Method for converting osmotic energy into hydraulic energy and for desalination
AssigneesUniversite Grenoble Alpes, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
InventorsCyril Picard, Elisabeth Charlaix, William Chèvremont
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Abstract
The method p1 for converting osmotic energy into hydraulic energy and the method p2 for desalination, include pressurisation/depressurisation and isochoric washing of an aqueous solution containing a salt in the presence of a selective hydrophobic nanoporous material of which the nanoporous volume within the material is only accessible to fresh water and which has a nanoporosity volume fraction ranging from 0.2 to 1 so as to convert osmotic energy into hydraulic energy or conversely to desalinate water, preferably sea water or brine.
Claims20
A process for converting osmotic energy into hydraulic energy, comprising:
- 1a) contacting (i) a first aqueous solution comprising a salt, and (ii) a selective hydrophobic nanoporous material having a nanopore volume within the material accessible only to fresh water and having a volume fraction of nanoporosity in a range from 0.2 to 1, to obtain a mixture,
- 1b) pressurizing the mixture to a pressure in a range from 10 to 1000 bar, wherein water intrudes into the nanoporous material, to obtain a pressurized mixture,
- 1c) carrying out a first isochoric washing of the pressurized mixture using a second aqueous solution comprising a salt, to obtain a washed mixture, and
- 1d) depressurizing the washed mixture, wherein water is expulsed from the nanoporous material, diluting the second aqueous solution, and collecting hydraulic energy,
- wherein the first aqueous solution has a first salt concentration and the second aqueous solution has a second salt concentration greater than the first salt concentration, by a difference in a range from 0.5 to 25 mol/L.
A process for desalinating a solution comprising a salt, comprising:
- 2a) contacting (i) a first aqueous solution comprising a salt, and (ii) a selective hydrophobic nanoporous material having a nanopore volume within the material accessible only to fresh water and having a volume fraction of nanoporosity in a range from 0.2 to 1, to obtain a mixture,
- 2b) pressurizing the mixture to a pressure in a range from 10 to 1200 bar, wherein water intrudes into the nanoporous material, to obtain a pressurized mixture,
- 2c) carrying out a first isochoric washing of the pressurized mixture using a third second aqueous solution, the second aqueous solution being pure water or fresh water, to obtain a washed mixture, and
- 2d) depressurizing the washed mixture, wherein water is expulsed from the nanoporous material, diluting the second aqueous solution, and collecting salt-depleted water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.