Counter-flow energy recovery ventilator (erv) core

Abstract

A heat and humidity exchanger has example application in exchanging heat and water vapour between fresh air entering a building and air being vented from the building. The heat and humidity exchanger has a self-supporting core formed from layered sheets ( 710, 720 ) of a moisture-permeable material. Plenums ( 750 ) are arranged to direct fluid streams into and out of the core. The plenums ( 750 ) may be on opposing sides of the core to permit counterflow exchange of heat and water vapour. The plenums ( 750 ) are attached to the core along opposite edges of the sheets ( 710, 720 ).

1 . A heat and humidity exchanger comprising:
 a core comprising a plurality of water vapor-permeable sheets, the sheets layered and at least some of the sheets pleated to provide a plurality of groups of channels extending through the core, each of the plurality of groups of channels comprising channels defined between two adjacent ones of the sheets and extending along the pleats of at least one of the pleated sheets,   a plurality of plenums formed on opposed sides of the core, the plenums on each of the opposed sides of the core configured such that the channels of groups of channels on opposing sides of the same one of the sheets are fluidly connected to different ones of the plenums;   wherein the plenums are defined at least in part by manifold members attached along opposite edges of the sheets, at least one of the manifold members comprising a sheet that is connected to and follows an edge of one of the pleated water vapor-permeable sheets.   
     
     
         2 .- 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the manifold members are made of the same material as the water vapor-permeable membrane sheets. 
     
     
         8 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the manifold members comprise a material that is different from a material of the water vapor-permeable sheets. 
     
     
         11 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 10  wherein the manifold members comprise a thermoformed plastic material. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the manifold members attached to the pleated water vapor-permeable sheets have edges formed to follow the pleats of the pleated sheets and a transition zone wherein the manifold members gradually become flatter with distance from the edges of the manifold members. 
     
     
         14 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the core is made up of alternating flat water vapor-permeable membrane sheets and pleated water vapor-permeable membrane sheets. 
     
     
         19 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 18  wherein the flat membrane sheets extend between manifold members attached to adjacent pleated sheets to separate adjacent plenums. 
     
     
         20 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 19  wherein the manifold members comprise sheets of material that are ribbed on two opposing sides and the flat water vapor-permeable membrane sheets are supported between ribs of the adjacent manifold members. 
     
     
         21 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 18  wherein the channels are triangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         22 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the plurality of channels are quadrilateral in cross-section. 
     
     
         28 .- 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the plenums are connected to carry first and second fluid flows through the channels of the core such that the first and second flows are carried in alternating ones of the groups of channels and the first and second flows flow in opposing directions through the core. 
     
     
         33 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein a first group of the plurality of channels extends from a first plenum through the core to a second plenum, a second group of the plurality of channels extends from a third plenum through the core to a fourth plenum, each of the plurality of channels in the first group have walls in common with a plurality of the channels of the second group and each of the plurality of channels in the second group have walls in common with a plurality of the channels of the first group. 
     
     
         34 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein each of the channels comprises a plurality of walls and each of the channel walls is water vapor-permeable. 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . An energy recovery ventilator for a building comprising a heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         37 . Use of a heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 1  for exchanging heat and humidity between a flow of fresh air entering a building and a flow of air exiting the building. 
     
     
         38 . A heat and humidity exchanger comprising:
 a core comprising a plurality of channels, a first group of the plurality of channels extending from a first plenum through the core to a second plenum, a second group of the plurality of channels extending from a third plenum through the core to a fourth plenum, each of the plurality of channels in the first group having walls in common with a plurality of the channels of the second group and each of the plurality of channels in the second group having walls in common with a plurality of the channels of the first group;   the plurality of channels defined by a plurality of water vapor-permeable membrane sheets, at least one of the water vapor-permeable membrane sheets being pleated, the pleated water vapor-permeable membrane sheet defining a plurality of the walls of each of a plurality of the first group of channels;   wherein the first and fourth plenums are separated at least in part by a manifold sheet that is connected to and follows an edge of the pleated water vapor-permeable membrane sheet.   
     
     
         39 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 38  wherein the second and third plenums are separated at least in part by a second manifold sheet that is connected to and follows an edge of the pleated water vapor-permeable membrane sheet. 
     
     
         40 .- 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 39  wherein the manifold sheets comprise a material that is different from a material of the water vapor-permeable sheets. 
     
