Unified Framework for Osmotic Energy Conversion

Unified Framework for Osmotic Energy Conversion | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Unified Framework for Osmotic Energy Conversion Yoav Green, Oren Lavi, Ramadan Abu-Rjal This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7934711/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Osmotic energy systems employ charged nanoporous membranes and nanochannels to convert salinity gradients into electrical power, offering a promising route to harvest one of Earth’s most abundant yet underexploited renewable resources—the oceans—and providing reliable, carbon-free electricity. However, to date, no known self-consistent theoretical model can accurately predict the electrical response of realistic charge-selective systems. Thus, empirical and phenomenological models are used to increase the performance while attributing the increase to incorrect mechanisms. This leads to a costly empirical trial-and-error optimization process, which typically yields only incremental improvements. Here, we provide the first self-consistent theoretical model, verified by non-approximated numerical simulations, that establishes a detailed framework for osmotic energy conversion in realistic systems. Our model delineates the effects of each parameter in the system, including the often-neglected effects of the bulk reservoirs. The model provides analytical expressions for all the major transport characteristics at zero current (I = 0), including the Ohmic resistance, R Ohmic , and the voltage at zero current, V I=0 . The I = 0 insights are carried over to the results at the energy harvesting limit of zero voltage (V = 0), allowing for the first time a straightforward analysis. Two of our key results are unexpected. First, the concentration at which the harvestable electrical power is maximal is not the concentration at which the harvestable electrical current is maximal. Second, overlooking the effects of the bulk reservoirs leads to overestimations of the harvestable power by several orders of magnitude. Our proposed framework lays the theoretical foundation for a new generation of sustainable nanofluidic energy systems relevant to addressing pressing global challenges. Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale devices/Nanofluidics Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale devices/Nanopores Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Energy harvesting Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files Supplementaryinformation.pdf Supplementary information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7934711","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":539343121,"identity":"9575b390-0c20-42e6-9f33-35ade6b05003","order_by":0,"name":"Yoav Green","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA30lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFAD9h4og5m5gUgtPGdgWhiJ1SKRA2MR0GJwvPmZ5Nc9NnLmkm8Pv+ZhsJNnYCek5cwxM2mZZ2nGlrPz0qx5GJINGwg5zOBGgrGxxIHDiRtu55gZ8zAwJxD0i8GN9M9ALf/rN9w8A9JST4yWHMOHHw4cSDC4wWP8mIfhMGEtkmfOFD5mOJBsuOFMXhrjHIPjhm2EtPAdb99w8McBO3mD42cPf3hTUS3Pz3/4AF4tCkBpZh4Im02CwQBI4lUPBPJARzD+gLCZPxBSPQpGwSgYBSMTAAAZ4UW2dDFhEgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0809-6575","institution":"Ben-Gurion University of the Negev","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yoav","middleName":"","lastName":"Green","suffix":""},{"id":539343122,"identity":"12918700-11ba-4187-9c59-f6eff2ed8f42","order_by":1,"name":"Oren Lavi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ben-Gurion University of the Negev","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Oren","middleName":"","lastName":"Lavi","suffix":""},{"id":539343123,"identity":"1ce8ce43-b1d0-40b0-b86c-ec24b67ede83","order_by":2,"name":"Ramadan Abu-Rjal","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1534-9710","institution":"Ben-Gurion University of the Negev","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ramadan","middleName":"","lastName":"Abu-Rjal","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-23 18:40:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7934711/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7934711/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":96249370,"identity":"48b8c614-02e7-4c96-9dad-a6f9520254fb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 07:33:15","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1542288,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"Maintext.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7934711/v1_covered_43096717-8d4f-4e22-9421-6156afe26007.pdf"},{"id":96165282,"identity":"090597d1-498f-4c5c-bf92-55e95967e3f7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-18 09:29:03","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":684238,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary information","description":"","filename":"Supplementaryinformation.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7934711/v1/2240e899458a4999d1ebca8c.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Unified Framework for Osmotic Energy Conversion","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7934711/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7934711/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Osmotic energy systems employ charged nanoporous membranes and nanochannels to convert salinity gradients into electrical power, offering a promising route to harvest one of Earth’s most abundant yet underexploited renewable resources—the oceans—and providing reliable, carbon-free electricity. However, to date, no known self-consistent theoretical model can accurately predict the electrical response of realistic charge-selective systems. Thus, empirical and phenomenological models are used to increase the performance while attributing the increase to incorrect mechanisms. This leads to a costly empirical trial-and-error optimization process, which typically yields only incremental improvements. Here, we provide the first self-consistent theoretical model, verified by non-approximated numerical simulations, that establishes a detailed framework for osmotic energy conversion in realistic systems. Our model delineates the effects of each parameter in the system, including the often-neglected effects of the bulk reservoirs. The model provides analytical expressions for all the major transport characteristics at zero current (I = 0), including the Ohmic resistance, R\u003csub\u003eOhmic\u003c/sub\u003e, and the voltage at zero current, V\u003csub\u003eI=0\u003c/sub\u003e. The I = 0 insights are carried over to the results at the energy harvesting limit of zero voltage (V = 0), allowing for the first time a straightforward analysis. Two of our key results are unexpected. First, the concentration at which the harvestable electrical power is maximal is not the concentration at which the harvestable electrical current is maximal. Second, overlooking the effects of the bulk reservoirs leads to overestimations of the harvestable power by several orders of magnitude. Our proposed framework lays the theoretical foundation for a new generation of sustainable nanofluidic energy systems relevant to addressing pressing global challenges.","manuscriptTitle":"Unified Framework for Osmotic Energy Conversion","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-18 09:28:58","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7934711/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f4533bf5-3331-498a-9595-5dde6f96e59a","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 18th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":57361319,"name":"Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale devices/Nanofluidics"},{"id":57361320,"name":"Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale devices/Nanopores"},{"id":57361321,"name":"Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Energy harvesting"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-18T09:28:58+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-18 09:28:58","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7934711","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7934711","identity":"rs-7934711","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}