{"id":271073,"date":"2021-06-10T15:32:23","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T12:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/generating-energy-from-salt-concentration-differences-between-sea-water-and-river-water\/"},"modified":"2021-06-10T15:32:23","modified_gmt":"2021-06-10T12:32:23","slug":"generating-energy-from-salt-concentration-differences-between-sea-water-and-river-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/generating-energy-from-salt-concentration-differences-between-sea-water-and-river-water\/","title":{"rendered":"#Generating energy from salt concentration differences between sea water and river water"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Generating energy from salt concentration differences between sea water and river water<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Generating
\n The blue energy test plant on the Afsluitdijk. Credit: Redstack
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Generating energy from the difference in salt concentration between sea water and river water sounds like magic, yet it really works! Blue energy, as this rather obscure form of sustainable power is commonly known, has huge potential. In theory, an average river could produce as much blue energy as a hydropower plant generating power using a waterfall 142 meters in height! Ph.D. researcher Diego Pintossi has developed new ways of understanding and solving the problem of dirt clogging up the membranes used in generating blue energy. He will defend his thesis on Friday June 11th at TU\/e.<\/p>\n

Blue energy uses a technology<\/a> known as reverse electrodialysis (RED) in which the positively and negatively charged salt ions present in river and sea water move through membranes called ion exchange membranes. This movement of charge generates electrical power.<\/p>\n

The whole process is based on the idea that sea water has lots of salt and river water very little. We can use the differences in salt concentrations between the liquids to generate electricity. Reverse electrodialysis, as the name suggests, use the same process as electrodialysis, a technology commonly used to clean or desalinate water, but in the reverse order. <\/p>\n

Stacking up the power<\/b><\/p>\n

The mixing of water flows containing different salt concentrations is a spontaneous process due to entropy. Think of it as nature spontaneously seeking to create a state of equilibrium,” explains researcher Diego Pintossi, who is part of the Membrane Materials and Processes group of professor Kitty Nijmeijer and did his research at Wetsus, a European research center for sustainable water technology based in Leeuwarden.<\/p>\n

“By placing membranes between the two flows, you can select which salt ions are exchanged between the solutions. In this case, we use two membranes (see image): one membrane transports negatively charged chlorine anions (Cl-) and the other transports positively-charged sodium cations (Na+). The membranes are placed in stacks, just as in fuel cells, so that the individual voltage differences can be combined to produce sufficient electricity.”<\/p>\n

Blue energy is renewable and less susceptible to daily fluctuations like solar and wind, but the cost of membranes has so far held up widespread adoption of the technology. However, in recent years, there have been some exciting developments in the field. In 2014, the world’s first demo pilot<\/a> (50 kW) was launched at the Afsluitdijk using water from the (salty) Waddenzee and the (freshwater) IJsselmeer.<\/p>\n


\n