Introducing an optimization approach for enthalpy exchangers for residential ventilation

Enthalpy exchangers recovering sensible and latent heat have an increasing share of use in residential ventilation. In this study, we introduce an optimization approach for membrane-based enthalpy exchanger (MEE). Therefore, we develop a system model, combine it with a genetic optimization algorithm and optimize the design regarding energy demand and comfort. The methodology proves promising as its application to a residential building system indicates less permeable (2.68 × 10−10 mol m−1 s−1 Pa–1) and thicker membranes (75 µm) are used for moderate climates compared to cold and dry climates (2.91 × 10−10 mol m−1 s−1 Pa–1, 20 µm).