Osmotic power

This Technology Transfer Advances Bangladesh's

• Nationally Determined Contribution and its adaptation goals focusing among other things on coastal zone management, flood control and erosion protection.

Context

Representatives of 16 countries attended the 11-13 July Regional Forum for National Designated Entities in Asia organized by the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to promote information exchange and capacity building on climate technologies and finance.

Background: Mass cultivation of algae for biofuel production has focused on the use of open ponds or closed bioreactors. Both approaches depend upon routine liquid culturing of the algae and require the removal of large quantities of water at the time of cell harvesting and subsequent extraction of desired products. This invention proposes the use of porous inert membranes to support the growth and subsequent harvesting of the algae.

Electricity generation through the use of salinity gradients between salt and fresh water is a relatively new concept. While discovered and discussed in the 1970s, research has been slow and most of it only recently. Two practical methods concerning membrane technology are currently being researched: the reverse electrodialysis (RED) method and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO). Both technologies are dependent on the semi permeable membrane. A semi-permeable membrane is selective in its permeability, i.e. only specific substances can pass through the membrane.

Background: Climate changes have made agriculture a difficult proposition for small farmers in rain-fed and marginal lands while available arable land is decreasing every year. Agricultural crops and vegetables that can thrive in conditions of drought high salinity high-temperature or heavy metal contamination will go a long way in addressing the world’s food needs. Technology Description: Dr.

Background: Rutgers scientists have identified ACC-deaminase-producing bacterial strains that have advantageous effects on overall plant growth in particular turfgrass. Technology Description: Plants infected with ACC-deaminase-producing bacteria are exposed to less ethylene and thus exhibit better overall growth. Indeed plants inoculated with these bacteria species and strains were found to have better growth and quality levels and exhibit enhanced resistance to environmental stressors. Applications: 1) Agriculture 2) Turfgrass 3) Horticulture 4) Biofertilizer 5) Natural biofertilizer

Background: A silica matrix formulation has been developed that can encapsulate biological catalysts for the treatment of wastewater from a multitude of sources including fracking. naturally occurring mircobes can break down harmful chemicals such as benzene toluene and aldehydes. By encapsulating these microbes in a silica matrix the material can be separated from the liquid once remediation is complete. Identified microbes can target different chemicals which are degraded rather then removed; mixtures of encapsulated microbes can be tailored to the specific wastewater problem.

This invention is a system and method of providing water management and utilization during the process of dewatering and retorting of oil shale. More specifically the process described relates to co-producing potable and non-potable water for various uses during the extraction of petroleum from shale oil deposits. Generally the process allows the production of multiple streams of waters or varying salinity and pressures at least one of which is of high enough pressure for reinsertion into geological formations or reservoirs and another which may supply a potable water source.

Technology Overview: Osmotic energy is a completely renewable source that utilizes the mixing entropy of two solutions with different salinity. In the 1970s pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) as a membrane-based separation process was proposed to extract the osmotic energy from the sea. In this process water is drawn naturally from a low salinity feed solution across a semi-permeable membrane to a pressurized high salinity draw solution; power is then obtained by depressurizing part of the diluted draw solution through a hydroturbine.

There is a growing realisation that climate change will present a serious challenge for farmers – and that could mean big profits for companies that can help them adapt to environmental stress. This article examines the new generation of genetically modified (GM) crops which are emerging in response to a changing climate.
Points made include: