The essence of Forward Osmosis
Forward Osmosis is a relatively new technology in the industrial world that has proven great for many different applications, but in particular for concentration purposes where the desire is to retain flavors and aromas while ensuring optimal quality and yield.
For Nicola Michelon, Head of Commercial Engineering Forward Osmosis at Aquaporin, it was paramount to develop a solution that allows customers to get closer to this technology without having to invest in large pilot projects. Because, as he believes, availability and accessibility are two key parameters when it comes to exploring new technologies.
More than a year ago, Nicola and his team started designing a brand-new compact lab-scale system called ESSENCE go. At the time, the system was developed as an entry point to the world of Forward Osmosis, but it has proven able to much more than that.
"The system enables customers to grasp the potential of Forward Osmosis and its transformative impact on their business. We offer them a streamlined platform to generate diverse screens for assessing the quality of FO-produced concentrates. This facilitates easy and straightforward testing of various feed options," explains Nicola and continues:
"Through the development of ESSENCE go, we empower our customers to conduct numerous tests rapidly. With comprehensive data storage capabilities, they can thoroughly analyze how our technology aligns with their compound requirements."
Customer-centric development
For Nicola and his team, it has been important to develop a system that is easy to operate, especially for people who are not trained engineers or are brand new to Forward Osmosis. For a better understanding of Forward Osmosis, read our FAQ here.
The system comes with an easily accessible interface, and the machine is already pre-programmed, so the customer can quickly start it up and begin testing.
“We have also implemented remote support. If the customer has any problems or needs feedback, we will help them almost straight away. We have done this to create the best experience possible for our customers,” says Nicola.
ESSENCE go is built with flexibility in mind, and that was one of the cornerstones of the system from the beginning: The system had to be moveable and compact to fit into any lab.
“We have had a lot of great people working on this project to ensure that we build a durable, flexible, and high-quality system that most people can operate,” he explained.
Ready for the market
Developing a system like ESSENCE go means that customers will have an easier time validating and assessing Aquaporin’s Forward Osmosis technology and the potential areas in which it can be implemented.
“When the customer can see the direct benefit and has done proper testing themselves, then we can help scale up their potential with Forward Osmosis because they already have data-driven insights into how the Aquaporin Inside® technology performs.”
Nicola and his team team are now ready to ship the finished systems to customers across the world so they can discover the many possibilities and benefits Forward Osmosis has to offer.
