An evaluation of membrane properties and process characteristics of a scaled-up pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) process

YesThis work presents a systematic evaluation of the membrane and process characteristics of a scaled-up pressure retarded osmosis (PRO). In order to meet pre-defined membrane economic viability ( ≥ 5 W/m2), different operating conditions and design parameters are studied with respect to the increase of the process scale, including the initial flow rates of the draw and feed solution, operating pressure, membrane permeability-selectivity, structural parameter, and the efficiency of the high-pressure pump (HP), energy recovery device (ERD) and hydro-turbine (HT). The numerical results indicate that the performance of the scaled-up PRO process is significantly dependent on the dimensionless flow rate. Furthermore, with the increase of the specific membrane scale, the accumulated solute leakage becomes important. The membrane to achieve the optimal performance moves to the low permeability in order to mitigate the reverse solute permeation. Additionally, the counter-current flow scheme is capable to increase the process performance with a higher permeable and less selectable membrane compared to the co-current flow scheme. Finally, the inefficiencies of the process components move the optimal APD occurring at a higher dimensionless flow rate to reduce the energy losses in the pressurization and at a higher specific membrane scale to increase energy generation

Influence of Natural Organic Matter Fouling and Osmotic Backwash on Pressure Retarded Osmosis Energy Production from Natural Salinity Gradients

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) has the potential to produce clean, renewable energy from natural salinity gradients. However, membrane fouling can lead to diminished water flux productivity, thus reducing the extractable energy. This study investigates organic fouling and osmotic backwash cleaning in PRO and the resulting impact on projected power generation. Fabricated thin-film composite membranes were fouled with model river water containing natural organic matter. The water permeation carried foulants from the feed river water into the membrane porous support layer and caused severe water flux decline of ∼46%. Analysis of the water flux behavior revealed three phases in membrane support layer fouling. Initial foulants of the first fouling phase quickly adsorbed at the active-support layer interface and caused a significantly greater increase in hydraulic resistance than the subsequent second and third phase foulants. The water permeability of the fouled membranes was lowered by ∼39%, causing ∼26% decrease in projected power density. A brief, chemical-free osmotic backwash was demonstrated to be effective in removing foulants from the porous support layer, achieving ∼44% recovery in projected power density. The substantial performance recovery after cleaning was attributed to the partial restoration of the membrane water permeability. This study shows that membrane fouling detrimentally impacts energy production, and highlights the potential strategies to mitigate fouling in PRO power generation with natural salinity gradients

Osmotic Engine : Translating Osmotic Pressure into Macroscopic Mechanical Force via Poly(Acrylic Acid) Based Hydrogels

Poly(acrylic acid)-based hydrogels can swell up to 100-1000 times their own weight in desalinated water due to osmotic forces. As the swelling is about a factor of 2-12 lower in seawater-like saline solutions (4.3 wt% NaCl) than in deionized water, cyclic swelling, and shrinking can potentially be used to move a piston in an osmotic motor. Consequently, chemical energy is translated into mechanical energy. This conversion is driven by differences in chemical potential and by changes in entropy. This is special, as most thermodynamic engines rely instead on the conversion of heat into mechanical energy. To optimize the efficiency of this process, the degree of neutralization, the degree of crosslinking, and the particle size of the hydrogels are varied. Additionally, different osmotic engine prototypes are constructed. The maximum mean power of 0.23 W kg$^{-1}$ dry hydrogel is found by using an external load of 6 kPa, a polymer with 1.7 mol% crosslinking, a degree of neutralization of 10 mol%, and a particle size of 370-670 μm. As this is achieved only in the first round of optimization, higher values of the maximum power average over one cycle seem realistic