Pee Power: New Technology Produces Hydrogen from Urine

[Nathanael]

I think the title says it all.


Imagine a cheap and plentiful resource that could one day fuel our cars and clean up wastewater at the same time. Dr. Gerardine Botte, Director of the Electrochemical Engineering Research Library (EERL) at Ohio University, has developed a cost-effective method that produces cheap hydrogen from urine.

Yes, urine.


Link: http://www.energyboom.com/emerging/natural-emissions-new-technology-produces-hydrogen-urine

[Botany]

1. I loves me some O.U.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. See here…

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=200778&mesg_id=200778

[TexasProgresive]

3. I'd like to see an analysis showing energy input to energy gained

There is still no free lunch.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. May I suggest…

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/July/02070902.asp

[TexasProgresive]

6. Not much help

if you are referring to this:

0.37V needs to be applied across the cell - much less than the 1.23V needed to split water.

Voltage is not power. Power is the product of voltage multiplied by current. No mention on the current used or total power in watts.

An example of how this could be misleading, suppose it took 100 Amperes at .37VDC to break the urea down that would equal 37 Watts. Now suppose it took 10 Amperes at 1.23VDC to break down the water- that would be 12.3 Watts. Remember I picked these figures out of a hat - the are only for illustrating the relationship of voltage and current to get power.

This urine process may yield hydrogen cheaper then the electrolysis of water but I bet that there is no way that you can get more energy out then you put in. I repeat- There ain't no free lunch. Can't get something for nothing.

My advice; Don't pee in the gas tank or put water in there.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. Consider for a moment

When you electrolyze water (producing hydrogen and oxygen) and then later recombine the hydrogen and oxygen to produce water, the best you could possibly do would be to break even (which of course, you never will.)

However, in this case, we start with urea, which takes less energy to break apart (than water) but then combine the hydrogen with oxygen to produce water. (So, you might actually get more energy out than you put in.)


However, does it really matter if we get more energy out than we put in? Assuming you're using hydrogen as a way to store energy for later use, what you're interested in is the easiest way to produce it. (Right?)

[saltpoint]

5. Think 'wee.'