From Pee to Power in Mere Seconds!

Throughout most parts of the world, urine is considered by some as a waste product, by others as a precious liquid. Certain devoutly esoteric practitioners of the Hindu faith even drink the urine of a cow - hoping to purify themselves with the essence of an animal whose peaceful demeanor leads many to it is a sacred being.

Rich in concentrated base chemistries such as nitrogen and ammonia, urine is used as a rich fertilizer to boost the growth of plants - a natural alternative to powerfully concentrated synthesized fertilizers used in large-scale agribusiness.

However, in recent weeks, urine has gotten attention beyond its traditional treatment. Urine has now risen through ranks as a alternative form of fuel.

From pee to power in mere seconds!

Urine as Fuel

Two chemistry post doctorate students at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University have successfully transformed pee into shots of clean water and jolts of electricity using a prototype fuel cell system. Students Rong Lan and Shanwen Tao have designed a system that utilizes urea − an organic compound produced as a part of the waste content when the body discharges urine - as its primary source for power.

Their prototype takes urea - as a known as carbamide - derived from the urine of animals or humans, and splits it into constituent compounds such as carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen − all while producing electricity.

Lan and Tao surmise this technology could be beneficial to small island or desert communities, and perhaps may be applied as a source of power on submarines. While the details on their breakthrough design are not yet available, the prototype will certainly be subject to future design improvements and possible evaluation for commercial use.

*****

Sources / Recommended Reading:

John Article Listing

Urine-powered fuel cells to offer pee power to people

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John Melendez is a freelance writer reporting on technology, the environment, sustainability, alternative energies and "green" issues. John Melendez is a writer for hire. To email him, go to http://www.emailmeform.com/fid.php?formid=19595

*****

Subscribe to RSS and other feeds for this site: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/JohnsCoolreads

For RSS Feed: http://www.associatedcontent.com/rss/user_76423.xml

Legal Disclaimer & Safety Notice: Author does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, safety, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed or referred to. Information is provided for informational purposes only. Any actions or assumptions taken on the reader's part as a result of any information disclosed by Author are taken entirely at the reader's own risk. Author shall not be liable for any errors in the content, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Furthermore, Author shall not be liable for any loss of profits, contracts, opportunities or any direct, indirect, consequential loss of any kind (including death and/or injury), business interruption or loss of property arising out of or in connection with the use of the information herein. News items, opinions, and/or statements posed by author may be unsubstantiated and should be considered also as such. Unless where expressly stated, Author claims no express or understood association with any person, entity, or third party mentioned. "Cibola International" is a service mark (SM) and trade mark (™ ®) belonging expressly to John Melendez with all rights reserved worldwide.

© 2010 John Melendez / Cibola International - All rights reserved worldwide. Duplication in part or in full is prohibited. Violators will be prosecuted.