Urine as auto fuel?

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Everybody knows that a lot of biodegradable waste can actually be put to good use: papers can be recycled, compost is used in gardens and bio-gas plants are used to supply gas to homes in some Indian villages to cook food. It was only a matter of time that somebody decided to try and use urine as fuel.

Well, not directly. Scientists at Ohio University actually used a nickel-based electrode to make cheap hydrogen from urine, reports Discovery. When scientists stuck the electrode into a pool of urine and applied an electrical current, hydrogen gas was released – and this can be used in fuel cells. The prototype, developed by Ohio University professor Gerardine Botte, is about three inches by three inches and it produces up to 500 milliwatts of power.

Not a lot for sure, but every little bit helps in conserve other fuel sources. And this is just the beginning. Urea, which is traditionally used as a fertilizer, helps in making this fuel. Actually the urine from one cow could supply energy to heat water for 19 homes.

Hydrogen energy is a clean and green fuel and if it is made from waste, it is all the better for ecology.