Some recommendations for improvements to ASHRAE Standard 84-1991

Rising energy costs and environmental concerns have raised interest in energy conservation, particularly energy recovery from ventilation exhaust air from buildings. Heating and cooling ventilation air often account for 20% to 40% of the total heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) energy used in commercial buildings. In this paper, five standards are compared and considered as a basis for testing air-to-air heat exchangers and, in particular, rotary energy exchangers. It is recommended that uncertainty analysis should be the prime criteria for accurately testing air-to-air energy recovery devices. Pre-test selection procedures are outlined that will minimize the uncertainty associated with operating conditions. Recommendations are presented for changes to ASHRAE Standard 84-1991 that will meet the needs for testing rotary energy wheels and other air-to-air heat recovery devices.