The search for alternative fuels to power our cars has seen manufacturers spend millions on research and development. Current thinking is leading us towards electricity as an energy source. Cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells, such as the Honda FCX Clarity are also a strong possibility, but the costs involved with using water as a source for hydrogen are an issue. So, what if there is a source for cheaper hydrogen production that is much closer to home than we first thought.
Here is one story about extracting the urine that is not, erm, taking the piss. Studies undertaken at Ohio University show that human urine could be used as a source for hydrogen. The benefits here are clear, firstly a constant supply of urine the world over is guaranteed. But, secondly, extracting hydrogen from urine requires much less energy than using water as a source.
While it’s not quite as simple as breaking up long highway drives with “pitstops” to fill up your car, the pee power theory sounds both plausible and dare I say, quite exciting.
Using animal urine is also possible with John Stickney, a chemist and professor at the University of Georgia, stating, “The waste products from say a chicken farm could be used to produce the energy needed to run the farm. It is not a solution for all our cars, but it is the kind of process which will find many applications and will make for a greener world.”
Or should that be, a yellower world!
[Source: Channel4 & Discovery News]