Effect of Geometric Parameters on the Performance of a Membrane-Based Enthalpy Exchanger

A membrane-based enthalpy exchanger (MBEE) with partial inlet is proposed. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the effect of Reynolds number (Re), the ratio of entrance area to channel cross-sectional area Re-c, and channel length/width ratio Rl-w on the performance of the MBEE. Effectiveness, pressure loss, and flow patterns were evaluated for optimization. Moreover, the entransy theory was applied to analyze the mechanism of the heat transfer enhancement of the MBEE. The results indicate that the larger the Re-c, the higher the effectiveness and lesser pressure drop of the MBEE at the same volumetric flow rate. The total heat exchange rate per unit area and the pressure drop per unit length are reduced with the increasing of Rl-w .