Energy Recovery has unveiled a new pressure exchanger designed to improve efficiency and performance in large-scale seawater desalination plants.
The new PX Q650 device increases flow capacity while maintaining the energy efficiency characteristics of the company’s pressure exchanger technology. According to Energy Recovery, the system has been developed to meet the growing scale and performance demands of modern desalination infrastructure.
The technology forms part of the company’s PX Pressure Exchanger product range used in reverse osmosis desalination systems worldwide.
The PX Q650 offers a flow range between 250 and 650 gallons per minute, representing a significant increase compared with previous models. This higher capacity allows desalination facilities to operate with fewer energy recovery devices, reducing the footprint of energy recovery systems within desalination plants.
Energy recovery technology in desalination plants
Pressure exchanger technology plays a critical role in improving the energy efficiency of reverse osmosis desalination systems.
The PX Q650 uses an isobaric energy recovery process that transfers pressure energy from the high-pressure brine stream leaving the membrane system to incoming seawater.
This process significantly reduces the amount of additional pumping energy required for reverse osmosis treatment.
Energy Recovery states that its PX technology can reduce the energy consumption of desalination plants by up to 60 percent compared with systems without energy recovery.
The device uses a simple design with a single moving component manufactured from alumina ceramic. This approach is intended to deliver long operational lifetimes, minimal maintenance requirements and lower lifecycle costs.
The system has a design life of approximately 30 years and requires no scheduled maintenance.
Higher efficiency and reduced mixing
The PX Q650 delivers peak efficiency levels of up to 99 percent, while volumetric mixing levels can be as low as two percent.
Low mixing between the high-pressure brine stream and the incoming seawater helps maintain system efficiency and reduces overall energy demand within desalination plants.
The increased flow capacity of the device also allows plant designers to use fewer pressure exchangers within a treatment train, helping reduce system complexity and infrastructure requirements.
Energy Recovery says the system also offers a wide operating range, allowing desalination facilities to operate effectively under varying flow conditions.
Alongside the launch of the PX Q650, the company has also expanded its warranty programme for high-pressure PX pressure exchangers.
Ceramic components are now backed by a 10-year warranty, while device performance is covered by a four-year warranty for products shipped from March 2026.
