Osmotic Renewable Energy: A New Way To Generate Electricity
The world has now started to rise from the ashes of artificial urbanization and ready to go green with the bio-compatible substances that are mostly under research or have received commercialization touch. Fundamental or application based, the brand new technology is believed to be the exclusive ambassador of the next generation. As a matter of fact, different research institutes have already published thousands of papers, each one, trying to improve the quality and usability of their million dollar ideas.
A group of scientists from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has recently unveiled their work that is related to clean energy and carved a new path for osmotic power alongside solar, wind and hydro power. More accurately, the potential of their research is inspired by our nature and it shows how energy could be evolved when fresh water meets sea water with the help of a membrane. The team comprising of nanoscale biology department members have created a one of a kind energy generation system with a 3 atom thick semipermeable membrane in the middle of fluids with different salt concentrations.
The system set-up
If the experiment is carried out between sea water and fresh water then the salt ions from sea water pass through the membrane channel to reach fresh water until the system reaches equilibrium condition. As such the method is osmosis, and with the help of ion transfer electricity could be harnessed if applied and controlled maintaining certain parameters.
EPFL scientists have designed a two compartment system, in which one is filled with sea water and another with fresh water. In the middle a nano-porous membrane is stitched. While salt ions pass through the channel, the electrons are ported to an electrode, the key element to devise electricity. Owing to the membrane’s property, the positive ions are pushed through whereas negative ions were driven away, this action maintains a certain voltage in two different compartments which ultimately generates electricity.
The team revealed that the pore structure was very important for them to decide as larger or smaller than the accurate size would have complicated the process and might cease the system from running. The membrane is made of molybdenum disulfide and depending on its thinner structure, electricity increases.
Application wise, it produces a huge impact with 1MW of electricity if passed through 1 m^2 membrane featuring 30% of its surface covered with pores. Plus the membrane is easy to reproduce with chemical vapor deposition. The greater challenge is to scale up the performance which could be realized, incorporating uniform pores. According to the team, if the system could be further developed then it will soon be a potential form of renewable energy. The complete research was published in Nature.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#
A group of scientists from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has recently unveiled their work that is related to clean energy and carved a new path for osmotic power alongside solar, wind and hydro power. More accurately, the potential of their research is inspired by our nature and it shows how energy could be evolved when fresh water meets sea water with the help of a membrane. The team comprising of nanoscale biology department members have created a one of a kind energy generation system with a 3 atom thick semipermeable membrane in the middle of fluids with different salt concentrations.
The system set-up
EPFL scientists have designed a two compartment system, in which one is filled with sea water and another with fresh water. In the middle a nano-porous membrane is stitched. While salt ions pass through the channel, the electrons are ported to an electrode, the key element to devise electricity. Owing to the membrane’s property, the positive ions are pushed through whereas negative ions were driven away, this action maintains a certain voltage in two different compartments which ultimately generates electricity.
The team revealed that the pore structure was very important for them to decide as larger or smaller than the accurate size would have complicated the process and might cease the system from running. The membrane is made of molybdenum disulfide and depending on its thinner structure, electricity increases.
Application wise, it produces a huge impact with 1MW of electricity if passed through 1 m^2 membrane featuring 30% of its surface covered with pores. Plus the membrane is easy to reproduce with chemical vapor deposition. The greater challenge is to scale up the performance which could be realized, incorporating uniform pores. According to the team, if the system could be further developed then it will soon be a potential form of renewable energy. The complete research was published in Nature.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#
Replies
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SREENIDHI THACHOLIMam can you give me more information about this -
Debasmita BanerjeeHi Sreenidhi,
Could you please elaborate your specific query?
As for the paper, you can find the research work in the source mentioned at the end of the article. -
SREENIDHI THACHOLI
First of all Iam sorry that Iam interested in the topic because one of it's reason is that your idea matches with the topic of my tech fest-Energy technologies .But it's really interesting.My query is that whether we could materialise the idea by overcoming the barriers of cost ,reliability .Is it a little tough to convince the idea and make it happen.Debasmita BanerjeeHi Sreenidhi,
Could you please elaborate your specific query?
As for the paper, you can find the research work in the source mentioned at the end of the article.
And last may I with your permission borrow the essence of your idea. -
Debasmita BanerjeeHello again,
Please don't apologize for your enthusiasm. If you would like to use any idea from the given news as an author I do not have any problem with that. In fact, I would join a conference next month where I would like to present similar models having a slight reference to this one. Cost effectiveness is currently the main catch of any green project. If you already compare with the thermal power plants osmotic power could be the next source we are looking for as it does take a pretty less quantity of investment. But, it's a complete "New" thing, so to avail modifications you first need to understand the whole concept. According to me, its possible to reduce the cost further but yes you need to burn your brain to use the stuffs around you. Maybe for membrain you can think of a dried leaf skeleton segregated from the leaf.
But as you can see, I am just a mere reporter/ science populariser who is directly not associated with the research project mentioned above. However, as I understand there will not be any problem if you develop a project based upon the essence of their idea and properly mention them as the key source or inspiration for you to nurture your work.
PS. Please do not bother to be formal, call me by my first name. I am just a normal student. -
SREENIDHI THACHOLI
Ok Thank you DebasmitaDebasmita BanerjeeHello again,
Please don't apologize for your enthusiasm. If you would like to use any idea from the given news as an author I do not have any problem with that. In fact, I would join a conference next month where I would like to present similar models having a slight reference to this one. Cost effectiveness is currently the main catch of any green project. If you already compare with the thermal power plants osmotic power could be the next source we are looking for as it does take a pretty less quantity of investment. But, it's a complete "New" thing, so to avail modifications you first need to understand the whole concept. According to me, its possible to reduce the cost further but yes you need to burn your brain to use the stuffs around you. Maybe for membrain you can think of a dried leaf skeleton segregated from the leaf.
But as you can see, I am just a mere reporter/ science populariser who is directly not associated with the research project mentioned above. However, as I understand there will not be any problem if you develop a project based upon the essence of their idea and properly mention them as the key source or inspiration for you to nurture your work.
PS. Please do not bother to be formal, call me by my first name. I am just a normal student. -
Aishik BiswasVery nice read!
You are reading an archived discussion.
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