Combining two solutions of different composition releases the Gibbs free energy of mixing. By using engineered processes to control the mixing, chemical energy stored in salinity gradients can be harnessed for useful work. In this critical review, we present an overview of the current progress in salinity gradient power generation, discuss the prospects and challenges of the foremost technologi...

A large number of resources are dedicated to seawater desalination and will only grow as world-wide water scarcity increases. In arid areas with high temperature and salinity seawater, thermal desalination and power plants (dual-purpose/co-generation plants) are often employed for the production of power and water. In other areas, reverse osmosis is commonly employed. However, both technologies...

Scientific domain: %scientific_domain Subject short description: Water shortage and decline of the quality of fresh water resources make sea water desalination become a major way for drinking water production. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is now the main technology used for seawater desalination, but it shows a limited recovery and the environmental impact of large volumes of rejected brines is still a...