Recently I got a chance to go through Investment U (Published by Robert Williams), issue #1112/October 09, 2009 describing about osmotic power plant designed and developed by Norwegian Electric company- Statkraft- expected to be opened on 24th November 2009. This is going to be the first power plant that harness unique salt water and fresh water collision to generate power. Statkraft also develops and generates hydropower, wind power, marine energy, solar power and other energy sources.
Osmosis is an important property of solutions. The first recorded experiments of the phenomenon are those of Abbe Nollet (1748) who found that when alcohol and water were separated by an animal bladder membrane, the water passed through into alcohol , causing an increase in pressure, but the alcohol was not able to pass out into water. This flow of water through animal membranes, found to occur with aqueous solutions in general, was studied by R. Dutrochet (1827-32) and by K Vierordt (1848), the former of whom invented the terms 'endosmosis' and 'exosmosis' to describe the passage of water in opposite directions. Subsequently the prefixes were dropped and the word osmosis (in Greek means push) was used to describe the spontaneous flow of water into a solution, or from a more dilute to a more concentrated solution, when separated from each other by a suitable membrane. The essential property of these membranes is that they allow the free passage of water but not of the dissolved substance. Osmosis occurs as a result of some pressure exerted by the solute molecules called osmotic pressure. The hydrostatic pressure developed inside which just stops the osmosis is a measure of osmotic pressure and it is best defined as the excess pressure which must be applied to a solution to prevent the passage into it of solvent when they are separated by a perfectly semipermeable membrane.
According to Statkraft salt water and fresh water are funneled into separate chambers divided by an artificial semi-permeable membrane. The salt molecules in the sea water pulls the fresh water molecules through the membrane, increasing pressure on sea water side. The pressure comes in the form of 120 metre column or water fall that can be utilized in power generating turbines. The plant can be installed where ever river meet the sea. The prototype is expected to be opened on November 24 with limited undisclosed production capacity. It will be used for testing and further development.
Global potential of osmotic power is estimated about 1600-1700 terrawatt hour per year or the same as 50% of the European countries total power production.
We can pray for the success of Statkraft's endeavour in the production of large scale clean power from the collision of sea water and river water ie., Osmotic Power which utilises the Earths resources for the generation of clean power, for Keralites it will be a great boon.
With best wishes,
ktv
Osmosis is an important property of solutions. The first recorded experiments of the phenomenon are those of Abbe Nollet (1748) who found that when alcohol and water were separated by an animal bladder membrane, the water passed through into alcohol , causing an increase in pressure, but the alcohol was not able to pass out into water. This flow of water through animal membranes, found to occur with aqueous solutions in general, was studied by R. Dutrochet (1827-32) and by K Vierordt (1848), the former of whom invented the terms 'endosmosis' and 'exosmosis' to describe the passage of water in opposite directions. Subsequently the prefixes were dropped and the word osmosis (in Greek means push) was used to describe the spontaneous flow of water into a solution, or from a more dilute to a more concentrated solution, when separated from each other by a suitable membrane. The essential property of these membranes is that they allow the free passage of water but not of the dissolved substance. Osmosis occurs as a result of some pressure exerted by the solute molecules called osmotic pressure. The hydrostatic pressure developed inside which just stops the osmosis is a measure of osmotic pressure and it is best defined as the excess pressure which must be applied to a solution to prevent the passage into it of solvent when they are separated by a perfectly semipermeable membrane.
According to Statkraft salt water and fresh water are funneled into separate chambers divided by an artificial semi-permeable membrane. The salt molecules in the sea water pulls the fresh water molecules through the membrane, increasing pressure on sea water side. The pressure comes in the form of 120 metre column or water fall that can be utilized in power generating turbines. The plant can be installed where ever river meet the sea. The prototype is expected to be opened on November 24 with limited undisclosed production capacity. It will be used for testing and further development.
Global potential of osmotic power is estimated about 1600-1700 terrawatt hour per year or the same as 50% of the European countries total power production.
We can pray for the success of Statkraft's endeavour in the production of large scale clean power from the collision of sea water and river water ie., Osmotic Power which utilises the Earths resources for the generation of clean power, for Keralites it will be a great boon.
With best wishes,
ktv
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