Power from salt

The principle of Pressure Retarded Osmosis

 

The technology to efficiently produce energy from salt is called Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO). This osmotic process requires a constant stream of saltwater, preferably saturated brine, a stream of freshwater, and a semipermeable membrane to separate these two streams. A semipermeable membrane is a membrane which only allows some components to pass through, in this case the membrane allows water molecules to pass through, but not salt. The concept hinges on the natural process of osmosis, where solvent molecules (like water) move from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration through the membrane.
This movement of water can be used to produce energy. The more concentrated the stream of saltwater, the higher is the potential for energy production. This process is also called salinity gradient power. 
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The power of osmosis explained from hydropower

How tall should a hydropower dam be before it will produce the same power as an osmotic power plant operating on water saturated with salt? Several thousand meters. The osmotic pressure of saturated brine is 400 bar, corresponding to a hydropower dam 4 km high.
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Principle of Osmotic Power

SaltPower is based on the technology of Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO). Two water sources with different salinity are mixed via a membrane to produce electricity. Water flows across the membrane and builds up pressure, and by passing the pressurized water through a turbine electricity is generated.
In order to increase the efficiency in the system, SaltPower uses an energy recovery device (ERD) from Danfoss, called an iSave. This device exchanges pressure between two streams and operates with very high efficiency.
Furthermore, SaltPower uses the very efficient Danfoss high pressure pumps.
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Solution Mining

An optimal use of the SaltPower technology is in connection with solution mining. In this technology, water is pumped to an underground salt formation where the salt is dissolved into a saturated brine. This saturated brine is returned to the surface and can be used for production of high quality salt. Alternatively, the cavity in the salt structure, called a cavern, can be used as a large and safe storage of gasses like hydrogen. See more under Markets We Serve . The solution mining operation is energy intensive and instead of using energy, SaltPower technology can be used to harvest energy from from this operation.
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Through a dedicated R&D effort, SaltPower™ is continuously on the forefront of the technology development 

 

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