Summary:
In this recent new research, it is revealed the benefits of harnessing energy that is created from the salinity gradients, with impacts across climate change, fossil fuel reliance and the global desalination industry. Dr Helfer and Professor Lemckert, from Griffith University investigates into the potential salinity gradients energy, which is released when waters with different salinities mix with one another. The efficacy of PRO (Pressure Retarded Osmosis) as a carbon emission-free process to extract and implement this energy. This PRO technology comprises a semi-permeable membrane that allows water flows with different salt contents to separate, which creates a solution that once depressurised via a turbine it produces electrical energy.The implementation of PRO has been long hampered due to the issues of cost and quality, but rising energy prices and growing acknowledgment of the potential impact of climate change have brought PRO and salinity gradient energy into renewed focus. Dr Helfer says "Even taking into account the current inefficiencies of PRO, and based on the power generated under laboratory conditions and published by other institutions, a mixture of seawater and brine could generate power in a PRO plant adjacent to desalination plant". Another thing that was said was that this power will be used in desalination process mean while the PRO plant will use the reject brine as the draw solution and seawater as the feed solution.
Reflection:
Saving energy is what we need to do in order to reduce the usage of fossil fuels. I found this article interesting because instead of relying so much on fossil fuels for energy, researches on how to solve that have been begun. I didn't know what Pressure Retarded Osmosis was until reading this article, I've learned that what this is it's a carbon emission-free process that can extract and implement energy. Who knew that this PRO technology could help us provide energy without the reliance of fossil fuels. We have moved from coal to gases to provide us with energy; now we're moving to fresh and sea water..
In this recent new research, it is revealed the benefits of harnessing energy that is created from the salinity gradients, with impacts across climate change, fossil fuel reliance and the global desalination industry. Dr Helfer and Professor Lemckert, from Griffith University investigates into the potential salinity gradients energy, which is released when waters with different salinities mix with one another. The efficacy of PRO (Pressure Retarded Osmosis) as a carbon emission-free process to extract and implement this energy. This PRO technology comprises a semi-permeable membrane that allows water flows with different salt contents to separate, which creates a solution that once depressurised via a turbine it produces electrical energy.The implementation of PRO has been long hampered due to the issues of cost and quality, but rising energy prices and growing acknowledgment of the potential impact of climate change have brought PRO and salinity gradient energy into renewed focus. Dr Helfer says "Even taking into account the current inefficiencies of PRO, and based on the power generated under laboratory conditions and published by other institutions, a mixture of seawater and brine could generate power in a PRO plant adjacent to desalination plant". Another thing that was said was that this power will be used in desalination process mean while the PRO plant will use the reject brine as the draw solution and seawater as the feed solution.
Reflection:
Saving energy is what we need to do in order to reduce the usage of fossil fuels. I found this article interesting because instead of relying so much on fossil fuels for energy, researches on how to solve that have been begun. I didn't know what Pressure Retarded Osmosis was until reading this article, I've learned that what this is it's a carbon emission-free process that can extract and implement energy. Who knew that this PRO technology could help us provide energy without the reliance of fossil fuels. We have moved from coal to gases to provide us with energy; now we're moving to fresh and sea water..