Cross-flow plate is usually the lowest capital cost; rotary wheels cost most but recover the most energy where humidity matters.

Yes — large plants often use a plate pre-heater upstream of a wheel, or a heat-pipe in the exhaust and a wheel in the supply, to balance effectiveness and hygiene.

Where do I get dimensions?

See the Products pages on en159.com for Zibo Qiyu model specs, or ask our engineers for a sized proposal.

ZIBO QIYU · Heat Recovery Tools

Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Comparison

Side-by-side reference for specifying the four main air-to-air heat recovery types. Not sure which? Use the Type Selector.

Feature	Counter-flow plate	Rotary (enthalpy) wheel	Cross-flow plate	Heat pipe
Typical effectiveness	60–75% sensible	70–85% (sensible+latent)	50–65% sensible	50–65% sensible
Latent (moisture) recovery	No	Yes	No	No
Air streams mix?	No (separated)	Slight carry-over	No (separated)	No (separated)
Moving parts	No	Yes (motor)	No	No
Contaminated / explosive exhaust	OK (washable)	Avoid	OK	OK
Freeze / frost risk	Moderate	Low (regenerates)	Moderate	Low
Pressure drop	80–200 Pa	100–250 Pa	60–150 Pa	80–180 Pa
Airflow range	500 – 200,000 m³/h	1,000 – 300,000 m³/h	300 – 60,000 m³/h	500 – 100,000 m³/h
Best for	HVAC, pharma, clean rooms, mines	Comfort HVAC, humidity control	Compact AHUs, small units	Drying, severe fouling, freeze climates
Relative cost	$$	$$$	$	$$

How to read this table

Effectiveness is annual energy recovered per unit of exhaust energy — higher = better, but wheels need mixable, clean air.
Streams mix: plate and heat-pipe keep supply/exhaust physically separate (hygiene, no cross-contamination); wheels have a small carry-over even with purge sectors.
Fouling: washable plate and heat-pipe cores suit particulate/dusty exhaust; wheels need clean air to avoid motor and media fouling.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheapest?: Cross-flow plate is usually the lowest capital cost; rotary wheels cost most but recover the most energy where humidity matters.
Can I combine types?: Yes — large plants often use a plate pre-heater upstream of a wheel, or a heat-pipe in the exhaust and a wheel in the supply, to balance effectiveness and hygiene.
Where do I get dimensions?: See the Products pages for Zibo Qiyu model specs, or ask our engineers for a sized proposal.

Reference values for preliminary selection. Final type and size depend on your air quality, ΔT, humidity and pressure budget — Zibo Qiyu engineers confirm before manufacture.