{"id":5353,"date":"2026-11-06T00:35:41","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T08:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/tools\/application-wizard\/"},"modified":"2026-11-06T00:35:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T08:35:41","slug":"application-wizard","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/tools\/application-wizard\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Heat Exchanger Do I Need?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Answer a few questions about your airflow, temperature range and contamination constraints and the selector returns a recommended core type with the engineering reason behind it. It encodes the boundaries that matter in practice: mines, pharmaceutical cleanrooms and contaminated exhaust need separated cores rather than a rotary wheel; data centres favour plate or indirect evaporative cooling; drying exhaust humidity recovery is sensible-only; boiler flue gas needs a condensing or white-plume-abatement stage.<\/p>\n<style>\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard{font-family:-apple-system,Segoe UI,Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#222;line-height:1.6;--ink:#1a3c5e;--accent:#0f6e56;--bg:#f5f8fa;--card:#fff;--line:#dce4ea;--muted:#5f6b75}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard h1{color:var(--ink);font-size:27px;margin:8px 0 6px;line-height:1.25}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .lead{color:var(--muted);margin:0 0 22px;font-size:16px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .card{background:var(--card);border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:12px;padding:18px;margin-bottom:16px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .card h2{font-size:15px;margin:0 0 12px;color:var(--accent);text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.04em}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .opt-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(200px,1fr));gap:10px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .opt{border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:9px;padding:11px 13px;cursor:pointer;font-size:14px;background:#fff;transition:.15s}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .opt:hover{border-color:var(--accent)}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .opt.sel{border-color:var(--accent);background:#eaf3ef;font-weight:600;color:var(--ink)}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .opt small{display:block;color:var(--muted);font-weight:400;font-size:12px;margin-top:3px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .sub-q{margin:14px 0}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .sub-q > label{display:block;font-size:14px;color:var(--ink);margin-bottom:6px;font-weight:600}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .opts-row{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:8px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .opts-row .opt{flex:1 1 150px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard button.calc{background:var(--accent);color:#fff;border:0;border-radius:8px;padding:11px 20px;font-size:15px;font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;margin-top:8px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .rec{margin-top:16px;border:1px solid var(--accent);background:#eaf3ef;border-radius:12px;padding:18px;display:none}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .rec.show{display:block}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .rec h3{margin:0 0 8px;color:var(--accent);font-size:19px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .rec .why{font-size:14.5px;color:#223}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .rec .tags{margin:10px 0}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .rec .tag{display:inline-block;background:#fff;border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 11px;font-size:12px;color:var(--muted);margin:3px 4px 0 0}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .rec a.plink{display:inline-block;background:var(--ink);color:#fff;text-decoration:none;padding:9px 15px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:500;margin-top:6px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .cta{margin-top:8px;background:#eaf3ef;border:1px solid #bfe0d2;border-radius:12px;padding:18px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .cta h2{margin:0 0 8px;color:var(--ink);font-size:18px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .cta a.btn{display:inline-block;background:var(--accent);color:#fff;text-decoration:none;padding:10px 16px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:500;margin-top:8px}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .cta .phone{font-weight:600;color:var(--ink)}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .links{margin-top:14px;font-size:13px;color:var(--muted)}\r\n.yc-tp-application-wizard .links a{color:var(--accent);text-decoration:none}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<div class=\"yc-tp yc-tp-application-wizard\">\r\n\r\n  \r\n  <p class=\"lead\">Answer two steps and get an engineering recommendation. Rules follow QIYU field practice for mines, data centers, drying, pharma, commercial and boiler duties.