Numerical and experimental investigations of geometric modifications in membrane-based energy recovery ventilators
department or school: Applied Science, Faculty of
department or school: Mechanical Engineering, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Sadooghi, Ala
issued: 2024-12-20T22:21:27Z
issued: 2024
related degree: Master of Applied Science - MASc
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Membrane-based Energy Recovery Ventilators (mERVs) are important components in modern ventilation systems, as they recover heat and moisture from outgoing exhaust air, helping to improve indoor air quality and reduce energy consumption. This study explores methods to enhance the thermal performance of mERVs through numerical modeling and experimental study. A novel hybrid approach combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Finite Difference Method (FDM) was employed, focusing on portion modeling to reduce computational demands. By simulating only a portion of the mERV and finding heat transfer coefficients, the computational time was decreased significantly from 60 hours to 4 hours, while maintaining high accuracy in performance predictions. This model was validated against experimental data, proving its reliability in estimating mERV effectiveness. The study further examined the impact of changing the channel height of one side of the selected geometry on mERV performance. Results showed that reducing the channel height from 2 mm to 1 mm increased sensible effectiveness from 57â68% to 64â72% and latent effectiveness from 40â55% to 46â60% across different flow rates, demonstrating substantial improvements in heat and mass transfer. Additionally, the effects of ribbed geometries were analyzed to enhance heat and mass transfer. Experimental and numerical analyses revealed that incorporating ribs improved sensible effectiveness from 54â63% to 56â66% and latent effectiveness from 37â47% to 42â55%, across different flow rates, highlighting the advantage of ribbed configurations for enhanced performance. Overall, the findings demonstrate that specific geometrical adjustments, particularly in channel height and ribbed configurations, can significantly enhance the thermal efficiency of mERVs.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/89967
note: Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Geometric Modifications in Membrane-Based Energy Recovery Ventilators by Ala Sadooghi B.Sc., K.N. Toosi University of Technology, 2017 M.Sc., Tarbiat Modares University, 2020 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF APPLIED SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Mechanical Engineering) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) December 2024 © Ala Sadooghi, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Geometric Modifications in Membrane-Based Energy Recovery Ventilators submitted by Ala Sadooghi in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Examining Committee: Dr. Steven Rogak, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC Supervisor Dr. Sheldon Green, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC Co-supervisor Dr. Nima Atabaki, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC Supervisory Committee Member iii Abstract Membrane-based Energy Recovery Ventilators (mERVs) are important components in modern ventilation systems, as they recover heat and moisture from outgoing exhaust air, helping to improve indoor air quality and reduce energy consumption. This study explores methods to enhance the thermal performance of mERVs through numerical modeling and experimental study. A novel hybrid approach combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Finite Difference Method (FDM) was employed, focusing on portion modeling to reduce computational demands. By simulating only a portion of the mERV and finding heat transfer coefficients, the computational time was decreased significantly from 60 hours to 4 hours, while maintaining high accuracy in performance predictions. This model was validated …
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2025-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0447597
language: eng
degree discipline: Mechanical Engineering
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Rogak, Steven
contributor: Green, Sheldon I.
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89967