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Re:‘Two-faced’ membrane can create electricity from salty an... by ph0rque on Saturday October 27, 2018 @11:14AM (#18316067)
I wonder if this can be reversed to use electricity to make fresh water. Then you can have a giant battery in the ocean that also produces fresh water as needed!
Re:‘Two-faced’ membrane can create electricity from salty an... by perlgeek on Saturday October 27, 2018 @11:33AM (#18316172)
The reverse process is called desalination, and there are a few approaches to desalination that use membranes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination

Typically, you don't use electricity directly, but pump in salt water with high pressure, and some of the water is pushed through, while the salt remains.

Re:‘Two-faced’ membrane can create electricity from salty an... by WJW on Saturday October 27, 2018 @11:33AM (#18316173)
That exists and is called reverse osmosis desalination.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination#Reverse_osmosis

Re:‘Two-faced’ membrane can create electricity from salty an... by imhoguy on Saturday October 27, 2018 @11:28AM (#18316155)
There is no free lunch. Efficiency kills the idea. However the nature sorted it out already - evaporation, clouds, rains.