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"card\">\r\n    <h2>Step 1 &mdash; Your application<\/h2>\r\n    <div class=\"opt-grid\" id=\"scenes\">\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"mining\">Mine \/ dusty exhaust<small>Contaminated, particulate-laden air<\/small><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"datacenter\">Data center \/ clean room<small>Strict isolation, low downtime<\/small><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"drying\">Drying \/ exhaust humidity<small>Hot, humid process exhaust<\/small><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"commercial\">Commercial building<small>Shared return + supply air<\/small><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"pool\">Pool \/ lab \/ humid space<small>High latent load<\/small><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"pharma\">Pharma \/ clean exhaust<small>No air recirculation<\/small><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"boiler\">Boiler flue gas<small>Condensing \/ plume abatement<\/small><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"general\">General \/ other<small>Standard ventilation recovery<\/small><\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"card\">\r\n    <h2>Step 2 &mdash; Duty details<\/h2>\r\n    <div class=\"sub-q\">\r\n      <label>Do you need moisture (latent) recovery?<\/label>\r\n      <div class=\"opts-row\" id=\"moist\">\r\n        <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"yes\">Yes &mdash; humidity matters<\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"no\">No &mdash; heat only is enough<\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sub-q\">\r\n      <label>Are the two airstreams risk-separated? (fumes, dust, pathogens, odors)<\/label>\r\n      <div class=\"opts-row\" id=\"sep\">\r\n        <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"yes\">Yes &mdash; zero mixing required<\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"no\">No &mdash; same building air<\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sub-q\">\r\n      <label>What matters most?<\/label>\r\n      <div class=\"opts-row\" id=\"prio\">\r\n        <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"eff\">Max efficiency<\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"compact\">Compact \/ freeze-tolerant<\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"opt\" data-v=\"cost\">Lowest cost<\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <button class=\"calc\" id=\"go\">Get recommendation<\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"note\" style=\"font-size:12px;color:var(--muted);margin-top:10px\">If you skip a detail we apply the standard QIYU rule for that application.<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"rec\" id=\"rec\">\r\n    <h3 id=\"r_t\">\u2014<\/h3>\r\n    <div class=\"why\" id=\"r_b\">\u2014<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"tags\" id=\"r_tags\"><\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"plink\" id=\"r_link\" href=\"#\">View this product &rarr;<\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"cta\">\r\n    <h2>Want a verified sizing?<\/h2>\r\n    <p>Share your airflow, supply\/exhaust temperatures and exhaust description &mdash; we will confirm the core, freeze protection and pressure budget.<\/p>\r\n    <p class=\"phone\">Call: 15753355505<\/p>\r\n    <a class=\"btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/contact-us\/\">Request a quote &rarr;<\/a>\r\n    <div class=\"links\">\r\n      Related:\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/tools\/selection-guide\/\">Type comparison<\/a> &middot;\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/tools\/standards-glossary\/\">Standards &amp; glossary<\/a> &middot;\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/tools\/frost-estimator\/\">Frost estimator<\/a> |\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/industrial\/heat-exchanger\/\">Heat exchanger guide<\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>\r\n\r\n  