Promising Osmotic and Hybrid Electrochemical Power Plants

A range of energy technologies ultimately aimed at obtaining electric energy is considered. Proceeding from the list of considered sources, it is possible to analyze their different combinations for achieving better energy efficiency of new complexes. A systematic list of 21 currently known traditional, non-traditional, and renewable energy sources is compiled. Each of them taken individually has an efficiency not exceeding 50%, except for some types of fuel cell based power facilities. Block diagrams of energy flow conversion stages are proposed for the considered kinds of sources. Obviously, if some or other chain does not contain certain blocks in comparison with the first classical chain of thermal engine thermodynamic cycles, this means that the missing energy conversion stages of are either implemented covertly, or proceed in the environment. As an example, two promising sources are considered: an osmotic hydroelectric power plant and a hybrid power plant (HybPP) based on high-temperature fuel cells with solid oxide electrolyte and a gas turbine unit. In fact, an osmotic hydroelectric power plant takes the solar energy spent for evaporation from sea surfaces in the form of the osmotic pressure phenomenon energy under the conditions of one-way diffusion of fresh river water (a solvent) molecules through a semi-permeable membrane towards salt sea water (a solution). An osmotic HPP is a combination of a reservoir with semi-permeable membranes and an HPP. The former is characterized by the expected high specific power up to 12 kW per square meter of semi-permeable membrane area, and the latter is characterized by the highest efficiency among all types of electric power sources and by the high achieved specific power up to 2-3 kW per square meter of solid oxide electrolyte surface area.