Researchers at the University of the West of England and the charitable group Oxfam have partnered to create a prototype toilet that proves urine can generate electricity.
The groups want to take the pee-power to dark and dangerous refugee camps where it can be used to light cubicles.
The students and staff from the universities are being asked to donate their urine to fuel microbial fuel cell stacks that generate electricity to power indoor lighting.
“We have already proved that this way of generating electricity works. Work by the Bristol BioEnergy Centre hit the headlines in 2013 when the team demonstrated that electricity generated by microbial fuel cell stacks could power a mobile phone. This exciting project with Oxfam could have a huge impact in refugee camps,” said Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos, lead researcher of the team.
In order to make the trial as realistic as possible, the prototype urinal resembles the ones used in refugee camps by Oxfam. The technology that converts the urine into power sits under the urinal and can be viewed through a clear screen.
Watch the launch of the pee-powered toilet below.
How it works
The microbial fuel cells use live microbes that feed on urine for growth and maintenance. The system harnasses a portion of that biochemical energy used for microbial growth and converts it directly into electricity. The team is calling this “urine-tricity” or “pee-power”.
According to Professor Ieropoulos and Andy Bastable, Head of Water and Sanitation at Oxfam, the technology is inexpensive and relies on an abundant, free supply of urine so it remains practical for aid agencies to use in the field.
One microbial fuel cell costs just over $1 to make, so a small unit like the prototype would only cost about $630 and could theoretically last a lifetime.
Take a look at last year’s research where the team discovered they could charge a cellphone with urine.
Story via University of the West of England Bristol.
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