Expansion technology for industrial heat pumps & refrigeration
Your expansion valve destroys work. Ours recovers it.
Every vapour-compression system throttles high-pressure refrigerant across an expansion valve, and every one of them turns that pressure energy into nothing but heat. Expantec replaces the valve with an expander that recovers the work instead — and gives you electronic control over the expansion process.
A dramatically higher COP — how much depends on your system. Try the calculator.
The problem
Electrifying industrial heat is stalling on efficiency
Manufacturing, food processing and chemical production still run on gas-fired heat. Heat pumps can replace it — but only where the numbers work.
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Energy costs
At today's efficiencies, electrification often raises the operating bill instead of lowering it. The business case fails before the engineering starts.
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Grid congestion
Every additional kilowatt of demand competes for a connection that, in much of the Netherlands, is already full. Efficiency is capacity.
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Climate targets
Industrial heat is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and the deadlines are fixed. Incremental gains are no longer enough.
The solution
An expander where the throttle used to be
Throttling is the one step in the cycle that produces nothing. We replace it with a controlled expansion device that turns that pressure drop into recovered work.
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Lower operating cost
Recovered work is work the compressor no longer has to do. Less electricity for the same delivered heat or cooling, every hour the plant runs.
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Retrofit-ready
It goes where the expansion valve goes. Existing installations keep their compressor, heat exchangers and refrigerant charge.
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Electronically controlled
Expansion is governed by our own control electronics, so it is matched to the operating point rather than fixed by a mechanical setting.
Read how expansion work recovery works, 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 expander 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.
Savings calculator
How much COP could you gain?
Pick your refrigerant, switch between cooling and heating, and set your temperature lift and plant. The expander raises the COP dramatically — 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.
| Refrigerant | Duty | Lift | Baseline COP | With expander | Cost 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 |
Results
That combination is outside the modelled range for this refrigerant. Adjust the temperature lift.
- – Cost saving €/yr
- – Electricity saved MWh/yr
Sends us this scenario. We reply with an honest first estimate.
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 expander, 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 expander 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.
Where we are
Proven on the bench and in a pilot, patented, and funded
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Oct 2024 – Mar 2025
Proof-of-concept of the Multiphase Pressure Exchanger built and successfully tested.
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June 2025
Won the TU Delft Impact Contest.
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September 2025
Took up residence at the Yes!Delft incubator; founders full-time.
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October 2025
Patent filed with Arnold & Siedsma to protect the technology.
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November 2025
€240,000 raised from ASIF Ventures and TN Ventures.
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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
Tell us about your installation
Cold store, process cooling or high-temperature heat — send us your operating envelope and we will tell you honestly whether an expander is worth your time.