Regenerative heat exchanger

A regenerative heat exchanger is a type of heat exchanger where the flow through the heat exchanger is in opposite directions; it is an example of countercurrent exchange of heat. This type of heat exchanger can have thermal efficiency as high as 95% to 99%, transferring almost all the relative heat energy from one fluid flow to the other. The fluids entering and leaving at each end are at nearly the same temperature.

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In regenerative heat exchangers the fluid on either side of the heat exchanger is nearly always the same fluid. The fluid is cycled through the heat exchanger, often reaching high temperatures. The fluid may go through a processing step, and then it is cooled by passing back through the heat exchanger in the opposite direction for further processing and the cycle repeats.

This device gives a considerable net savings in energy, since most of the heat energy is reclaimed. Only a small amount of extra heat energy needs to be added at the hot end, and lost at the cold end, even to maintain a high temperature.