Salinity gradient energy: awaking the silent waterfalls at rivers mouths

由于人口增长和工业发展，全球能源需求不断增加。随着气候变化和全球变暖，可再生能源正在以快速的速度被采用。然而，许多可再生能源(太阳能、风能、波浪、地热和水能)的利用率和季节性发电量变化较低。因此，柴油发电仍然是安大略省北部和世界许多地区等偏远地区社区的主要能源来源。鉴于柴油发电的高成本和对环境的影响，目前有一种尚未开发的可再生能源替代方案。盐度梯度能(SGE)是在受控过程中混合两种不同盐度的水溶液所能获得的能量。这种能量来源于水溶液渗透压的不同。SGE作为一种非常有前途的可再生能源，最近吸引了越来越多的兴趣。然而，在SGE成为一种实用的能源之前，仍然存在许多科学和工程挑战。 本研究项目旨在发展SGE技术，并将其从理论转化为实际应用。一个长期的研究目标是提供技术，利用河口可用的不同盐度的水溶液发电，在河口，来自河流的淡水与海水相遇，或者工业盐水或废水排放到淡水地表水中。实现这一目标的方法包括：(I)开展理论和实验研究以模拟和验证SGE过程，(Ii)调查膜污染，目的是开发适用于预测污染并减轻其影响的模型，(Ii)调查膜污染，目的是开发适用于预测污染并减轻其影响的模型，(Iii)应用孔网络建模(PNM)技术来模拟水通过膜的传输并提出优选的膜结构，(Iv)设计和优化SGE系统和膜组件，以最大限度地提高发电量，以及(V)进行能量和(火用)分析，以评估所开发的系统和配置的性能。 这项研究计划将在膜和能源领域贡献新的基础知识。HQP将接受热流体科学方面的培训，包括建模、测量、验证、设计和分析SGE系统。SGE可以通过为加拿大偏远地区的社区提供清洁能源解决方案，为全球江海地区的社区提供广阔的愿景，从而提供经济和环境效益。它还将提供社会效益，通过满足子孙后代的能源需求和改善他们的环境条件，为子孙后代实现更可持续的城市发展。此外，它还将影响经济和许多行业，特别是不断发展和扩大的加拿大清洁能源行业。

Global energy demand is continuously increasing due to population growth and industrial development. With climate change and global warming, renewable sources of energy are being adopted at rapidly accelerating rates. However, many of the renewable energy sources (solar, wind, wave, geothermal, and hydro) have lower availability factor and seasonal generation variability. Therefore, diesel-generated electricity remains the main source of energy for communities in remote regions such as in Northern Ontario and many parts of the world. Given the high cost and environmental impact of diesel-generated electricity, there is a renewable energy alternative which has not yet been tapped. Salinity gradient energy (SGE) is the energy available from mixing two aqueous solutions of different salinity in a controlled process. This energy arises from the difference in osmotic pressure of the aqueous solutions. SGE has attracted growing interest recently as a highly promising source of renewable energy. However, many scientific and engineering challenges remain before SGE can become a practical energy source. This research program aims to develop SGE technologies and take them from theory to practical application. A long-term research goal is to provide techniques to generate electricity using available aqueous solutions of different salinity as found at river mouths where fresh water from the river meets seawater, or where industrial brine or wastewater is discharged into fresh surface water. The approach to achieve this aim includes: (i) developing theoretical and experimental studies to simulate and validate SGE processes, (ii) investigating membrane fouling, which is not totally understood with the aim of developing models suitable for the prediction of fouling and to mitigate its effect, (iii) applying pore network modeling (PNM) techniques to model the transport of water through the membranes and to suggest preferred membrane structures, (iv) designing and optimizing SGE systems and membrane modules to maximize power generation, and (v) conducting energy and exergy analyses to assess the performance of developed systems and configurations. This research program will contribute new fundamental knowledge in membrane and energy fields. HQP will be trained in thermofluid sciences including modeling, measuring, validating, designing, and analyzing SGE systems. SGE can offer economical and environmental benefits by providing clean energy solutions to communities in remote regions of Canada with a wide-vision for communities on river-ocean regions worldwide. It will also provide social benefits by enabling more sustainable urban development for future generations by providing their energy demands and improving their environmental conditions. In addition, it will impact the economy and many industries, particularly the evolving and expanding Canadian clean energy industry.