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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Optimization of net power density in Reverse Electrodialysis

Giorgio MicaleMassimiliano Di LibertoMariagiorgia La CervaMichele CiofaloAndrea CipollinaLuigi Gurreri

subject

OptimizationSettore ING-IND/26 - Teoria Dello Sviluppo Dei Processi ChimiciMathematical optimization020209 energy02 engineering and technologyIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering020401 chemical engineeringStack (abstract data type)Reversed electrodialysisReverse electrodialysi0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineering0204 chemical engineeringElectrical and Electronic EngineeringSettore ING-IND/19 - Impianti NucleariCivil and Structural EngineeringPower densityMathematicsGradient ascentOptimization algorithmMechanical EngineeringElectric potential energySalinity gradientBuilding and ConstructionMaximizationNet (mathematics)PollutionNet power densityGeneral EnergyIon-exchange membranes

description

Abstract Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) extracts electrical energy from the salinity difference between two solutions using selective ion exchange membranes. In RED, conditions yielding a large net power density (NPD) are generally desired, due to the still large cost of the membranes. NPD depends on a large number of physical and geometric parameters. Some of these, for example the inlet concentrations of concentrate and diluate, can be regarded as “scenario” variables, imposed by external constraints (e.g., availability) or chosen by different criteria than NPD maximization. Others, namely the thicknesses HCONC, HDIL and the velocities UCONC, UDIL in the concentrate and diluate channels, can be regarded as free design parameters and can be chosen so as to maximize NPD. In the present study, a simplified model of a RED stack was coupled with an optimization algorithm in order to determine the conditions of maximum NPD in the space of the variables HCONC, HDIL,UCONC, UDIL for different sets of “scenario” variables. The study shows that an optimal choice of the free design parameters for any given scenario, as opposed to the adoption of standard fixed values for the same parameters, may provide significant improvements in NPD.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2019-08-01Energy
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.05.183