Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Osmotic Power



This video is about a prototype osmotic power plant in Norway. The principal is basically the opposite of a reverse osmosis desalination plant. In the power plant, fresh water from a river and salt water from the ocean are placed on either side of an osmotic membrane in a pressure vessel. The fresh water diffuses through the membrane creating high pressure on the salt water side equivalent to a head of water about 120 ft high. This pressurized water is released through a nozzle creating a jet of water used to drive a water turbine and coupled generator. Improved membrane technology is what is renewing interest in this unique approach to carbon-free power generation.

The original lead was from a recent article in Renewable Energy World.

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