Future of Engineering
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Salt Energy - Is Salt the Next Energy Source?
Salt power is a tantalising if distant prospect as high oil prices make alternative energy sources look more economical.
Two tiny projects to mix sea and river water - one by the fjord south of Oslo, the other at a Dutch seaside lake - are due on stream this year and may point to a new source of clean energy in estuaries from all over the world.
The experiments, which seek to capture the energy released when fresh and salt water are mixed, build on knowledge that has been around for centuries. The science at the heart of the projects is the fact that when salt and fresh water mix at river mouths, they are typically warmed by 0.1 degree Celsius. Dutch scientists say such energy at all the world's estuaries is equivalent to 20% of world electricity demand.
Full report here
Two tiny projects to mix sea and river water - one by the fjord south of Oslo, the other at a Dutch seaside lake - are due on stream this year and may point to a new source of clean energy in estuaries from all over the world.
The experiments, which seek to capture the energy released when fresh and salt water are mixed, build on knowledge that has been around for centuries. The science at the heart of the projects is the fact that when salt and fresh water mix at river mouths, they are typically warmed by 0.1 degree Celsius. Dutch scientists say such energy at all the world's estuaries is equivalent to 20% of world electricity demand.
Full report here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Geo-Sciences, Sciences
PermaLink - Salt Energy - Is Salt the Next Energy Source? posted by Ecacofonix : 10:26 AM
