[ Chapter 03: Osmotic Energy ]

Seab Piseth | pisethseab@gmail.com | 011 70 48 25

Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Institute of Technology of Cambodia

Chapter 03: Osmotic Energy Page 1

 Introduction

•Osmotic power is energy available from difference

in salt concentration between sea water and river
water.
•It is huge and unique energy source.
•Renewable energy source that converts pressure
differential between water with high salinity and
water with low salinity in to hydraulic pressure.
•Fresh water moves by osmosis through membrane in
to sea water.

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 Osmotic
Before After

• Osmosis means passage of water from a region of high

water concentration (often freshwater) through a semi
permeable membrane to a region of low water
concentration (often NaCl).
• The membrane only lets water molecules pass. Salt
molecules, sand and other contaminants are prevented
to do so.
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 Principle of osmotic power
• Osmotic power is
generated by pressure
retarded osmosis
(PRO).
• Technique to separate
solvent (fresh water)
from a solution that is
more concentrated (sea
Pressure Retarded Osmosis water) and also
pressurized.

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 Pressure retarded osmosis

•It relies on water molecules moving through a

semi permeable
•Semi permeable membrane allows solvent
(fresh water) to pass to the concentrated
solution (sea water) side by side osmosis.

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 Construction

Commercial Setup for Osmotic Power Generation

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 Video for understanding the working

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 COMPONENTS

1. A semi permeable membrane contained in modules.

2. Fresh water and sea water filters that optimize
membrane performance.
3. A turbine that generates a driving force based on
osmotic pressure and permeation flow rate.
4. A pressure exchanger that pressurizes sea water feed
required to maintain high salinity levels downstream
from membrane.

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 Operation

Operation of Osmotic power

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 Operation

• Fresh water and sea water sent into two

different modules.
• The two modules are separated by a
semipermeable membrane.
• The Fresh water seeps through the
semipermeable membrane to the Salt water
side.
• This increases pressure on the salt water
module.

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 OPERATION
• The salt water flows
through the turbine which
in turn generates
electricity.
• The brackish water is sent
out to the sea.
• The high pressure salt
water is again sent to the
Francis Turbine
modules through a pressure
exchanger.

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 ADVANTAGES

• Steady, predictable output.

• Adaptable for small or large generating stations.
• Scalable or modular design (membrane modules
added as required), making it possible to
increase installed capacity.
• Generating sites near load centers, limiting
power transmission needs.
• Good potential for power plant sites.

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 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

• Technology similar and complementary to that of

hydro-electric power, with osmotic power plants
able to be built on already-harnessed rivers.
• High risk of clogging and gradual degradation of
semi-permeable membranes, necessitating
pressure-filtering pretreatment of fresh water and
periodic membrane re-placement (every 5 to 7
years)

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 First osmotic power plant

First osmotic power plant built in Norway by the company

Statcraft, opened in November 2009
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 Homework

1- Please you compare osmotic energy with other.

2- Which are the condition of osmotic energy system that
can be installed?
3- Why isn’t osmotic energy system popular?

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