Membrane technologies now offer an energy and cost-effective way to meet regulations requiring minimal liquid discharge (MLD) and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) for wastewater treatment. By employing energy recovery devices, those savings can be compounded while preserving system reliability and operability.
Along with the Ultra High-Pressure Series (U Series), our PX® Pressure Exchangers®, turbochargers, and pumps offer a full slate of energy recovery devices that cover a range of pressure levels and flow rates to accommodate any size plant, or multiple stages of a membrane-based wastewater treatment system. These devices are able to capture lost energy and recycle it back into the system to increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs and emissions.
The Pressure Exchanger® is the market leader in energy saving devices for the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination industry, with over 25,000 PX devices installed in over 100 countries over the last 30 years. Our customers in SWRO save approximately $5.9 billion in energy costs each year, and the PX can offer the same energy saving benefits for wastewater treatment facilities.
Operating at pressures of up to 120 bar (1740 psi), the U Series brings the benefits of the PX to ultra high-pressure reverse osmosis systems.
PX and U Series benefits
- Up to 98%* of the wasted energy is recovered
- Up to 60% energy savings from recovering wasted energy
- Up to 60% reduction in high-pressure pump size
*PX has peak efficiency of up to 98%, U Series has peak efficiency of up to 93%
The PX and U Series have a simple design with just one moving part and no controls or electronics to boost reliability, making them easy to install and scale. They require no scheduled maintenance to maximize facility uptime and are effective under a wide range of operating conditions, providing efficiency and savings even as flow rate, pressure, or salinity levels change.
Combined with our Turbochargers, which provide energy recovery for low-pressure stages, and our UHP Pump, which is designed to work in conjunction with the U Series, our range of energy recovery products can provide benefits for any membrane-based wastewater treatment facility.
Energy Recovery Devices
U Series
Energy Recovery’s U Series energy recovery device for ultra high-pressure reverse osmosis (UHPRO) wastewater treatment dramatically reduces the energy needs, costs, and emissions associated with treating wastewater discharge with UHPRO.
PX Pressure Exchanger
Our flagship PX technology is the most efficient and reliable energy recovery solution for desalination on the market.
Low Pressure Solutions
Designed for low pressure applications such as potable, non-potable, agricultural, and industrial reuse, Energy Recovery’s LP PX Pressure Exchanger and LPT Turbocharger offer substantial energy savings and ease of integration.
UHP Pump
The UHP Circulation Pump can be paired with our U Series for an end-to-end energy recovery solution that maximizes efficiency and cost savings.
PX for Process Innovators
This program promotes new innovations using PX technology at the R&D, pilot, demonstration, and first reference stages.
Industry Applications
- Lithium Mining
- Lithium Battery Manufacturing
- Textiles
- Green Hydrogen
- Landfill Leachate
- Semiconductors
- Produced Water
- Power Plants
- Food & Beverage
- Water Reuse
- Coal-to-Chemicals
- Chemicals
- Resource Recovery
- High Recovery
Lithium and Lithium-ion Industries
While demand is only increasing for lithium and lithium-ion batteries, lithium mining and battery production can be extremely resource intensive. It requires vast amounts of energy, land, and time, and increasing regulations now mandate these operations also treat their wastewater.
Textile Industry
The textile industry is one of the largest consumers of water in the world, producing 4.6 billion tons of wastewater each year. That vast quantity of water – saturated with chemicals, dyes, and solids – presents a significant threat to local waterways and a major cost for textile manufacturers.
Water Reuse
As water scarcity becomes a pressing issue in many regions around the world, there is a growing recognition that we need to make the most of available water resources. Water reuse helps to alleviate the strain on freshwater sources and reduces our reliance on sources such as groundwater and storm capture, which are impacted by climate change and drought.
Coal to Chemical (CTX)
The coal-to-chemicals (CTX) industry plays a significant role in chemical production when traditional oil and gas is not readily available or is too expensive to import. But CTX and coal-to-olefins (CTO) are also highly water intensive processes. In China alone, the water footprint from existing and planned CTX facilities is projected to reach more than 3 billion cubic meters of water per year, and many of these facilities are located in areas that are already struggling to meet demands for water.
Resource Recovery
In water and wastewater treatment, the goal is to remove minerals, salts, and pollutants to produce clean water that is suitable for drinking, agriculture, industrial applications, or to return to the environment. The brine that gets leftover needs to be safely disposed of, sometimes at a significant cost.
