Regenerative heat exchanger
In a regenerative heat exchanger heat is exchanged from, for example a liquid to gas via temporary storage or a heat sink. The heat or coolth from one substance is absorbed by a heat sink and then passed to the next substance via that heat sink without coming in contact with the other substance.
Regenerative heat exchangers normally increase in efficiency with the time allowed for the temperature exchange to occur and so can run at lower temperatures. A recouperator heat exchanger normally requires a higher temperature metallic or plastic heat exchanger but can be more effective over shorter exchange periods.
In the design and operation of buildings, single room heat recovery units are often regenerative heat exchangers, for example used as bathroom extracts that regenerate some of the heat that is extracted from showers or baths.
[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.
- Recouperative 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.
















