A ventilation apparatus for connection between an exterior and an interior of a structure, such as a building or other construction where air of different temperatures and humidities are located on the interior and exterior, where the apparatus is arranged to operate:
- in a cooling operation, when air in the exterior is hotter and/or more humid than air in the interior, energy and moisture extracted from an exterior air flow passing from the exterior to the interior to cool and dehumidify the exterior air flow passing to the interior;
- and
- in a heating operation, when the exterior air is cooler and/or dryer than the interior air, energy is extracted from an interior air flow passing to the exterior from the interior to heat and/or humidify the exterior air flow passing to the interior;
- the apparatus comprising:
- a first energy absorbing body and a second energy absorbing body;
- a first airflow passageway for connection to the interior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to introduce exterior air into the building;
- a second airflow passageway for connection to the interior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to extract interior air from the building;
- a third airflow passageway for connection to the exterior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to pull exterior air into the building;
- and
- a fourth airflow passageway for connection to the exterior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to expel interior air out of the building;
- the first and second energy absorbing bodies being arranged so as to:
- a) transfer thermal energy to the energy absorbing body from air passing through the energy absorbing body when a temperature and/or humidity of the air is higher than the energy absorbing body so as to store hot thermal energy in the energy absorbing body;
- and
- b) transfer thermal energy from the energy absorbing body to the air passing through the energy absorbing body when a temperature and/or humidity of the air is lower than the energy absorbing body so as to store cold thermal energy in the energy absorbing body;
- and
- an air control system is provided to switch the air flows between the first and second energy absorbing bodies so that:
- in the cooling operation in a first mode the interior air flow passes through the first energy absorbing body to the exterior to store cold thermal energy in the first energy absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the first energy absorbing body but instead it passes through the second energy absorbing body to the interior and in a second mode the interior air flow passes through the second energy absorbing body to the exterior to store cold thermal energy in the second energy absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the second energy absorbing body but instead passes through the first energy absorbing body to the interior while being cooled by the cold thermal energy stored in the first energy absorbing body which has been cooled in the first mode;
- in the cooling operation in a first mode the exterior air flow passes through the first energy absorbing body to the interior to store moisture in the first energy absorbing body while the interior air flow does not pass through the first energy absorbing body but instead it passes through the second energy absorbing body to the exterior and in a second mode the exterior air flow passes through the second energy absorbing body to the interior to store moisture in the second energy absorbing body while the interior air flow does not pass through the second energy absorbing body but instead passes through the first energy absorbing body to the exterior while carrying to the exterior moisture stored in the first energy absorbing body in the first mode;
- in the heating operation the air flows between the first and second energy absorbing bodies so that, in a first mode of the heating operation, interior air flow passes through the first energy absorbing body to the exterior to store hot thermal energy in the first energy absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the first energy absorbing body but instead passes through the second energy absorbing body to the interior;
- and, in a second mode of the heating operation, the interior air flow passes through the second energy absorbing body to the exterior to store hot thermal energy in the second energy absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the second energy absorbing body but instead passes through the first energy absorbing body to the interior while being heated by the hot thermal energy stored in first energy absorbing body which has been heated and/or humidified in the first mode;
- wherein each of the first and second energy absorbing bodies includes a plurality of passages extending through the body along which the air in the body passes;
- wherein each of the first and second energy absorbing bodies has the passages therethrough divided into first latent energy portions of the passages each of which includes a moisture absorbent material so that it is arranged to absorb moisture and second sensible energy recovery portions of the passages which are substantially free from moisture absorbent material so as to absorb primarily sensible energy.