How the PX G1300® Pressure Exchanger Simplifies Energy Efficiency for CO2 Refrigeration

Visit Energy Recovery at booth 7A-270 to learn how the award-winning PX G1300® pressure exchanger can improve year-round CO2 system performance by reducing energy costs and increasing cooling capacity.

What is the PX G1300?

The PX G1300 is a revolutionary application of pressure exchanger technology that provides energy-saving benefits to high-pressure CO₂ systems. Energy Recovery’s PX® Pressure Exchanger® first entered the market over 30 years ago as an energy-saving solution for the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination industry. Since then, pressure exchangers have made the SWRO treatment process commercially viable by reducing the energy consumption of a SWRO desalination system by as much as 60%.

How the PX G1300 Works

When integrated into a CO₂ system, the PX G1300 reduces flash gas by delivering more liquid and less vapor to the flash tank. The PX G1300 pressure exchanger is a positive displacement compressor. It acts as a fluid piston, efficiently transferring energy between high-pressure and low-pressure liquid and gas through continuously rotating ducts. In other words, it captures energy in the system that would otherwise be lost and reintroduces it to the system.

A pressure exchanger has two fluid flow paths through a highly engineered ceramic rotor. The first is the motive fluid flow path, and the second is the driven fluid path. The motive fluid comes in at the highest pressure inside the PX G1300, while the driven fluid enters from the other side at a lower pressure. The motive fluid enters the system, pressurizes the driven fluid to high pressure, and then leaves the rotor as a low-pressure fluid. The driven fluid is then compressed or pumped to a higher pressure due to energy exchange with the motive fluid.

Diagram of the funtionality of the PX G1300

An easy way to think about the PX G1300 pressure exchanger is that there is an expansion and compressor side. The expansion side acts like the high-pressure valve to control the gas cooler pressure and create liquid CO₂ that can be used in the cooling process. The compressor side can compress CO₂ from anywhere in the system to a higher pressure.

Unlike other components that necessitate precise phase-specific operation conditions, the PX G1300 can accommodate a broader range of flow variations due to its ability to accept liquid, gas, and oil. Because the PX G1300 does not require oil for lubrication, it can also run at much lower speeds than a standard compressor, enabling a much greater operating range than valves and compressors.

PX G1300® Pressure Exchanger of Energy Recovery

Throughout multiple years of development and testing, the PX G1300 has also proved it can reliably control the gas cooler pressure from subcritical to supercritical pressures. Pressure exchangers provide compression and expansion, so they can function as a compressor and high-pressure valve within a CO₂ system to reduce compressor workload.

Adaptable to diverse system architectures, the PX G1300 boosts the coefficient of performance (COP) across virtually all transcritical CO₂ systems, and its modular design can scale capacity for various application sizes.

Because the PX G1300 uses pressure to provide compression, it also equips CO₂ systems to manage heatwaves and run at peak efficiency year-round. This allows supermarkets to save on high energy bills and protect systems during heat waves without using water.

Awarded prestigious honors such as the RAC Cooling Award’s Product of the Year (in collaboration with Epta Group), Atmosphere's Innovation of the Year Award, ACR News Refrigeration Product of the Year, and C&R Madrid’s Innovation Gallery, the PX G1300 pressure exchanger is a game-changing innovation for CO₂ refrigeration.

PX G1300 Benefits for CO₂ Refrigeration

Lift COP in both transcritical and subcritical modes to lower emissions associated with operating the system.
Reduce risk of high-pressure discharge failure with increased high-temperature rack stability and cooling capacity.
Can reduce or eliminate water usage.
Uses minimal power due to its primarily mechanical design.
A customized module is available to easily integrate the PX G1300 into new and existing CO₂ refrigeration systems, featuring a compact footprint and as few as two mechanical connections.

About Energy Recovery

Energy Recovery (Nasdaq: ERII) is a trusted global leader and supplier of energy efficiency technology, ranked by EcoVadis in the top third of the manufacturing industry for sustainability practices. Building on our gold-standard pressure exchanger technology platform, we design and manufacture reliable, high-performance solutions that generate cost savings, increase energy efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions in CO₂ refrigeration and other industries. The PX G1300® is an innovative application of our leading PX® Pressure Exchanger® that offers a simple and cost-effective energy saving solution for CO₂ refrigeration, easing the transition to sustainable refrigeration.

Learn More About the PX G1300 and Energy Recovery

Visit booth 7A-270 to learn more about the PX G1300 and how it can integrate into your application. Join our presentation on October 9 from 12:20 – 12:40 at booth 7A-638, "Retrofitting CO2 Systems for Heatwave Resilience with the PX G1300 Pressure Exchanger".