The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate various performance indices for heat recovery ventilators of the fixed plate type. The performance of one such system was monitored during the 1984-85 heating season using a microcomputer-based data acquisition system. Monthly and seasonal performance are discussed in terms of temperature effectiveness, E, sensible heat recovery efficiency, SHRE, adiabatic heat exchange efficiency, AHXE, thermodynamic first-law efficiency, FLE (or closely related coefficient of performance, COP) and recovered sensible energy.

Real performance is shown to be reduced by nonadiabatic effects as well as blower energy, as measured by both AHXE and FLE. Of the two indices, FLE may be the more useful because it facilitates estimates of net energy recovered and operating costs. SHRE is useful provided the heat exchanger case is well insulated . More detailed investigations are needed of nonadiabatic effects.

Units: I-P