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The idea is "countercurrent exchange": the incoming air and outgoing air travel in opposite directions through the heat exchanger. The result is that most of the heat gets transferred.

At the end of the exchanger, the warmed incoming air is in contact with 70° outgoing air, so it will be at almost 70°. Similarly, the outgoing air will be at almost -10° as it exits.

It will probably make more sense if you look at the diagram: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countercurrent_exchange




Fun fact: "An example of countercurrent heat exchange occurs in the feet of penguins, in which heat from blood in the arteries supplying the feet is transferred to blood returning to the body's core in veins that lie close to these arteries."




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