Thaindian News

By Meena Kar
Aug 30, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Peeing into the gas tank of your car might just refrain you from going to the gas station in the future. The idea might take a few years to turn into reality but a recent research has been successful in creating urine powered fuel cells. The invention could have a great impact on the future of waste management and renewable energy research. Earlier, there have been claims of a urine powered robot but none of the research could make it commercially. The latest development however promises to take the things to the next level with the power of pee.

Shanwen Tao and Rong Lan, researchers at the Heriot-Watt University’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in Edinburgh are claiming that they can turn pee into electricity and pure water with the help of a prototype fuel cell system. Reports suggest that the fuel cells use urea instead of other inflammable substances for power. Urea is one of the major components of urine. Urea as a fuel source also has several advantages as it is abundant and non-toxic. Urea is also known as carbamide and the latest technology breaks it into water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

The research has recently been granted $203,000 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the researchers feel that the innovation could have great uses in deserts, submarines and islands. Apart from this, the technology can also help save the huge sums of money and energy that are spent by the authorities to remove urea from wastewater. Considering that fuel efficiency is one of the most important aspects of technology today, the technology could be a rage in the years to come.