August 15, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC
Duration: 50 min
Energy recovery devices (ERDs) capture work that fluid systems would otherwise waste in discharge lines or expansion valves. This presentation offers a concise explanation of ERDs—their working concept and some of the key challenges they face. It focuses on two representative loops: reverse-osmosis desalination, where pressure exchangers and turbochargers reclaim energy from the high-pressure brine reject stream, and CO₂ refrigeration, where throttling valves normally waste the PV work available during expansion. We outline the operating principles behind each device, the hydraulic/thermodynamic losses they target, and the efficiency and cost gains they deliver in practice. The talk highlights shared design principles and key trade-offs, offering a framework for identifying where energy recovery makes the greatest impact across industrial fluid systems.
Senior R&D Engineer
Energy Recovery Inc.
The purpose of this talk is to introduce how energy recovery devices capture otherwise wasted work in industrial fluid systems and improve overall system efficiency. Using reverse-osmosis desalination and CO₂ refrigeration as representative examples, the presentation will explain key ERD operating principles, the losses they target, and the practical efficiency and cost benefits they can deliver.