US 12,239,940 B2
Osmotic solution mining
Henrik Tækker Madsen, Copenhagen (DK); and Lars Storm Pedersen, Farum (DK)
Assigned to SALTPOWER HOLDING APS, (DK)
Appl. No. 17/799,333
Filed by SALTPOWER HOLDING APS, Sønderborg (DK)
PCT Filed Feb. 17, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/053915
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 12, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/165337, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 26, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. PA202070092 (DK), filed on Feb. 17, 2020; and application No. 2007806 (GB), filed on May 26, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0107529 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B01D 61/00 (2006.01); B65G 5/00 (2006.01); E21B 43/28 (2006.01); F03G 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 61/002 (2013.01) [B65G 5/00 (2013.01); E21B 43/28 (2013.01); B01D 2313/243 (2013.01); B01D 2313/246 (2013.01); F03G 7/015 (2021.08)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for solution mining of minerals, the process comprising:
injecting an unsaturated stream at an injection pressure into a mineral formation to dissolve a mineral contained therein, and then extracting a high concentration stream containing said dissolved mineral from the mineral formation;
converting latent osmotic energy present in said high concentration stream into an increase in a total pressure of said high concentration stream by passage through an osmotic power unit comprising a semi-permeable membrane which permits a passage of solvent but not a passage of the mineral, and in which the high concentration stream is passed over a first side of the semi-permeable membrane, a low concentration stream being passed over a second side of said semi-permeable membrane;
generating electricity and reducing a total pressure of a reduced concentration output stream to the injection pressure by passing the reduced concentration output stream through a power generating device, the reduced concentration output stream being derived from the high concentration stream after passage over the semi-permeable membrane; and
using the reduced concentration output stream at the injection pressure as the unsaturated stream injected into the mineral formation.