RU2176031C2 - Osmosis power plant - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: osmotic energy conversion; mechanical or electrical energy generation. SUBSTANCE: plant has housing divided by means of semi-transparent partition into solvent- releasing non-mineralized solution compartment and solvent-accepting mineralized-solution compartment. These compartments communicate via respective supply lines with solvent and solution sources; solution compartment has spent-solution discharge line. Semi-transparent partition is made in the form of movable piston that functions as moving working part of power plant. EFFECT: simplified design; provision for direct conversion of osmotic energy. 3 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the field of energy, and more specifically to osmotic power plants for the production of mechanical or electrical energy.

 A device is known [1, p. 175, Fig. 7.6] to convert the energy of the osmotic mass transfer into electrical energy in an osmotic power plant, which contains a housing block immersed in the solution, each of which is separated by a fixed semipermeable membrane into fresh compartments connected by the solvent supply path to the solvent source, and salt compartments connected through the pressure tank salt water by the solution supply path to the source of the solution, and equipped with a drain path of the spent (diluted) solution connected through a pressure tank to troystvu-osmotic mass transfer energy converter into electrical energy. The operation of this power plant is based on pumping fresh solution into the pressure tank of the solution, from which a diluted solution of an increased volume is ejected through the turbine, doing useful work. The solution is circulated through the salt compartments and the pressure tank by a separate pump.

 The closest in technical essence to the claimed invention and selected as a prototype is the installation presented on [1, p. 172, Fig. 7.4], consisting of a housing separated by a fixed semi-permeable membrane (or a system of membranes) into a fresh compartment discharging water (solvent) and a salt compartment receiving water, supply paths for the solvent and the solution with pumps, the waste water outlet and the converter device.

 Installation works as follows. Solvent is supplied to the fresh compartment, and a solution is supplied to the saline compartment at a pressure approximately equal to half the osmotic pressure. From the fresh compartment, due to the phenomenon of osmosis, the solvent is absorbed through the semipermeable membrane into the salt compartment. The diluted solution from the salt compartment along the discharge path is discharged through the turbine. Useful work is obtained due to the additional volume of fresh water (solvent) penetrating through the membrane (or system of membranes).

 At the same time, the operability of the membrane (or system of membranes), the integrity of the membrane material is ensured by special membrane-bearing structures, for example, metal ones, which can include substrates from wire screens and perforated steel plates [1, p. 174, Fig. 7.5 b]. Other methods are known that ensure the operability of the membrane material. For example, in [2, p. 128], the use of tubular membranes with a diameter of 10-60 mm is noted, for which perforated tubes are used as a strong substrate, as well as spiral (roll) membranes, membranes in the form of hollow fibers with an inner diameter of 24-80 microns .

 The aim of the present invention is to expand the arsenal of installations based on the use of osmosis energy, a simple design.

 To do this, in a well-known osmotic installation consisting of a housing separated by a semipermeable membrane into a fresh compartment, a solvent outlet and a salt compartment receiving a solvent, solvent and solution supply paths with pumps connected respectively to the fresh and salt compartments, as well as to sources of solvent and solution , of the waste solution discharge path and the converter device, the membrane by means of membrane-bearing structures is made in the form of a movable piston, which is a moving working element ohm converter device.

 As options, fresh or salty compartments can be made open from the end and immersed, respectively, in a solvent or in a solution. In this case, in the first case, there is no solvent supply path, and in the second, the solution supply path and the waste solution outlet path.

 The proposed device in comparison with the known ones is simpler in design, contains fewer elements and is based on the principle of direct conversion of osmotic energy into mechanical work. In this case, the membrane using membrane-forming structures can be made in the form of a movable piston as follows.

 The piston is made in the form of a metal cup with a perforated bottom, to which the rod or connecting rod is fixed or movable. A steel wire screen is placed at the bottom of the glass, filter paper is placed on the screen, and a membrane is placed on the paper. O-rings, for example, made of rubber, are located at the edges of the wire screen, filter paper and membrane. The indicated elements (screen, paper, membrane and O-rings) are pressed against the bottom of the glass by a washer, for example, on a thread.

 In FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the claimed osmotic power plant, characterized by the presence of paths for supplying a solution and a solvent and a path for discharging the spent (diluted) solution.

