Phenomenon · phenomenon:thermo-osmosis
Thermo-osmosis
A temperature difference across a membrane drives a net volume flow of solvent, distinct from the Soret effect, which separates species without net volume transport.
Atlas record: 8 claims reference this phenomenon — 5 demonstrated and 3 established.
Explorerelations · matrix context · routes · sources · cite
conditions: selective membrane required · temperature gradient required · liquid
8claims30enumerated routes2routes with complete-composition evidence8candidate routes not searched7cited sources
Relations
drives · 1
- a membrane separating two reservoirs of the same liquid at different temperatures; the flow direction depends on the membrane–liquid interaction
produces · 1
Confined in a nanochannel (Zhao 2020) or collected as a pressurised bulk flow: Straub et al. 2016 measured 3.53 W/m² of hydraulic power from the thermo-osmotic flux, so the produced flow can load a turbine.
couples to · 1
- a charged, ion-selective nanochannel or nanoporous membrane contains an electrolyte
- a sustained temperature difference drives thermo-osmotic liquid motion along the charged interface
- electrical-double-layer counter-ions are preferentially transported by that flow
- no external electrical bias is required for the measured short-circuit current
- pressure-driven current is absent, negligible or separately controlled when the thermo-driven contribution is attributed
One physical experiment (Zhao et al. 2020): a track-etched polyimide membrane between hot and cold reservoirs gave a streaming current rising linearly with ΔT to 14 nA at 47.5 °C over 0.5 cm², direction set by the surface charge (pH). One paper is demonstrated, not established.
member of · 1
implemented by · 4
- hydrophobic nanoporous membrane between a hot reservoir and a pressurised cold reservoir; hydraulic pressures up to 13 bar reported
Matrix context
D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.
Enumerated routes through this · 30 (showing 24)
- Thermo-driven nanofluidic electrokinetic converter3/4 est · demonstrated
- Thermal-osmosis electrokinetic generator5/5 est · demonstrated
- Thermo-osmotic energy conversion (TOEC)5/5 est · candidate
- Chemical potential difference → Combustion → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work5/6 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Electric potential difference → Peltier effect → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work5/6 est · same energy form
- Electric potential difference → Ettingshausen effect → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work5/6 est · same energy form
- Incident radiation flux → Photothermal absorption → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work5/6 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Radiative imbalance with the sky → Radiative sky cooling → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work5/6 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work5/6 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fusion → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work3/6 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Electromagnetic induction → Charge carriers → Electrical work7/7 est · candidate
- Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Rotating-machine generator action → Charge carriers → Electrical work7/7 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Flow-induced vibration → Mechanical vibration → Triboelectric effect → Separated surface charge → Electrical work7/7 est · unresolved handoff
- Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Flow-induced vibration → Mechanical vibration → Electrostatic induction (variable capacitance) → Charge carriers → Electrical work7/7 est · unresolved handoff
- Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Flow-induced vibration → Mechanical vibration → Reverse electrowetting → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/7 est · unresolved handoff
- Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Flow-induced vibration → Mechanical vibration → Resonant vibration → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work7/7 est · unresolved handoff
- Chemical potential difference → Combustion → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work7/7 est · candidate
- Chemical potential difference → Combustion → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work7/7 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Electric potential difference → Peltier effect → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work7/7 est · candidate
- Electric potential difference → Peltier effect → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work7/7 est · same energy form
- Electric potential difference → Ettingshausen effect → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work7/7 est · candidate
- Electric potential difference → Ettingshausen effect → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work7/7 est · same energy form
- Incident radiation flux → Photothermal absorption → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work7/7 est · candidate
- Incident radiation flux → Photothermal absorption → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Fluid flow → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work7/7 est · extends a recorded pathway
Cited sources · 7
- [1]X. Zhao et al.. pH-regulated thermo-driven nanofluidics for nanoconfined mass transport and energy conversion (2020)
- [2]V. M. Barragán, S. Kjelstrup. Thermo-osmosis in Membrane Systems: A Review (2017)
- [3]A. P. Straub et al.. Harvesting low-grade heat energy using thermo-osmotic vapour transport through nanoporous membranes (2016)
- [4]Q. Luo et al.. Utilization of low-grade heat for desalination and electricity generation through thermal osmosis energy conversion process (2023)
- [5]L. Huang et al.. Simultaneous water and electricity harvesting from low-grade heat by coupling a membrane distiller and an electrokinetic power generator (2021)
- [6]T. Xiao et al.. Permeate gap thermo-osmotic system for simultaneous freshwater production, energy storage, and power generation (2024)
- [7]S. R. de Groot, P. Mazur. Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics (1962)
Cite this entity
Physical Transformation Atlas (2026). entity phenomenon:thermo-osmosis: Thermo-osmosis. Dataset revision rbfbfcbb70e57 (hash of the canonical data). https://physical-transformation-atlas.wldud5192.workers.dev/phenomenon/thermo-osmosis
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