JAN 28

What if human waste, what’s left after our bodies extract energy-producing nutrients from our food and drink, could itself be transformed into energy? Four African teenagers went beyond asking this question: they created a generator powered by human urine. The machine, built by 14-year-olds Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin, and 15-year-old Bello Eniola,was presented in Lagos, Nigeria at the fourth annual Maker Faire Africa this November. The pan-African Maker Faire features and supports inventions that work to address problems like the worldwide need for energy production.

According to the Maker Faire Africa website, the machine turns 1 liter of urine into 6 hours of electricity and works like this: urine goes into an electrolytic cell, which extracts the hydrogen from the pee (specifically from the urea, one of the main compounds of urine). This hydrogen is purified in a water filter, and then pushed into a gas cylinder. There, the gas cylinder pushes the hydrogen into a liquid borax cylinder, where moisture is removed from the hydrogen gas. Finally, the purified hydrogen gas is pushed into the generator to power it.

As with all new inventions in alternative energy, this generator isn’t a panacea for our global energy problems. NBC’s John Roach offers a “reality check” concerning the pee-powered generator, pointing out that the Maker Faire Africa website does not list the wattage produced, so we don’t know just how much the generator could power. While Roach’s article tempers excitement about the pee generator, it does point to where this technology could be used effectively: wastewater treatment facilities where the pee already flows, ready to be put to use.

Perhaps machines like these could eventually become features of wastewater treatment facilities. Such a resourceful new invention that turns waste into electricity could turn wastewater treatment facilities into places where wastewater is not only treated, but where pee turns into power.

via: Grist

image: CC BY 2.0 by Erik (HASH) Hersman

Comments (19)

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written by jerry wilkinson, January 28, 2013

To me the take aways on this is are:
1) Four youths from Africa did this, what other really innovative ideas do they have in store for us
2) Utilizing something no one would consider a resource, but now maybe it is
3) That it can be done! So getting more watts etc is a matter of refining isn't it?
4) Even it is used to only power lights at venues where volumes of pee might be available, sports
events?
I applaud these young creators!

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written by sarah, January 29, 2013

I have thought for years that human waste was a resource not being utilized. I love that 4 young teens figured out one very compelling answer about what could be done. I'm not sure if the science behind it was novel or an applied version of an existing invention, but they made a working model, and got submitted it to an international competition and got recognized for their work, and their work has potential to really solve a niche opportunity area simply and easily and its cool and its sustainable. bravo

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Scam artist be scamin'
written by Fredrik, January 29, 2013

Seriously people. An electrolytic cell requires electricity to split hydrogen from pee. More electricity than the generator can provide.

Maybe some skepticism wouldn't be completely out of line, you know. Or some physics classes perhaps.

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written by Sarah, January 29, 2013

Hi Fredrik,
According to the chemical engineer who invented the urea electrolysis process, this technology could prove useful in wastewater treatment facilities since the facilities are already consuming energy.
(See: http://www.nbcnews.com/technol...-1C6956099)

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Six hours of electricity - meaningless statement
written by Doubter, January 30, 2013

Six hours of electricity is quite meaningless. It might only be 1 microamp of electricity delivered over 6 hours - enough to power...almost nothing.

These these guys might be urine fetishists and are merely trying to get their hands on bulk supplies of urine.

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written by Luke P, January 30, 2013

Part of me feels like something this obvious would have been at least tried by now in some high-budget laboratory, and if it works, we would hear about it from them. Skepticism aside, though, it's promising to see people in areas with fewer resources trying new ideas and making them work, even if it's only on a limited scale. Think if this were actually able to work scaled up!

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written by Fredrik, January 30, 2013

Hi Sarah.
I have no problems with the waste water treatment aspect. It is their power generation claim that is bogus. They are trying to sell us on a perpetual motion machine. And like Doubter pointed out - "6 hours of electricity" isn't a measure of energy.

