For industrial refrigeration and heat pumps

Your expansion valve destroys work. Ours recovers it.

In every vapour-compression system, the expansion valve turns pressure energy into heat that does nothing. Expantec® recovers that loss with one component that takes the valve's place. Compressor, heat exchangers and refrigerant charge stay where they are, so you invest in one component, not in a new installation.

A higher COP, same installation — how much depends on your system. The calculator shows it for your operating point.

Request a quote Calculate your saving
Vapour-compression cycle with the Expantec® pressure exchanger in place of the expansion valve A refrigeration loop: compressor, condenser, expansion device and evaporator. In a conventional system the expansion valve throttles the refrigerant and destroys the pressure energy as heat. The Expantec® pressure exchanger replaces it and recovers that energy as useful work. Heat out Heat in Condenser Evaporator Compressor Expantec® pressure exchanger replaces the expansion valve Recovered work to the compressor High pressure Low pressure
The same cycle, one component changed. The pressure exchanger sits where the expansion valve sits today, and the work it recovers reduces what the compressor has to supply.

The loss

Your expansion valve wastes energy you have already paid for

The valve drops the refrigerant from condensing to evaporating pressure, and the energy in that pressure difference is lost. The compressor makes up for it. The larger the temperature lift, the larger the loss.

  • Every operating hour

    The loss is not a one-off. It is on the electricity bill for every hour the plant runs, for the whole life of the installation.

  • Every kilowatt of connection

    On a grid connection that is already full, power spent making up for the loss is capacity you cannot use for anything else.

  • The usual fixes are capital projects

    A larger compressor, a new plant or a heavier grid connection all raise output. They also raise the investment, the engineering and the downtime.

The solution

Replace one component, keep the rest

The Expantec® pressure exchanger goes where the expansion valve goes and recovers the energy the valve throws away. The investment is limited to that one component.

  • Limited investment

    Existing installations keep their compressor, heat exchangers and refrigerant charge. You buy one component, not a new system.

  • Lower operating cost

    Recovered energy is energy the compressor no longer has to supply. Less electricity for the same heat or cooling, every hour the plant runs.

  • More output from the same connection

    A higher COP means more heat or cooling for the same electrical input. That is capacity you gain without a heavier grid connection.

The physics of the loss, with the P–h diagram →

Built and tested in Delft

Real hardware, on a real refrigeration loop

The proof-of-concept Multiphase Pressure Exchanger was built and successfully tested between October 2024 and March 2025.

The test rig runs a complete vapour-compression cycle with the pressure exchanger in place of the expansion valve, driven by our own control electronics. Every claim on this site traces back to what happens on that bench.

See the technology
Copper refrigerant piping, brass valves, a filter drier and a blue actuator on the Expantec test rig
Martijn Oortwijn adjusting a valve on the Expantec test rig, seen between two brass valve bodies

Savings calculator

How much COP could you gain?

Pick your refrigerant, switch between cooling and heating, and set your temperature lift and plant. The pressure exchanger raises the COP of the installation you already have. How much depends on your system, so read it off here.

Example results

The interactive calculator needs JavaScript. These example operating points show the order of magnitude the model gives; contact us for a figure for your own installation.

RefrigerantDutyLiftBaseline COPWith pressure exchangerCost saving
Ammonia (R717) 500 kW × 8,000 h/yr 40 K 3.06 3.15 (+3%) €6,940 €/yr
CO₂ (R744, subcritical) 300 kW × 8,000 h/yr 45 K 2.28 2.55 (+12%) €20,360 €/yr
Butane (R600) 1,000 kW × 7,000 h/yr 50 K 3.04 3.41 (+12%) €44,524 €/yr

Natural refrigerants shown. Synthetic refrigerants available on request.

K
kW
h/yr
€/kWh
Baseline COP versus COP with the Expantec® pressure exchanger Baseline With Expantec®
– higher COP
  • – Cost saving €/yr
  • – Electricity saved MWh/yr
Request a quote for this scenario

Sends us this scenario. We reply with a quote, or tell you plainly if it does not pay off for your installation.

How is this calculated?

For each refrigerant we simulate a full subcritical vapour-compression cycle with CoolProp, once with an expansion valve and once with the Expantec® pressure exchanger, and read off the cooling COP. The heating COP is exactly the cooling COP plus one, from the cycle's energy balance. The evaporating temperature is fixed at a representative value for that refrigerant's usual duty; the slider varies the temperature lift to the condenser. The compressor runs at 61% and the pressure exchanger at 80% isentropic efficiency. Electricity for a given duty is capacity × hours ÷ COP, so the cost saving follows from the COP gain.

Indicative only, based on modelled assumptions and a fixed evaporating temperature per refrigerant. Actual results depend on the installation. No guarantee is given or implied.

Track record

Tested on the bench and in a field pilot

  1. Oct 2024 – Mar 2025

    Proof-of-concept of the Multiphase Pressure Exchanger built and successfully tested.

  2. June 2025

    Won the TU Delft Impact Contest.

  3. September 2025

    Took up residence at the Yes!Delft incubator; founders full-time.

  4. October 2025

    Patent filed with Arnold & Siedsma to protect the technology.

  5. November 2025

    €240,000 raised from ASIF Ventures and TN Ventures.

  6. July 2026

    Seven-month retrofit pilot on an office heat pump at The Green Village completed, with IBK and Warmtebouw. Read the case.

Backed by

  • ASIF Ventures
  • TN Ventures
  • Yes!Delft
  • Delft Enterprises
  • TU Delft Impact Contest
Three Expantec team members in front of the glass facade of the Yes!Delft building

The team

Engineers first

Expantec® was founded in Delft in 2024 by a chemical engineer and an operations lead, and grew with a control engineer and a physicist. Small enough to answer the phone, technical enough to argue about your P–h diagram.

Meet the whole team

Request a quote for your installation

Send us your refrigerant, capacity, temperatures and operating hours. An engineer replies with a quote, or tells you plainly if the pressure exchanger does not pay off for your installation.

Request a quote +31 6 1390 7822