112 MPG on Pure Matter
Scientists often come across as eccentrics. Have they gone too far this time? Professor Gerardine Botte from the much-respected Ohio University is leading a strange study in possibilities to utilize urine in green motoring.
It might sound like a crazy idea but it actually makes perfect sense when you think about it. Urine is the cheapest possible (to date) source of hydrogen. If we had enough of freely available hydrogen, our motoring problems would be solved because hydrogen is the most widespread element on earth, it burns eagerly and produces water as a by-product.
It is such a shame to have such an enormous amount of fuel around without being able to use it. It is possible to extract H from water but this process is too expensive because it requires much energy to split the bond between H and O atoms.
When it comes to urine, H is loosely attached to nitrogen atoms and is easily extracted via electrolysis.
So far Ms Botte has found that in order to extract enough H to power a passenger car for 60 mile run, it takes only 2.5 litres of our precious yellow stuff which is equal to 112 mpg.
The biggest challenge of a pee-car is the re-fuel. It is apparently easier for men… joking apart, our whole lifestyle (and sanitary system in our homes) would have to be changed around the car. It simply doesn’t seem feasible at the moment but do keep your mind open. After all when they invented the combustion engine, it was proclaimed a “ridiculous idea” by the “Experts”.
From another point of view, the human race collectively wastes XX tonnes of urine daily. Wouldn’t it be great to put it to good use?
The idea of urine for power doesn’t seem such a nonsense once you consider that there are straight AA batteries available that can be recharged by, well… peeing into it. I’m dead serious. The battery is called NoPoPo and it was invented in Japan. The NoPoPo can be used wherever you would use a normal battery. You can buy NoPoPo for $15. It is said it lasts for at most 10 years and it can be put into the trash-bin because there are no dangerous substances inside.
What do you think about a prospect to power your car that way… well, you know what I mean?
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