Could urine could be the next big alternative energy source? Two researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh believe it can.
Shanwen Tao and Rong Lan, are developing a urine fuel cell.
Urine could constitute a much safer solution than hydrogen, much cleaner and non-toxic than methanol and could offer an abundant source of energy… from obvious reasons.
“We’re only at prototype stage at present, but if this renewable material can be used as a commercially viable and environmentally friendly energy source, we will be absolutely delighted, and many people around the world will benefit,” Tao said.
“Growing up in rural eastern China I was aware of the use of urea as an agricultural fertilizer. When I became a chemist and was looking at fuel cell development I thought of using it in the process,” he also explained.
Their revolutionary new fuel cell dubbed the Carbamid Power System is designed to take in urine and produce electricity and clean water.
Fuel cells convert chemical energy into electricity through a series of reactions between a fuel and an oxidant. Fuels can include hydrogen or methanol gas, while the oxidants are usually, unsurprisingly enough, oxygen, although chlorine is also sometimes used. Unlike conventional batteries, they don’t store any chemical energy inside them, and so only operate when external fuel sources are supplied.
In theory, fuel cells could be a powerful producer of electricity, but their designs are often impractical. Hydrogen is highly flammable and methanol is toxic, creating major challenges in safely storing the required fuels. Also, some fuel cells require membranes and catalysts built from platinum, which obviously drives up the cost.
But the Carbamide Power System might just offer an alternative. The brainchild of Doctors Shanwen Tao and Rong Lan, this new fuel cell uses cheaper materials for its membrane and catalysts, and it uses a non-toxic, non-combustible fuel: urine. Specifically, a component of human and animal urine known as urea, which is currently mass-produced as an industrial fertilizer.
If this takes oil companies will be pretty “pissed off”!
With the technology available today, nothing would surprise me – even peeing in my car to make it go.
Comment by Bryan — @
I’m much more in favor of this idea and I hope this takes off. Researchers in Japan are looking into converting pig manure into biomass to be used in biomass power plants. No surprise, their biggest challenge is neutralizing the smell. Although to be fair, using vegetable oil or biofuel made from vegetable oil makes your exhaust smell like french fries. Hopefully using urine won’t make my car smell like a public restroom!
Comment by Henry Tran — @
Alternative energy should be the focus of our governments and every private contractors in the market today. Alternative energy is non-polluting and of course very renewable. `*’:’ Hope This Helps!
Comment by Therese Carreno — @
The term “alternative” presupposes a set of undesirable energy technologies against which “alternative energies” are contrasted. As such, the list of energy technologies excluded is an indicator of which problems the alternative technologies are intended to address. Controversies regarding dominant sources of energy and their alternatives have a long history. The nature of what was regarded alternative energy sources has changed considerably over time, and today, because of the variety of energy choices and differing goals of their advocates, defining some energy types as “alternative” is highly controversial…
Comment by Micah Seara — @