An osmotic power generation system, that harnesses the movement of salt ions in saltwater through nanopores in a thin membrane to generate electricity, has been developed by researchers at EPFL's Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology and published in Nature. The system is based on an ion exchange membrane made from nanowires. When making uniform pores has been perfected, the breakthrough technology using estuaries could play a major role in the generation of renewable energy.
An osmotic power generation system, that harnesses the movement of salt ions in saltwater through nanopores in a thin membrane to generate electricity, has been developed by researchers at EPFL's Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology and published in Nature. A 1m2 membrane with 30% of its surface covered by nanopores could produce 1MW of electricity, the researchers claim. When making uniform pores has been perfected, the breakthrough technology using estuaries could play a major role in the generation of renewable energy.