Re: power the world on urine! (was Re: photochemical advance)

From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Tue Dec 11 2001 - 09:48:53 MST


Dossy wrote:
>
> I recall seeing an article a long while back that claimed someone
> invented a battery cell that used urine as the power source.
>
> The power output was very low, IIRC.
>
> Does anyone have any pointers to what I'm talking about?

You can generate power from just about anything with non-neutral pH.
Potatos, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables will work, but
don't expect to base the energy infrastructure of a technological
civilization on them, if only for the simple fact that there are some
times in the year when such things are not 'in season', and ghu help you
when the next blight arrives.

Saline differentials are also useful for generating power. A 1 cubic
meter per second freshwater discharge into the ocean has an osmotic
energy potential of around 1 megawatt.



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