     
         50 .- 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 38  wherein the core is made up of alternating flat water vapor-permeable membrane sheets and pleated water vapor-permeable membrane sheets. 
     
     
         58 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 57  wherein the flat membrane sheets extend between manifold members attached to adjacent pleated sheets to separate adjacent plenums. 
     
     
         59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 57  wherein the channels are triangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         61 .- 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 38  wherein the plurality of channels are quadrilateral in cross-section. 
     
     
         67 .- 70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 38  wherein the plenums are connected to carry first and second fluid flows through the channels of the core such that the channels carrying the first flow are separated from channels carrying the second flow by the water vapor permeable membrane sheets of the core. 
     
     
         72 . (canceled) 
     
     
         73 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 38  wherein each of the channels comprises a plurality of walls and each of the channel walls is water vapor-permeable. 
     
     
         74 .- 76 . (canceled) 
     
     
         77 . An energy recovery ventilator for a building comprising a heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 38 . 
     
     
         78 . Use of a heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 38  for exchanging heat and humidity between a flow of fresh air entering a building and a flow of air exiting the building. 
     
     
         79 . A heat and humidity exchanger comprising:
 a core comprising a plurality of channels each having a triangular cross-section, a first group of the plurality of channels extending from a first plenum through the core to a second plenum, a second group of the plurality of channels extending from a third plenum through the core to a fourth plenum, each of the plurality of channels in the first group having walls in common with a plurality of the channels of the second group and each of the plurality of channels in the second group having walls in common with a plurality of the channels of the first group, each of the common walls being water vapor-permeable.   
     
     
         80 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 79  wherein the channels of the first and second groups of channels are straight and parallel to one another. 
     
     
         81 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 79  wherein the core comprises a plurality of vapor-permeable membrane stacked vapor-permeable membrane sheets and the plenums are defined at least in part by manifold members attached to the water vapor-permeable membrane sheets of the core. 
     
     
         82 .- 84 . (canceled) 
     
     
         85 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 81  wherein the manifold members are each connected to the core along a first edge, have an up-turned wall along a second edge and a down-turned wall along a third edge such that, when stacked together the manifold members form a stack of plenums that open alternately to sides corresponding to the first and second edges. 
     
     
         86 .- 87 . (canceled) 
     
     
         88 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 81  wherein the manifold members are made of the same material as the water vapor-permeable membrane sheets. 
     
     
         89 . (canceled) 
     
     
         90 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 81  wherein the manifold members comprise a material that is different from a material of the water vapor-permeable sheets. 
     
     
         91 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 90  wherein the manifold members comprise a thermoformed plastic material. 
     
     
         92 . (canceled) 
     
     
         93 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 79  wherein the core comprises a plurality of pleated water vapor permeable membrane sheets and manifold members attached to the pleated water vapor-permeable sheets have edges formed to follow the pleats of the pleated sheets and a transition zone wherein the manifold members gradually become flatter with distance from the edges of the manifold members. 
     
     
         94 .- 98 . (canceled) 
     
     
         99 . A heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 79  wherein the core is made up of alternating flat water vapor-permeable membrane sheets and pleated water vapor-permeable membrane sheets, and the flat membrane sheets extend between manifold members attached to adjacent pleated sheets to separate adjacent plenums. 
     
     
         100 .- 101 . (canceled) 
     
     
         102 . An energy recovery ventilator for a building comprising a heat and humidity exchanger according to  claim 79 . 
     
     
         103 . Use of a heat and humidity exchanger according to any one of  claims 79  to  101  for exchanging heat and humidity between a flow of fresh air entering a building and a flow of air exiting the building. 
     
     
         104 . A heat and water vapor exchanger comprising:
 a core structure comprising a plurality of layered water vapor permeable sheets attached together to form a self-supporting structure, a plurality of the layered water vapor permeable sheets being pleated such that triangular channels extend through the core;   a manifold structure comprising manifold members attached along edges of the vapor permeable membrane sheets of the core, the manifold members forming stacked plenums such that channels extending through the core between different pairs of adjacent ones of the water vapor permeable membrane sheets are in fluid communication with different ones of the plenums.   
     
     
         105 . A heat and water vapor exchanger according to  claim 104  wherein the core comprises a stack of pleated sheets of water vapor permeable membrane alternating with flat sheets of water vapor permeable membrane. 
     
     
         106 . A heat and water vapor exchanger according to  claim 105  wherein the manifold members are of a material different from that of the water vapor permeable membrane sheets.