Scientist have developed a way to convert urine into electricity. Researchers say that the new energy source can be used as a cheap, durable, and
renewable source of energy that could be implemented for healthcare and other commercial uses. By causing chemical reactions using the chemicals in
urine with a soaked a piece of paper in copper chloride, they sandwiched the peice of paper between strips of magnesium and copper. Then they
laminated the credit card-sized unit between transparent plastic films. Once urine was added the reaction produced electricity. Scientist hope that
once the ways of producing such energy advance, people will be able to monitor their own health care by getting difficult results depending on how
much of one substance is in the urine.
livescience.com
Scientists have developed a way to turn pee into electricity. And there's plenty where that came from, they point out.
Cheap, disposable, and renewable, urine-powered batteries may be the perfect power source for disposable healthcare test kits called biochips, the
researchers say.
"We are striving to develop cheap, disposable credit card-sized biochips for disease detection," said battery developer Ki Bang Lee. "Our battery
can be easily integrated into such devices, supplying electricity upon contact with biofluids such as urine."
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Microengineering is advancing fast, but the techiques a lot of the techniques used are still a bit elementary in terms of scientific advancement.
With powering batteries with urine-- one would think such a task would of been done already. Considering explosives can be made by distilling the
urine and seperating phosphorus, you would certainly think you would be able to power a battery.
Still I give love to the scientific community for making advancements. One small step will always lead to a giant leap.
-Jago
[edit on 27-9-2005 by DJDOHBOY]