Electricity Generation Based on

Pressure Retarded Osmosis: A Review

Nikhil Asudani1, Kuldeep Dadheech2
1, 2
Global Institute of Technology, Dept. Mechanical Engineering, Jaipur
1
nikhilasudani@gmail.com, 2 kuldeepdadhich4u@gmail.com

Abstract
Energy consumption is an important aspect in our day to day life. So it’s time to look for more sources of energy
rather than the non-renewable sources of energy and reduce the rate of consumption of non-renewable energy.
Osmotic power or pressure retarded osmosis is the energy available from the difference in the salt concentration
between seawater and river water. Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), which uses semi-permeable
membranes for the development of an osmotic pressure. The difference in molar free energy
between two solutions, separated by a membrane, causes an osmotic flow of river water in sea
water side by increasing the pressure difference, which can be converted into electricity by
moving turbine. Osmotic power can be produced by a continuous inflow of river water and sea
water into the osmotic power plant, and by a continuous discharge of the brackish effluent. The
larger the fresh water availability and sea water would result in large pressure difference & the
larger the amount of produced energy will be.

Keywords: renewable energy resource, pressure retarded osmosis, osmotic power

1. Introduction:

At present, the global energy supply is largely based on oil, natural gas and coal. The global
reserves on these fossil fuels are finite & result in environmental change such as climate change,
due to high emissions of greenhouse gases, is accelerating towards dangerous long-term effects
[2, 3]. Because of the environmental problems and the fact that the mining of fossil fuels
becomes increasingly expensive, alternative methods have been developed to gain energy. The
most common forms of renewable energy are solar, wind and hydropower.

A potential new form of renewable energy is the use of the difference in molar free energy
between two solutions i.e. Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO). Therefore, it is possible to harness
the difference in salinity between the seas and rivers to produce electricity, PRO was invented by
Prof. Sidney Loeb in 1973 at the Ben-Gurion University, Israel, with his first publication
released in 1975 [5]. The method has been 85 improving over the years, particularly after the
opening of the first osmotic power plant 86 prototype by the Norwegian state-owned power
company, Statkraft, in 2009 [12]. Professor Sidney Loeb designed the world’s first semi
Permeable membrane for desalination of saline water for production of drinking water based on
reverse osmosis. By 1960, the membranes were only used in a laboratory and small, specialized
industrial applications. The four major problems with membranes regarding separation process
i.e. they were unreliable, too slow, too unselective and too expensive. Therefore, it’s a challenge
for us to design membranes that are highly efficient & have better power density with reducing
cost. Then Loeb developed a new membrane technology in 1960s. The new technology changed
the use of membranes as a separation process from laboratory to a commercial use. The
improved membranes ensured the development of all kinds of membrane applications, like
desalination of sea water with an increasing membrane power density and decreasing membrane
price, osmotic power could be a feasible source of renewable energy in the future.

Another problem is that, the effluent of the osmotic power production is a brackish solution
which should be discharged out of the power plant. If this brackish solution is discharged into the
salt or fresh water, the brackish solution could be retaken into the power plant which will affect
the osmotic power production because it will decline the salinity gradient.

So, this research should meet two major problems regarding salinity gradient i.e.
(1) The price of membranes are very high & of low power density. Therefore, it is necessary
to develop membranes with a high power density in a low cost.

(2) To construct the osmotic power plant at a location where the three flows can be separated
from each other (i.e. a three-way separation)

2. Concept of osmosis:

The pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), works on the principle of osmosis. It is the movement of
solvent molecules through a semi permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, to equalize
the solute concentrations on the two sides as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: The principle of PRO

For example, a river flowing into the ocean is releasing large amounts of energy. The challenge
is to utilize this energy, since the energy which is released from the mixing of salt and freshwater
leads only to a small increase of the local water temperature [1].

The concept of osmosis was first observed by the French priest and physicist Jean Antione Nollet
in 1748. He put a pig’s bladder filled with wine in a barrel of water & discovered that the water
inside the barrel was able to permeate through the bladder, but the wine was not. The bladder
finally burst. The energy between the water and wine increased the pressure inside the bladder.
This was the first known observation of osmotic energy and pressure.

After that, Dutch scientist Jacobus H. van’t Hoff earned the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1902
for his formula which can be used for calculating the osmotic pressure i.e. see equation (1)

∆∏osm = (i∙R∙T/Mi) (Si, c – Si, d) … (1)

This equation represents the hydraulic pressure difference over the membrane at equilibrium & is
called the osmotic pressure difference.
Because of this pressurized strong force which separates salt and freshwater in a finite space
and only lets the water pass through the membrane, while the salt ions are rejected. In this way,

an osmotic pressure can be achieved by the amount of freshwater moving to the seawater side
[1].

