CO2 Transcritical Compressor Patent Snapshot 2026
The CO2 transcritical compressor patent space is a compact, highly concentrated niche dominated by Chinese academic institutions, with Xi’an Jiaotong University holding the largest share and activity having eased sharply from its 2019–2020 peak. A single German commercial entrant, Bitzer, signals nascent industrial interest but the overall field remains research-led and geographically narrow.
Xi’an Jiaotong University leads a tightly held, research-driven field
Xi’an Jiaotong University holds the top position with 3 patent records, followed by Tianjin University of Commerce, Zhongke Tanlen (Wuxi) High-Tech Co., and Yanyuan Depu Technology (Beijing), each with 2 patent records — together these four account for the bulk of activity among the eight active filers identified.
The top five filers account for 77% of the combined total of the ranked applicants visible in this query, indicating an exceptionally concentrated field with a steep drop-off after the leading quartet. The remaining applicants each hold a single patent record, reinforcing the tier gap.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | 3 | |
| 2 | Tianjin University of Commerce | 2 | |
| 3 | Zhongke Tanlen (Wuxi) High-Tech Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 4 | Yanyuan Depu Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 5 | Bitzer Kuehlmaschinenbau GmbH | 1 | |
| 6 | Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute | 1 | |
| 7 | Tianjin University | 1 | |
| 8 | Shandong Shenzhou Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd. | 1 |
The dominance of university and research-institute applicants suggests the technology is still primarily in the knowledge-creation phase rather than commercial deployment, creating an opening for industrial players willing to file systematic patent portfolios.
The most recent filing years are subject to publication lag and should be interpreted cautiously; apparent inactivity in 2025–2026 does not necessarily reflect a true absence of new work. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2019–2020 and has since eased; refrigeration dominates the technology mix
The annual filing trend and the IPC technology composition together reveal a field that burst into activity around 2019 and has since contracted, with refrigeration and heat-pump applications accounting for the overwhelming majority of disclosed work.
Annual filing trend
Filings reached their peak in 2019 and 2020 (3 patent records each), dipped to 2 in 2021, and then dropped to zero in 2022–2023 before a single record each appeared in 2024 and 2025. The most recent two years are subject to publication lag, so zero or low counts in 2025–2026 should not be taken as definitive evidence of cessation.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
F25B (Refrigeration & heat pumps) is visible in with 13 patent records, far ahead of all other branches. Food preservation (A23B, A23L) each carry 2 records, while water treatment, positive-displacement pumps, air conditioning, fluid heaters, drying, and power supply each carry a single record — illustrating both the core focus and the sparse adjacent branches.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Precooler-based transcritical co2 heat pump system…
The present disclosures discloses a precooler-based transcritical CO<sub>2 </sub>heat pump system and a control method of a waterway two-way valve thereof, in which a transcritical CO<sub>2 </sub>heat pump system is assisted by a precooler system. A circulating waterway is divided into two parts in the system through a three-way diversion valve and a… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种适用于寒冷地区的补气增焓CO<sub>2</sub>部分复叠热泵 | 15 |
| 2 | Precooler-based transcritical co2 heat pump system… | 13 |
| 3 | 一种新型太阳能光伏发电为辅助动力的跨临界CO2热泵系统 | 6 |
| 4 | 一种多级蒸发冷凝机械过冷跨临界CO<sub>2</sub>中高温热泵系统 | 5 |
| 5 | 用于食品加工的热泵冷热联供系统 | 3 |
| 6 | 一种适用于寒冷地区的补气增焓CO<base:Sub>2</base:Sub>部分复叠热泵 | 3 |
| 7 | 一种多级蒸发冷凝机械过冷跨临界CO2中高温热泵系统 | 2 |
| 8 | 一种高温CO2空气源热泵的隔离病房排风系统 | 1 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Xi’an Jiaotong University
Xi’an Jiaotong University leads with 3 patent records concentrated entirely within F25B — covering refrigeration cycle control (F25B30), fluid management (F25B41), and system protection (F25B49). Its sustained focus on heat-pump system architecture positions it as the primary knowledge source in the field, though its momentum data is not separately flagged in the evidence, consistent with an established academic filer.
patent records: 3Bitzer Kuehlmaschinenbau GmbH
Bitzer holds 1 patent record and is the only applicant flagged as a new entrant in the momentum data. Its technology focus spans F04B positive-displacement pumps and F25B31 refrigeration machinery — reflecting compressor hardware rather than system-level design — which distinguishes it from the university filers. As the sole European industrial player, Bitzer’s entry signals that commercial compressor manufacturers are beginning to engage with this niche.
patent records: 1Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 10 patent families in scope. The corpus is small, reflecting the niche and research-led nature of the field.
Xi’an Jiaotong University holds the most, with 3 patent records, followed by Tianjin University of Commerce, Zhongke Tanlen (Wuxi) High-Tech, and Yanyuan Depu Technology (Beijing), each with 2 patent records.
The field is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from a peak in 2019. Note that the most recent one to two years are subject to publication lag and may not yet fully reflect new filings.
China is the visible jurisdiction with 11 patent records, followed by the United States with 2. No European or Japanese filings are present in the evidence, which is notable given those regions’ industrial strength in CO2 refrigeration.
Bitzer Kuehlmaschinenbau GmbH is the only established commercial compressor manufacturer identified, flagged as a new entrant with 1 patent record focused on positive-displacement pump and refrigeration machinery classes.
Five branches each carry only a single patent record and a 4% share: water and wastewater treatment (C02F), positive-displacement pump design (F04B), air conditioning and ventilation (F24F), fluid and water heaters (F24H), and drying (F26B). These represent areas of relative sparsity adjacent to the visible F25B refrigeration core.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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