The Saltworks Difference
Saltworks' process involves neither distillation nor forcing water through a membrane. Instead, the breakthrough involves a novel energy transfer system driven by salt. The energy transfer involves harnessing low temperature thermal energy, such as from solar or waste heat, to evaporate water from the ocean or saline aquifers to create a concentrated solution. The produced concentrated solution holds chemical energy relative to the salt water source. Both are input into Saltworks' proprietary and modular desalting device where the stored energy is used to desalinate saltwater. The modular desalting device, which cleans itself during operation, borrows much from existing industrial equipment and operates at low pressure and room temperature. Plants can be built using low pressure plastic components rather than expensive alloyed steels. The technology can use simple and low-cost evaporation structures such as spray ponds or evaporative towers.
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By harnessing low temperature heat and atmospheric dryness to drive the process, a renewable energy system is produced where electricity consumption is substantially less than other commercial processes. The result is desalination plant owners achieve cost reductions while society benefits from the reduced need for incremental power generation and the resulting reduced carbon footprint.
Another benefit of Saltworks’ technology is that the waste brine discharge from other desalination plants can be input into the process to boost performance. This makes the Thermo-Ionic technology well-suited to hybridize with other processes.
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