A multiscale-pore ion exchange membrane for better energy efficiency
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea 37673
Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) have been adopted in various environmental, chemical, and energy applications. However, the formation of ion-depletion regions, caused by concentration polarization near IEMs, often leads to significant energy and efficiency loss. While much research has been devoted to solving this challenge, complete removal of ion-depletion regions is still difficult, especially when the membrane systems are operating under near- or over-limiting conditions. This paper proposes a novel multiscale-pore (MP) IEM to reduce the effect of the ion-depletion region, by allowing a fluid flow through the MP-IEM, thereby limiting the size (and the resulting resistance) of the ion-depletion region. The electrical resistance and energy consumption in MP and conventional IEM-embedded electrochemical systems were investigated, and their performance during water desalination processes were compared. The current–voltage response suggests a secondary ohmic regime attributed to an internal flow rate through the MP-IEM. Moreover, the electrochemical desalination of seawater with MP-IEMs demonstrated up to 75% reduction of energy consumption, compared with conventional IEMs under comparable operating conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AR0000294
- OSTI ID:
- 1454887
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1434140; OSTI ID: 1557694
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Journal Name: Journal of Materials Chemistry A Vol. 6 Journal Issue: 17; ISSN 2050-7488
- Publisher:
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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