Short Communication

Sound reduction in heat exchanger modules by integrating plate absorbers with sub-millimeter openings

¹ Institute of Process Machinery and Systems Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
² Institute of Mechanics and Mechatronics E325-3, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria
³ Institute of Fundamentals and Theory in Electrical Engineering, TU Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria

^* Corresponding author: cz@ipat.fau.de

Received: 31 March 2021
Accepted: 27 May 2021

Abstract

In air conditioning systems heat exchangers are frequently installed upstream of ventilators. These modules are part of the daily life of humans and should therefore create an environment that is as quiet as possible. The heat exchanger generates increased turbulence, which leads to increased sound emissions of the ventilator. Due to installation space limitations, it is not possible to connect silencers to the heat exchanger module. A novel concept is presented, which allows to reduce the sound emissions of heat exchanger due to plate absorbers without the need of additional installation room. The plates contain sub-millimeter openings. They are integrated into the heat exchanger housing together with back volumes. This arrangement guarantees compactness and generates no additional flow resistance. The emitted sound could be reduced by up to 2.9 dB in the partial load range. The main advantages of the concept presented are individual adjustment, cost-effective design and simple installation.