Comments for Four African Teenagers Create Generator that Runs on Pee at http://www.ecogeek.org , comment 1 to 19 out of 19 comments http://www.ecogeek.org Sun, 19 May 2013 18:00:34 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-48026 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. - Bgeffa Sun, 17 Mar 2013 09:50:48 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47932 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. - Mary Napier Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:32:58 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47930 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. - Jon Starbuck Sat, 23 Feb 2013 03:36:12 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47911 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. - SRMORB Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:32:24 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47908 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?;) - Steve Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:40:59 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47907 What the hell? This is so obviously wrong! It is a hoax. Click on my website to find out more... - Jon Starbuck Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:56:34 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47906 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. - Bob Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:20:42 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47888 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! - Kevin Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:10:36 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47855 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 - Jim Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:16:28 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47845 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. - Jack Sat, 02 Feb 2013 07:34:26 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47838 If you follow the link to [url]http://makerfaireafrica.com/[/url] 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. - mary Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:34:06 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47831 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. - Juliane Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:33:20 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47830 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. - Fredrik Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:59:49 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47824 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! - Luke P Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:11:46 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47823 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. - Doubter Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:53:04 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47819 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/technology/futureoftech/african-girls-pee-powered-generator-raises-questions-1C6956099) - Sarah Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:41:53 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47817 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. - Fredrik Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:10:44 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47807 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 - sarah Tue, 29 Jan 2013 04:20:00 +0100 http://www.ecogeek.org/human-powered/3840-four-african-teenagers-create-generator-that-runs-#comment-47805 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! - jerry wilkinson Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:14:49 +0100