The cost of water from an autonomous wave-powered desalination plant

A techno-economic model of an autonomous wave-powered desalination plant is developed and indicates that fresh water can be produced for as little as £0.45/m3. The advantages of an autonomous wave-powered desalination plant are also discussed indicating that the real value of the system is enhanced due to its flexibility for deployment and reduced environmental impact. The modelled plant consists of the Oyster wave energy converter, conventional reverse osmosis membranes and a pressure exchanger–intensifier for energy recovery. A time-domain model of the plant is produced using wave-tank experimentation to calibrate the model of Oyster, manufacturer's data for the model of the reverse osmosis membranes and a hydraulic model of the pressure exchanger–intensifier. The economic model of the plant uses best-estimate cost data which are reduced to annualised costs to facilitate the calculation of the cost of water. Finally, the barriers to the deployment of this technology are discussed, but they are not considered insurmountable.

An autonomous wave-powered desalination system

The potential for an autonomous wave-powered desalination system is considered and it is identified that the most promising configuration is a reverse osmosis (RO) plant utilising a pressure exchanger-intensifier for energy recovery. A numerical model of the RO plant with a pressure exchanger-intensifier is developed that shows that a specific energy consumption of less than 2.0 kW h/m3 over a wide range of sea-water feed conditions, making it particularly suitable for use with a variable power source such as wave energy. A numerical model of the combined wave-power and desalination plant is also developed that shows that it is possible to supply the desalination plant with sea-water directly pressurised by the wave energy converter, eliminating the cost and energy losses associated with converting the energy into electricity and back to pressurised water. For a typical sea-state the specific hydraulic energy consumption of the desalination plant is estimated to be 1.85 kW h/m3 whilst maintaining a recovery-ratio of less than 25 to 35% to avoid the need for chemical pre-treatment to eliminate scaling problems. It is suggested that the economic potential for wave-powered desalination depends on these energy and cost savings more than compensating for the reduction in membrane life that occurs with variable feed conditions.

Intravaginal ring delivery of the reverse transcriptase inhibitor TMC 120 as an HIV microbicide

TMC 120 (Dapivirine) is a potent non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that is presently being developed as a vaginal HIV microbicide. To date, most vaginal microbicides under clinical investigation have been formulated as single-dose semi-solid gels, designed for application to the vagina before each act of intercourse. However, a clear rationale exists for providing long-term, controlled release of vaginal microbicides in order to afford continuous protection against heterosexually transmitted HIV infection and to improve user compliance. In this study we report on the incorporation of various pharmaceutical excipients into TMC 120 silicone, reservoir-type intravaginal rings (IVRs) in order to modify the controlled release characteristics of the microbicide. The results demonstrate that TMC 120 is released in zero-order fashion from the rings over a 28-day period and that release parameters could be modified by the inclusion of release-modifying excipients in the IVR. The hydrophobic liquid excipient isopropyl myristate had little effect on steady-state daily release rates, but did increase the magnitude and duration of burst release in proportion to excipient loading in the IVR. By comparison, the hydrophobic liquid poly(dimethylsiloxane) had little effect on TMC 120 release parameters. A hydrophilic excipient, lactose, had the surprising effect of decreasing TMC 120 burst release while increasing the apparent steady-state daily release in a concentration-dependent manner. Based on previous cell culture data and vaginal physiology, TMC120 is released from the various ring formulations in amounts potentially capable of maintaining a protective vaginal concentration. It is further predicted that the observed release rates may be maintained for at least a period of 1 year from a single ring device. TMC 120 release profiles and the mechanical properties of rings could be modified by the physicochemical nature of hydrophobic and hydrophilic excipients incorporated into the IVRs.

On the importance of steady-state isotopic techniques for the investigation of the mechanism of the reverse water-gas-shift reaction

The formation and reactivity of surface intermediates in the reverse water-gas-shift reaction on a Pt/CeO2 catalyst are critically dependent on the reaction conditions so that conclusionsregarding the reaction mechanism cannot be inferred using ex operando conditions.