3. Design of Prototype:

3.1 Main Infrastructure:

In PRO process as shown in fig 2, water with low salt gradient is fed into the plant and
Filtered before entering the spiral wound or hollow fiber membranes modules. In the module,
80–90% of the water with low salt gradient is transferred by osmosis across the membrane into
the Pressurized salty water. The osmotic process increases the volumetric flow of high pressure
Water and is the key energy transfer in the power production process.[4]. The Norwegian
company Statkraft operates a PRO pilot plant with a capacity of 2 – 4 kW and a membrane
power density of 3.0 W/m2 [7].

Fig. 2. A simplified PRO process diagram

3.2 Pretreatments:
The high packing density of the membrane modules ensures that the membranes are sensitive
for contamination. Small particles can block the pores of the membranes, salts can precipitate
and the membranes could provide a habitat for
bacteria and algae. These contaminations will negatively affect the energy production. A pre-
treatment of the inflowing solutions could be desirable

3.3 Pressure Exchangers:

The PX energy recovery device as shown in fig.3 uses the principle of positive high
displacement & isobaric Cambers to achieve extremely efficient transfer of energy from pressure
waste stream to low pressure incoming feed stream. So there in no energy lost in the transfer.
One type of pressure exchanger is rotary pressure exchanger. The Device uses cylindrical rotor D
with longitudinal ducts parallel to its rotational axis. The rotor spins inside a sleeve between two
two end covers. Pressure energy is transferred directly from high pressure stream to low pressure
stream in the ducts of rotor.

Fig. 3. Schematics of a rotary exchanger

3.4 Membrane modules:
TFC membranes are made by the interfacial Polymerization of trimesoylchloride and m- Phenylene
diamine. Starting from less than 0.1 W/m2 in 1999, Statkraft and its partners have lately been able
to verified power production well above 3W/m2 under laboratory conditions [4]. The Fig. 2
shows that salty water pumped from the sea and filtered before it is pressurised and fed into the
membrane module. In the module it is diluted by the water received from the less salty side of
the membrane. The volumetric feed of salty water is about twice that of the fresh water [4]. The
diluted and now brackish water (dark blue) from the membrane module is split in two flows.
While ca. 1/3 of the brackish water is fed though the turbine to generate power, 2/3 is returned
and energy is recycled in the pressure exchanger to add pressure to the feed of salty water [4].

4. Membrane characteristics:

4.1 Molar flux:

The rate of permeation of water molecules through a semi permeable membrane called molar
flux. In order to maximize the electricity generation, the molar flux should be as high as possible.
For PRO, the molar flux can be calculated from the volumetric water flux Jw [6].

JH2O = (Jw/Vc) = (Aw/Vc)∙(∆∏eff ─ ∆p) …(2)

From equation 2 it can be deduced that the molar water flux (the osmotic flow) stops when the
hydrostatic pressure difference over the membrane equals the effective osmotic pressure
difference. The effective osmotic pressure difference, which also represents the effective osmotic
energy, is expressed as [6]:

∆∏eff = ∏c ─ ∏d .exp( Jw ∙ k)

4.2 Power Density:

The power density indicates the amount of energy per membrane area that can be generated.
The higher the power density, the smaller is the total membrane area required to obtain a certain
capacity. For PRO, the power density is equal to the product of the volumetric water flux and the
hydrostatic pressure difference over the membrane [6] in equation 3.

WPRO = Jw∆p = Aw(∆∏eff ─ ∆p)∆p …(3)

4.3 Steady-State Power Density:

The optimal power density is the power density at initial conditions. Due to the osmotic
process, the power density decreases in time. The change in optimal power density in a certain
time interval gives an average power density [6]:

Wavg = ( optdt)/t ─ t0 ... (4)

From equation 4 it can be deduced that the average power density is negligible when the
residence time is infinitely small or large. The residence time should therefore be optimized in
such a way that the average power density almost equals the optimum power density. This can be
achieved by the regulation of the in- and outflow of the solutions.

5. Effects on Environments:

5.1 Positive Effect on Environment:

Firstly, the proper intake & outfall system is required for this power plant. The mixing of
seawater and freshwater is a process that occurs naturally all over the world. Osmotic Power
plants will extract the energy from this process without polluting discharges to the atmosphere or
water [1]. Osmotic power plant at a location where the three flows can be separated from each
other (i.e. a three-way separation). Most rivers around the globe run into the ocean in a city or an
industrial community. This means that most of the osmotic power potential can be utilized
without constructing power plants in unspoiled areas. As discussed previously. the power plants
can be constructed partly or completely underground and would thus blend well into the local
environment [4].

