorbed by a heat sink and then passed to the next substance via the heat sink without contact.
In the design and operation of buildings,centralised heat recovery units often use crossflow flat plate exchangers and are therefore recouperative exchangers whereas single room heat recovery extractors are often regenerative, thus using a medium to store and then exchange the heat collected.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Coefficient of Performance CoP.
- Dynamic thermal modelling of closed loop geothermal heat pump systems.
- Earth-to-air heat exchangers.
- Ground preconditioning of supply air.
- Ground source heat pumps.
- Mechanical ventilation of buildings.
- MVHR.
- Ground source heat pumps.
- Renewable energy sources: how they work and what they deliver: Part 3: Electrically driven heat pumps DG 532 3.
- Regenerative heat exchanger.
- Thermal labyrinths.
- Thermal storage for cooling.
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
Bridging the gap between clients and contractors
Concerns remain around contractor quality, capability, and delivery.
Construction Management, 10 June.
Heat pumps beat boilers in new home tests.
Building Safety Act implementation in Wales
CIAT to host industry panel on 26 June.
New and updated CLC building safety guidance.
New UK National Buildings Database.
Building Safety Wiki Interviews
Chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief explanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
















