IoT-based Platform for an Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Evaluation

Abstract

Applying to many commercial and residential applications, air-to-air heat/energy exchangers are extensively considered as one of the promising technologies for improving indoor air quality (IAQ), providing thermal comfort, and dwindling energy consumption costs as well. The present paper proposes an IoT-based platform to experimentally assess the performances of a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) system in terms of heat recovery and IAQ enhancement. To gather and log measurements, the developed IoT platform is integrated into the mechanical ventilation system without affecting its operation modes. For more than 12 months, the proposed IoT approach successfully collected and sent every 60 s, real-time measurements related to the indoor and outdoor air quality, with a focus on TVOC and CO2, and the related temperature, humidity, and pressure used to assess the system’s sensible heat recovery potential. Results from a real environment located in New Brunswick, Canada are presented, and the system performances are evaluated under extreme weather conditions. The developed IoT platform was flexible in terms of deployment and data exchange and proved to be efficient in collecting real-time data.