A method of operating a dual reverse osmosis/pressure retarded osmosis plant, including when electricity costs less than a first predetermined price, moderate salinity water is pumped into the first portion of a pressure vessel having first and second portions separated by a water permeable/salt impermeable osmotic membrane to yield desalinated permeate in the second portion and brine in the first portion. Further, when electricity costs greater than the first predetermined price, low salinity water is pumped into the second portion and brine is pumped into the first portion to yield pressurized moderate salinity water in the second portion which is run through an energy recovery device to generate electricity. The salinity of the low salinity water is lower than the salinity of the moderate salinity water, and the salinity of the moderate salinity water is lower than the salinity of the brine.

A power generation process is disclosed, the process comprises dissolving a solute (10) into an unsaturated stream (140) to produce a high concentration stream (130) and converting latent mixing energy present in a high concentration input stream (130) into power by passage through a power unit (20) in which the concentration of the high concentration input stream (130) is reduced. The process comprises using a reduced concentration output stream (140) derived from the high concentration input stream (130) following passage through the power unit (20) as the unsaturated stream (140). A first fraction of the high concentration stream (130) is passed to the power unit (20) for use as the high concentration input stream (130) and a second fraction of the high concentration stream (130) is output from the process.

A process for solution mining of minerals is disclosed. The process comprises injecting an unsaturated stream (150) at an injection pressure into a mineral formation (130) to dissolve the mineral and extracting a high concentration stream (110) containing said dissolved mineral. The process comprising converting latent osmotic energy present in said high concentration stream into an increase in the total pressure of said stream by passage through an osmotic power unit (200) and generating electricity and reducing to the injection pressure the total pressure of a reduced concentration output stream (150) by passage through a power generating device (250) and using the reduced concentration output stream (150) at the injection pressure as the unsaturated stream (150). A process for storing a fuel in an underground formation is also disclosed.

The present application relates to a method and a motor for performing work using osmosis. The method comprises the steps of providing a motor comprising a supply chamber, a pressure chamber comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet, and a membrane permeable to fluid and at least partially impermeable to salt ions and enabling fluid communication between the supply chamber and the pressure chamber; then providing low salt concentration fluid in the supply chamber, closing the outlet of the pressure chamber; flowing high salt concentration fluid into the pressure chamber; allowing the pressure within the pressure chamber to increase as fluid crosses the membrane into the pressure chamber and using the increased pressure within the pressure chamber to perform work; then opening the outlet of the pressure chamber and allowing the fluid to drain from the pressure chamber and the pressure in the pressure chamber to decrease.

A brine saturation process is disclosed. The process comprises increasing the salinity of an unsaturated saline stream (15) by passage through a brine saturator (5) in which salt is dissolved into the unsaturated saline stream (15) to produce a high salinity stream (11); and then converting latent osmotic energy present in said high salinity stream (11) into power by passage through an osmotic power unit (20). The process further comprises using an output stream derived from the high salinity stream (11) following passage through the osmotic power unit (12) as the unsaturated saline stream (15).

The present disclosure relates to a salinity (NaCl) difference energy generating system and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a structural asymmetric ionic transport channel by inducing partial thermal expansion of a laminated film in which vermiculite is re-stacked and an energy generating system capable of producing power by abundant low-cost resources based on the method. The energy power generating device according to the present disclosure is capable of generating power with an easy capacity control and abundant low-cost resources, and the energy power generating device satisfying size characteristics, structural stability characteristics, and furthermore, filtering characteristics may stably produce electrical energy using a solution having a concentration similar to that of seawater and river water.

A process for generating power from a warm saline steam (1) obtained from geothermal sources. The process involves extracting a warm saline stream (1) from an underground geothermal formation (2), reducing the temperature of the saline stream (1) by passing the stream through a thermal power unit (5) in which thermal energy present in the stream is extracted. The process also involves converting latent osmotic energy present in the stream into electricity by passing the stream through an osmotic power unit (7) comprising a semi-permeable membrane (8). The output stream (13) derived from passage through the osmotic power unit is injected into a second, different underground formation.

A process for generating power from a warm saline steam (1) obtained from geothermal sources. The process involves converting latent osmotic energy present in the stream (1) into an increase in the total pressure of said stream by passing through an osmotic pump unit (7). The stream is passed over a semi-permeable membrane (8) and a lower salinity steam (14) is passed over the other side of said membrane (8), such that the need for mechanical pumping in subsequent process steps is reduced.

A process for the generation of power is disclosed. The process comprises receiving a wastewater stream containing organic matter and passing the wastewater stream to an anaerobic digester in which the organic matter contained therein is broken down to produce biogas. The liquid content of said wastewater stream is reduced before said stream enters the anaerobic digester by passing the wastewater stream through an osmotic power unit. The said stream is passed over one side of a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts, an aqueous stream of higher salinity than said wastewater stream being passed over the other side of said membrane such that latent osmotic energy present in said aqueous stream of higher salinity is converted into electricity.

An osmotic power generator comprising an active membrane supported in a housing, at least a first chamber portion disposed on a first side of the active membrane for receiving a first electrolyte liquid and a second chamber portion disposed on a second side of the active membrane for receiving a second electrolyte liquid, a generator circuit comprising at least a first electrode electrically coupled to said first chamber, and at least a second electrode electrically coupled to said second chamber, the first and second electrodes configured to be connected together through a generator load receiving electrical power generated by a difference in potential and an ionic current between the first and second electrodes. The active membrane includes at least one pore allowing ions to pass between the first and second sides of the membrane under osmosis due to an osmotic gradient between the first and second electrolyte liquids to generate said difference in potential and ionic current between the first and second electrodes.