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Coolness!
written by Juliane, January 30, 2013

Using something as ordinary and widely spread as human urine to power a generator is a fascinating idea!

It would be nicer if we knew the exact wattage amount. As "6 hours of energy" really does not tell me much of anything... at all.

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Scams are not cool
written by mary, February 01, 2013

If you follow the link to http://makerfaireafrica.com/ you will find out that it was for a maker fair held one year ago. As well, carefully examine the photographs of the exhibit. You will see a gasolene powered generator (it is also observable in the photograph in ecogurk article). So it is clear that these scammers are running a gasolene generator to make the power to run their process. Not cool, certainly not worthy of ecogurk to publish.

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There is a better way
written by Jack, February 02, 2013

The approach by these people is not very practical. However, there is a practical way of harnessing pee to make power. This approach involves installing small turbines in public urinals. The stream of pee rapidly spins a small turbine which generates power. A low power LED is attached to the generator. The LED glows most brightly when the pee stream is on target. This provides encouragement and rewards the person peeing.

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Awesome!
written by Jim, February 05, 2013

Ok, so it might not be perfect but this is awesome!
Pretty soon our wastewater treatment plants will become power plants. Now, if they harness energy in poo, they'd be set! haha

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On the right track
written by Kevin, February 11, 2013

I read this article before in a magazine recently. The skeptics are correct. At present, this concept is not the answer to the world's energy problems. But it is a step in the right direction. Even more important it is a demonstration that young people all over the world are using their minds to address crises they face. Kudos!

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This just doesn't make sense.
written by Bob, February 19, 2013

They claim to run an internal combustion engine for six hours from one liter of urine? A few minutes in Wikipedia suggests that a NASA analysis of human urine shows that the urea content is 9.3 grams per liter. I'm no chemist, but urea has one carbon atom, one oxygen atom, two nitrogen atoms and four hydrogen atoms. I may expose how little chemistry I recall from 40 years ago but my rough arithmetic puts the hydrogen content of urea at a bit over 6 percent by weight, or roughly 550 milligrams. That's supposed to run an internal combustion engine for six hours? Consider that for a typical small gasoline generator, a full tank of gasoline can't even run it for six hours.

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No no no no no!!!!!!!!!!
written by Jon Starbuck, February 19, 2013

What the hell? This is so obviously wrong! It is a hoax. Click on my website to find out more...

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Small steps first
written by Steve, February 19, 2013

So, we are developing hydrogen powered cars where there is a reaction and hte result is motion and water.
Would it be possible to pee in your tank and get more miles per charge?

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To Whom It May Be Of Interest
written by SRMORB, February 20, 2013

This idea is very novel. The possibility of applying this devise is
enormous. Imagine this technology used from anywhere from a manned submarine to a space station.
Human waste is an energy source that will be available for as long as
there are humans . In addition to thathe source being availab;e it will
also be a source of substance that finding means to dispose of will also
be welcome.
This idea will provide the means of disposal by putting the source to
an ever needed use.
This idea has room for advancement. Picture a sewage plant doubling as a means to generate energy.

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Dam "skeptics"
written by Jon Starbuck, February 23, 2013

How dare those so called "skeptics" come on here with their science, logic and reason! How dare they suggest that this "technology" can't work! Have they tried it themselves? If not then how can they be so sure that it is "nonsense" and a "scam"? Go back to your "education", you so-called "scientists"; let us get on with the Real Work of inventing things and debunking the so-called-laws of thermodynamics.

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Interesting
written by Mary Napier, February 23, 2013

I honestly think that this is something that needs to be sold worldwide, especially to people who maybe can't afford electricity because its a helpful solution and pee ya know... Doesn't really cost money.

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Awesome
written by Bgeffa, March 17, 2013

That's pretty awesome,regardless of not sitting the Mw the generator outputs the fact is we can put our waste into use and safe our cities/towns of the waste disposal menace.

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