 In FIG. 2 and 3 illustrate possible embodiments of the inventive installation, characterized by the presence of an open fresh or salt compartment immersed in a solvent or solution, respectively.

 Presented in FIG. 1 osmotic power plant contains a housing 2 with a membrane located inside (semi-permeable baffle), made using membrane-bearing structures in the form of a movable piston 1, which is a moving working element of the converter device and separates the housing into a fresh compartment 3 filled with solvent, and a salt compartment 4, filled with solution; a solvent supply path 5 with a valve 6 connected to the fresh compartment 3, a fresh solution supply path 7 with a valve 8 and a pump 9 connected to the salt compartment 4; a waste solution discharge duct 10 with a valve 11. connected to the salt compartment 4.

 Installation works as follows.

 In position aa of the piston 1, the valves 6, 8 and 11 are closed. In this case, the fresh compartment 3 is filled with solvent, the salt compartment 4 is filled with fresh solution. The solvent through a semi-permeable membrane-piston due to the phenomenon of osmosis from the fresh compartment 3 is sucked into the salt compartment 4, as a result of which the piston 1 moves to the in-in position, making a stroke.

 In the in-in position, valves 6 and 11 open, and the piston-membrane 1 idles from position b-in to position aa, pumping a new portion of solvent through path 5 to the fresh compartment 3 and forcing it out of the salt compartment 4 through path 10 waste solution.

 In position aa of the piston diaphragm 1, valve 6 closes, valve 8 opens and pump 9 is turned on, which pumps a portion of fresh solution into the salt compartment 4. Then the valves 8 and 11 are closed, the pump 9 is turned off, and the process is repeated.

 The installation according to such a scheme allows using it away from sources of solution and solvent without using any additional means.

 In FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an installation option with immersion of the fresh compartment in the solvent.

 The installation includes a housing 2, a movable membrane-piston 1, dividing the housing 2 into fresh 3 and salty 4 compartments, a solution supply path 7 with a valve 8 connected to the salt compartment 4, an exhaust solution discharge path 10 with a valve 11 also connected to salt compartment 4.

 Installation works as follows.

 At the initial moment, the membrane-piston 1 occupies the position aa, valves 8 and 11 are closed. Due to the penetration of the solvent through the membrane into the salt compartment 4, the volume of solution in it increases, and the piston 1 moves to the in-in position, making a working stroke. In the in-in position, the valve 11 opens and the piston 1, idling, moves to the c-c position, displacing the spent solution from the salt compartment 4 through the path 10. Further, in position cc, valve 8 opens, valve 11 closes, and piston 1, continuing idle from position cc to position aa, pumps a portion of fresh solution into the salt compartment 4 along path 7. In position aa of the piston 1, valve 8 closes and the process repeats.

 In FIG. 3 shows a diagram of an installation option with immersion of the salt compartment in the solution.

 The presented installation includes a housing 2 with a movable membrane-piston 1, dividing the housing 2 into fresh 3 and salt 4 compartments, a solvent supply path 5 with a valve 6 attached to the fresh compartment 3.

 Installation works as follows.

 At the initial moment, the membrane-piston 1 occupies the position aa and valve 6 is closed. The solvent through the membrane-piston 1 from the fresh compartment 3 is absorbed into the solution. By reducing the volume of solvent in the fresh compartment 3, the piston 1 moves to the in-in position, making a stroke, doing useful work. In the in-in position, the valve 6 opens, and the membrane-piston 1 idles from the position in-in to the position aa, pumping a new portion of the solvent into the fresh compartment 3 along path 5. In position aa, valve 6 closes and the process repeats.

 The proposed installation and its implementation options are simple in design and reliable in operation.

Literature
1. Korobov V.A. Transform the energy of the ocean. - L .: Shipbuilding, 1986.

 2. Sterman L.S. and Pokrovsky V.N. Physical and chemical methods of water treatment at thermal power plants. - M .: Energoatomizdat, 1991.

Claims (1)

 An osmotic power plant consisting of a casing separated by a semi-permeable baffle into a fresh compartment that gives away solvent and a salt compartment that accepts solvent, solvent and solution supply paths with pumps connected to fresh and salt compartments, as well as to sources of solvent and solution, path removal of the spent solution and the device-converter of osmotic mass transfer into mechanical or electrical energy, characterized in that the semi-permeable partition is made in the idea of a movable piston, which is a moving working element of a power plant.

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