Scientists working at the University West of England (UWE) in Bristol, UK, have found out a way to power a mobile phone with Human pee.
The team has been able to recharge a Samsung phone by placing the fluid through a cascade of microbial fuel cells. Using this process, enough energy is generated to send text messages, browse the World-wide-web and also make a short phone call.
As outlined by the scientists in charge, the next step is to fully power the device with urine…Presumably cleaning their hands straight afterwards.
Dr. Ioannis Ieropoulos has worked for a long time with microbial fuel cells; he’s believed to be an expert in harnessing energy from abnormal options. The potential applications of his work are very appealing from an environmental perspective.
Dr. Ieropoulos said, “We’re very excited as this is a world first, no-one has harnessed energy from pee to try this so it’s an exciting finding. Using the ultimate waste product as the supply of energy to produce electrical power is roughly as eco as it gets.” Eco-friendly tech is, obviously, the great doctor’s main area of interest.
The microbial cells work as a energy converter, they turn the natural substance directly into electricity, via the metabolism of live bacteria. The electrical power is the by-product of a microorganism’s natural life cycle, meaning that as they ‘eat’ the pee, they create power the energy that powers the phone. Now that is what we call ‘pee as you go’.
Toilet humour aside, the team have engineered a world first, as nothing as large as a mobile battery has ever been charged using this method before.
There are, at the present, no plans to market this tech on a huge scale, but maybe someday we can be signing a ‘P’ mobile contract, the trick, as they say, will be pissistance.
PS – I’m apologetic about this one. The work and its implications are actually astonishing. All credit to the UWE team. Though, I always wanted to do one of those ‘And Finally’ type tales and now I finally get to. Please forgive me, one and all.
SOURCES:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/urine-could-charge-mobile-phones-152225132.html
Alternative methods to charge your mobile, Pee as you go
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