Secondly, this process produces no other emissions that could have an impact on the global
climate. Osmotic Power’s excellent environmental performance and CO2-free power production
[1].

5.2 Negative Effect on Environment:

There will be a negative effect on the marine environment due to the discharge of brackish
water by the Osmotic Power plant. This may alter the local marine environment and result in
changes for animals and plants living in the discharge area. Fluctuations in salinity will result in
changes in the community of animals and plants living in that location

6. Conclusions:

An osmotic power plant is completely feasible, but as compared to the marketable energy unit
rates this would be result too high energy unit rates. Therefore, it leads to high capital costs & the
low power plant efficiency. The disadvantages are too big to be overcome at the moment. The
cleaning of the membranes and the cost are major problems. Another disadvantage of micro-
filtration is that it requires a large area. By applying micro-filtration, the required power plant is
increases; this causes a negative effect on the net energy production.
However in the future if the technology is further developed and the costs will decrease,
osmotic energy might be an alternative to the energy sources.

7. Acknowledgements:

We wants to thank to our HOD Mrs.Bhawana Mathur & Professor Mr. Madhavendra Saxena,
Global Institute of Technology, Mechanical Department, for the support during our bachelor
program.

8. List of Symbols:

∆∏osm: Osmotic pressure, Pa ∆∏eff: effective osmotic pressure

i: ion concentration per dissociated difference, Pa
solute molecule, [-] ∆p: Pressure difference, Pa
R: universal gas constant, 8.314 k: resistance to salt diffusion through
J/mol∙K porous substrate, s/m
T: Absolute temperature, K WPRO: Power density for PRO, W/m2
M: Molar mass, kg/mol Wavg: Average power density, W/m2
S: Salinity, g/l Wopt: Optimal power density, W/m2
Jw: Volumetric water flux, mol/m2s t: time, s
Vc: molar or specific volume of Subscripts:
solution, m3/mol i: component (in all other cases)
Aw: water permeation coefficient, c concentrated solution
m/s∙Pa d: diluted solution.

9. References:

[1] Stein Erik Skilhagen, Head of Osmotic Power, Statkraft AS, Lilleakerveien 60216 OSLO,
NORWAY, Tlf: +4724067000, “Osmotic Power-a new, renewable energy source”.

[2] M.L.Parry, M. L.,O.F.Canziani, J.P .Palutikof, P.J.V.D. Linden & C.E. Hanson (Eds.), IPCC,
Summary for policymakers, in: Climate change 2007: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.
Contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel
on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007

[3] A. Lewis, S. Estefen, J. Huckerby, W. Musial, T. Pontes, J. Torres-Martinez, Ocean energy,

in: O.Edenhofer, R. Pichs- Madruga, Y. Sokona, K. Seyboth, P. Matschoss, S. Kadner, T
Zwickel, P Eickemeier, G. Hansen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow (Eds.), IPCC special report on
renewable Energy sources and climate change mitigation, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge and New York, 2011

[4] Stein Erik Skilhagen*, Jon E. Dugstad, Rolf Jarle Aaberg, “Osmotic power — power
Production based on the osmotic pressure difference between waters with varying salt gradients”
Desalination 220 (2008) 476–482.

[5] S. Loeb, Osmotic power plants, Science, 189 (1975) 654-655.

[6] POST, J.W., et al. (2006) Salinity- gradient power: Evaluation of pressure- retarded osmosis
and reverse electro dialysis. Journal of Membrane Science, 288, pp. 218-230

[7] SKRÅMESTØ, Ø.S., SKILHAGEN, S.E., NIELSEN, W.K. (2009) Power production based
on osmotic pressure. Waterpower, XVI

[8] GERSTANDT, K., et al. (2008) Membrane processes in energy supply for an osmotic
power plant.Desalination, 224, pp. 64-70.

[9] THORSEN, T., HOLT, T. (2009) The potential for power production from salinity gradients
by pressure retarded osmosis. Journal of Membrane Science, 335, pp. 103-110

[10] Reuters News Agency, Norway opens world's first osmotic power plant, in: CNET,
2009.Available:http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/11/24/us-norway-osmotic idUSTRE5A
N20Q20091124.[Accessed January 17, 2013].