0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Urine-tricity – golden power from human waste14 January 2014 Heidi VellaScientists in the UK, with backing from Bill Gates, are hoping to power homes in developing countries with human urine using microbial fuel cells. The concept could provide a solution to two human necessities - sanitation and energy - but is it really a viable or even practical solution for the developing world?Could electricity made from urine be the answer to both the sanitation and the power needs of some of the poorest communities in the developing world? Although it sounds unlikely, UK-based scientists, backed with funding from Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, believe it could be. They are currently working on scaling up a system that could eventually provide two human necessities, sanitation and electricity, to communities in developing countries.Scientists from The Robotics Lab, a collaboration between the University of the West of England (UWE) and the University of Bristol, have proven that electricity - at this stage enough to charge a mobile phone to send messages but not make a call - can be made by using urine to directly fuel microbial fuel cells (MFCs)."Using the ultimate waste product as a source of power to produce electricity is about as eco as it gets."The aim is to continue development of the technology, which has now entered its second stage thanks to funding from the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation, in order to create a fully functional system to be installed in domestic bathrooms that can harness urine power to light bathrooms, heat water or charge a mobile phone.
Let me see if I have this straight. They're working on this for developing countries that don't have electricity but they have cell phones? Where are they? Detroit?
Like I said, Pan, I wasn't sure where to put this!
Quote from: oldcoastie6468 on January 18, 2014, 11:56:24 AMLike I said, Pan, I wasn't sure where to put this!I know; 's okay. No sweatski.
Quote from: Pandora on January 18, 2014, 12:17:44 PMQuote from: oldcoastie6468 on January 18, 2014, 11:56:24 AMLike I said, Pan, I wasn't sure where to put this!I know; 's okay. No sweatski.She's used to dealing with the mentally impaired.
Quote from: AlanS on January 18, 2014, 02:25:01 PMQuote from: Pandora on January 18, 2014, 12:17:44 PMQuote from: oldcoastie6468 on January 18, 2014, 11:56:24 AMLike I said, Pan, I wasn't sure where to put this!I know; 's okay. No sweatski.She's used to dealing with the mentally impaired. Fer shame, Alan....three seconds in time out for you. (Okay, three for me too for laughing.)