var S={scene:null,moist:null,sep:null,prio:null};\r\n  function bind(group){\r\n    document.querySelectorAll('#'+group+' .opt').forEach(function(o){\r\n      o.addEventListener('click',function(){\r\n        S[group]=o.dataset.v;\r\n        document.querySelectorAll('#'+group+' .opt').forEach(function(x){x.classList.remove('sel')});\r\n        o.classList.add('sel');\r\n      });\r\n    });\r\n  }\r\n  ['scenes','moist','sep','prio'].forEach(bind);\r\n\r\n  var P={\r\n    plate:{name:'Sensible Plate Core (aluminum)',link:'https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/products\/plate-heat-exchanger\/',\r\n      tags:['Heat only','Isolated','No moving parts','Lowest cost']},\r\n    enth:{name:'Enthalpy (membrane) Plate Core',link:'https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/products\/air-to-air-heat-exchanger\/',\r\n      tags:['Heat + moisture','Isolated','No mixing']},\r\n    wheel:{name:'Rotary Heat-Recovery Wheel',link:'https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/products\/rotary-heat-wheel\/',\r\n      tags:['Heat + moisture','Highest effectiveness','Moving part']},\r\n    hp:{name:'Heat-Pipe Core',link:'https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/products\/heat-pipe-heat-exchanger\/',\r\n      tags:['Heat only','Compact','Freeze-tolerant','No motor']},\r\n    boiler:{name:'Condensing \/ White-Plume System',link:'https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/industrial\/heat-exchanger\/',\r\n      tags:['Flue gas','Condensing','Plume abatement']}\r\n  };\r\n\r\n  function recommend(){\r\n    if(!S.scene){alert('Pick your application in Step 1.');return;}\r\n    var s=S.scene,m=S.moist,sep=S.sep,p=S.prio;\r\n    var key,body;\r\n\r\n    if(s==='mining'){\r\n      if(m==='yes'){key='enth';body='Mine air is contaminated and must stay isolated, but you also want humidity recovery. An enthalpy (membrane) plate core transfers both heat and moisture with zero mixing \u2014 the only latent option that keeps the streams separated. A wheel is ruled out: it would re-entrain dust and fumes into supply.';}\r\n      else{key='hp';body='Rule of thumb: mines and dusty exhaust use a heat pipe or plate, never a rotary wheel. We lean heat pipe here \u2014 passive, no motor, and it tolerates the grit and cold-climate frost better than a wheel. A counter-flow plate is the lower-cost alternative if freezing is not a concern.';}\r\n    }\r\n    else if(s==='datacenter'){\r\n      key='plate';body='Data centers need strict isolation and predictable pressure with minimal maintenance risk. Recommendation: a sensible plate core (or indirect evaporative \/ IEC cooling). A rotary wheel is avoided \u2014 its motor, seal and small leakage path add risk in a 24\/7 duty. Plate gives full separation and no moving part.';\r\n    }\r\n    else if(s==='drying'){\r\n      key='plate';body='Drying exhaust is hot, humid and often dirty. The goal is sensible heat recovery without moving moisture or contaminants back. A sensible plate core recovers heat with fully separated streams and handles the particulate duty \u2014 plate-only, by design.';\r\n    }\r\n    else if(s==='pharma'){\r\n      if(m==='yes'){key='enth';body='Pharma clean exhaust must not recirculate, yet humidity recovery is wanted. An enthalpy (membrane) plate core recovers both heat and moisture while keeping the streams physically separated \u2014 compliant with no-air-recirculation requirements. A wheel is not used.';}\r\n      else{key='hp';body='Pharma \/ clean exhaust: no air recirculation, so a separated core is mandatory. A heat pipe or sensible plate isolates the streams with no mixing; we suggest heat pipe for robustness, plate for lowest cost.';}\r\n    }\r\n    else if(s==='boiler'){\r\n      key='boiler';body='Boiler flue gas is a condensing, corrosive, high-temperature stream \u2014 not a standard HVAC core. Use a condensing \/ white-plume-abatement heat exchanger that recovers sensible and latent heat while eliminating visible plume. This is a custom engineered system; contact us with flue data.';\r\n    }\r\n    else if(s==='commercial'||s==='pool'){\r\n      if(m==='yes'){\r\n        if(sep==='yes'){key='enth';body='You need moisture recovery and the streams must stay separated (e.g. lab exhaust). Use an enthalpy (membrane) plate core \u2014 latent recovery with zero mixing. A wheel would defeat the isolation requirement.';}\r\n        else{key='wheel';body='Shared building air plus a high latent load is the classic rotary-wheel case. An enthalpy wheel delivers the highest total (heat + moisture) effectiveness, 70\u201385%. Acceptable because the streams are not risk-separated.';}\r\n      } else {\r\n        if(p==='eff'){key='wheel';body='No humidity need and efficiency is the priority \u2192 a sensible rotary wheel reaches 80\u201385% with shared (non-separated) air.';}\r\n        else if(p==='compact'){key='hp';body='Compact, freeze-tolerant, no motor \u2192 a heat-pipe core fits tight retrofits and cold climates, at 50\u201365% effectiveness.';}\r\n        else{key='plate';body='Cost-first, shared air, heat only \u2192 a sensible plate core is the most economical with no moving part.';}\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n    else { \/\/ general\r\n      if(sep==='yes'){\r\n        if(m==='yes'){key='enth';body='Separated streams + humidity need \u2192 enthalpy (membrane) plate core: latent recovery, zero mixing.';}\r\n        else{key=(p==='compact')?'hp':'plate';body='Separated streams, heat only \u2192 a '+(p==='compact'?'heat-pipe core (compact, freeze-tolerant)':'sensible plate core (lowest cost, robust)')+'. Both guarantee no cross-contamination.';}\r\n      } else {\r\n        if(m==='yes'){key='wheel';body='Shared air + humidity need \u2192 enthalpy rotary wheel, highest total effectiveness.';}\r\n        else if(p==='eff'){key='wheel';body='Shared air, heat only, max efficiency \u2192 sensible rotary wheel (80\u201385%).';}\r\n        else if(p==='compact'){key='hp';body='Shared air, heat only, compact\/freeze-tolerant \u2192 heat-pipe core.';}\r\n        else{key='plate';body='Shared air, heat only, cost-first \u2192 sensible plate core.';}\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    var d=P[key];\r\n    document.getElementById('r_t').textContent=d.name;\r\n    document.getElementById('r_b').textContent=body;\r\n    document.getElementById('r_link').href=d.link;\r\n    var ht='';d.tags.forEach(function(x){ht+='<span class=\"tag\">'+x+'<\/span>'});\r\n    document.getElementById('r_tags').innerHTML=ht;\r\n    document.getElementById('rec').classList.add('show');\r\n    document.getElementById('rec').scrollIntoView({behavior:'smooth',block:'nearest'});\r\n  }\r\n  document.getElementById('go').addEventListener('click',recommend);\r\n\r\n<\/script>\n<h2>How to use this tool in a specification<\/h2>\n<p>These results are a first-pass screening aid. Confirm the duty point against certified test data (EN 308 \/ AHRI 1060), the applicable energy code, and the manufacturer datasheet before issuing a purchase specification. For a verified sizing, <a href=\"\/contact-us\/\">send us your airflow and temperatures<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Why not use a rotary wheel for mine or contaminated exhaust?<\/h3>\n<p>A rotary wheel physically carries a slice of exhaust air into the supply stream every revolution. With mine air, dust, fumes or pathogens that means re-entraining contaminants into the fresh-air side. Mines, pharma and contaminated exhaust use a separated core (heat pipe or plate) with zero mixing.<\/p>\n<h3>Why avoid a wheel in data centers?<\/h3>\n<p>Data centers and clean rooms need strict isolation between return and supply and very low maintenance risk. A wheel adds a motor, a seal and a small leakage path. Plate cores or indirect evaporative (IEC) cooling give isolation and predictable pressure with no rotating part.<\/p>\n<h3>Why is drying exhaust recovery plate-only?<\/h3>\n<p>Drying exhaust is hot, humid and often laden with particulates or odors. The goal is sensible heat recovery without moving moisture or contaminants back. A sensible plate core recovers heat with fully separated streams and tolerates the dirty duty.<\/p>\n<h2>Continue reading<\/h2>\n<p>Related: <a href=\"\/tools\/selection-guide\/\">type comparison matrix<\/a>, <a href=\"\/heat-exchanger-selection-by-application\/\">selection by application<\/a>, <a href=\"\/contact-us\/\">request a verified sizing<\/a> &middot; <a href=\"\/tools\/\">all heat recovery tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Answer a few questions about your airflow, temperature range and contamination constraints and the selector returns a recommended core type with the engineering reason behind it. It encodes the boundaries that matter in practice: mines, pharmaceutical cleanrooms and contaminated exhaust need separated cores rather than a rotary wheel; data centres favour plate or indirect evaporative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":5323,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5353","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5353"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5353\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.26yc.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}