3 ms·
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know the theoretical minimum energy required for desalination? Is it the energy released when salt is dissolved in water? By
by tuatoru 4y ago
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know the theoretical minimum energy required for desalination? Is it the energy released when salt is dissolved in water?
By analogy, Vaclav Smil says the best iron smelting and ammonia synthesis plants are within 100% of the theoretical minimum energy required for the chemical reactions to take place - within 50% in the case of the very best iron smelters. Aluminum smelting is slightly worse than these two IIRC.
- mota7 4y agoMinimum is around 1 kWh/m^3 for sea-water levels of salt concentration. (It varies a fair bit depending on salinity, the actual salts involved, the temperature etc etc).
- tuatoru 4y agoThank you!
- zeristor 4y agoDo you have a reference on Vaclav Smil? I’d be interested in reading the book that discusses this sort of thing.