Review of the current status of reverse electrodialysis systems for salinity power systems using a stratified saturated solar pond. Final report. Report No. 220280

Technical Report · Fri Feb 22 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6659475

The overall objective of this study was to develop and place in operation a small salinity power heat engine of 100-watt capacity consisting of a saturated solar pond (SSP) coupled to a reverse electrodialysis (RED) membrane stack. The objectives of the contract were: (1) to demonstrate that a SSP can be used for unmixing of a mixed brine into a dilute and a concentrated brine stream, (2) to demonstrate that a RED stack can generate electrical power, and (3) to generate the necessary experimental data on the RED-SSP system which can be used to assess the potential of such a system for economical energy generation. The results of findings on the current status of ion-exchange membranes and RED stacks is summarized. It is shown that the electrical resistance of the present-day membranes, which are produced for electrodialysis and not reverse electrodialysis, and the solution compartments are very high. This causes the power density of present-day RED stacks, in terms of watts per unit membrane area, to be very low. This factor combined with the high cost of present-day membranes results in very high costs for the RED stack. Furthermore, present-day membranes as well as adhesives for membrane assemblies cannot operate at about 80/sup 0/C for any reasonable length of time without severe deterioration in performance. The areas that require development work include: (1) development of cheap ion-exchange membranes with low electrical resistance and high permselectivity; (2) development of very thin solution compartments; (3) development of RED stacks which can operate at high temperatures; and (4) laboratory testing of small RED stacks to investigate the effect of temperature on stack performance and the fouling of RED membranes with time, have been identified. (WHK)

• Research Organization: InterTechnology/Solar Corp., Warrenton, VA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-78ET20471
• OSTI ID: 6659475
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/20471-T1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
ADHESIVES
COST
DIALYSIS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRODIALYSIS
EQUIPMENT
HIGH TEMPERATURE
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
MATERIALS
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
MEMBRANES
PERFORMANCE
PERMEABILITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PONDS
POWER PLANTS
SALINITY GRADIENT POWER PLANTS
SALINITY GRADIENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR PONDS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMAL DEGRADATION