Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery
Polish Academy of Sciences

Abstract

The main idea of a practical method of solving problems connected with osmotic or osmotic-and-diffusive conversion of free energy of solutions with different concentrations is presented in this work. We propose an application of the method to studies of the energetic efficiency of the one-membrane osmotic motor, which is described by the Kedem-Katchalski formalism. Proper equations for useful power, dissipated power, total power and the energetic efficiency have been derived for that osmotic motor. These equations make possible detailed analysis of energetic problems referring to the work of the motor. They also enable us to perform its energetic optimalization just at the stage of designing.