Energy Recovery, Inc. (Energy Recovery), a US-based provider of energy recovery products for desalination industry, has launched the PX-300 device to the company’s portfolio of PX Pressure Exchanger (PX) technology. Designed to reduce energy usage and related costs, the new PX-300 device will handle flow rates of 300 gallons per minute (68 m3/hour) per device. The modular, standardized design will allow the PX-300 to be used in the world’s largest desalination plants.
Energy Recovery’s PX devices will improve the energy efficiency of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) by up to 60%, making desalination a cost-effective solution for clean water supply. The new PX devices also reduce the carbon footprint of desalination, saving more than 700 MW of energy and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 2.3 million tons per year worldwide. More than 6,700 PX devices are currently deployed or under contract to be installed at desalination plants across the globe.
“As SWRO desalination continues to gain global acceptance to address worldwide water shortages, continuous technology advances are required to meet energy efficiency and plant reliability requirements,” said Dr. Richard Stover, chief technical officer at Energy Recovery. “ERI is leading a global effort to make seawater desalination affordable. Our energy recovery devices are the established market leaders, driven by our engineering, manufacturing expertise and dedication to meeting customer demand. The PX-300 device represents the latest in innovation while maintaining the high performance, elegant design and ease of implementation consistent in all of our products.”
Built on the same engineering principles as Energy Recovery’s standard PX product family, including the PX-220 and the PX-260, the PX-300 device delivers a efficient, scalable solution for mid-size and large desalination plants that need premium performance in a larger device. In addition, the PX-300 device features the latest side-port housing technology to provide better unit performance and enhanced corrosion resistance. The PX-300 will enhance Energy Recovery’s portfolio of energy recovery products. Benefits include:
Unmatched Performance: The PX-300 device will operate at up to 98% efficiency and its performance will not decrease over time. The new product also achieves a significant reduction in mixing compared to the PX-220 and PX-260 devices, enhancing desalination system performance and improving efficiency by reducing membrane feed pressure.
Smooth Startup and Operation: Like all of Energy Recovery’s PX devices, the PX-300 will operate without the pulsations and water hammer caused by competing isobaric energy recovery devices. These pulsations have been known to complicate and delay plant startups and may damage plant structures, compromise peripheral desalination equipment and/or adversely affect plant safety. In contrast, hundreds of SWRO plants around the world have started up with PX technology without delays or pulsation-related equipment performance problems.
Minimal Footprint: The overall footprint associated with installing a PX-300 device is six times smaller than competing isobaric-device installations, saving valuable plant floor space. The PX-300 unit also weighs just over 80 kilograms and does not require any special foundation or other support structure, helping to minimize the overall footprint and installation cost of a desalination plant.
Virtually Maintenance Free: The PX-300 device, like all of Energy Recovery’s solutions, has just one moving part and requires no electricity or direct control system. PX rotors float on hydrodynamic bearings that do not exhibit wear over long device lives. With wrought metal ports, the PX-300 device provides optimal corrosion resistance. This simple yet elegant design requires no periodic maintenance, making the PX-300 device constantly available and reducing costly system downtime.
Highly Scalable Design: Like all of Energy Recovery’s PX models, the PX-300 device will offers a modular design that can scale quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. The PX devices are standard models that require no customization and can be installed in any orientation. This plug-and-play system is ideal for new construction as well as for retrofitting or expanding existing plants.