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Can Urine Rescue Hydrogen-Powered Cars?

 
33,001 views Mar 30, 2011
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Shell Hydrogen Station in Reykjavik Iceland

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It's been a rough couple of years for cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells. As the drums beat louder for electric cars--the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, Nissan's upcoming EV, and more--the hydrogen chorus is waning.

But perhaps there's hope. And perhaps it's as close as your nearest urinal. Or, more politely, your local sewage treatment facility.


Let us explain. One of the problems with hydrogen is that while it's prolific in nature, hydrogen molecules aren't floating around loose.

It takes a lot of energy to split hydrogen out from the other atoms to which it binds, either in natural gas or water. Which means energy analysts are skeptical about the overall energy balance of cars fueled by hydrogen.

Now, as Ariel Schwartz of Fast Company reports, Ohio University researcher Geraldine Botte has come up with a nickel-based electrode to oxidize (NH2)2CO, otherwise known as urea, the major component of animal urine.

Because urea's four hydrogen atoms are less tightly bound to nitrogen than the hydrogen bound to oxygen in water molecules, it takes less energy to break them apart: Just 0.37 0.037 Volts need to be applied across the cell, against the 1.23 Volts needed to break down water.

This means the energy balance of urea-derived hydrogen could be considerably better from start to finish than projections for other so-called pathways for obtaining the highly combustible gas.

Given the early stage of this research, we're betting that the Honda and General Motors fuel-cell researchers aren't exactly rushing down to do deals with their local sewage plants.

Instead, they're talking with local and regional utilities--who already have a fueling infrastructure that reaches more than 99 percent of all US households. It's called electricity.

2009 Honda FCX Clarity

2009 Honda FCX Clarity

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Jamie Lee Curtis is one of a select few chosen to lease a Honda FCX Clarity.

Jamie Lee Curtis is one of a select few chosen to lease a Honda FCX Clarity.

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[Chemistry World via Fast Company]





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Comments (44)

  1. Mattwi Posted: 7/8/2009 7:56am PDT

    Well, at least there's a cheap, neverending supply!!
     
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  2. John Davis Posted: 7/8/2009 8:01am PDT

    Wow, who would have thunk it.
    RT
    www.be-anonymous.tk
     
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  3. b8000 Posted: 7/8/2009 8:11am PDT

    maybe some day they'll make them all electric..but if that happens what will the big oil companys do then.
     
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  4. Chris Posted: 7/8/2009 9:32am PDT

    Big oil will continue to prosper making electricity. Except then they will make MORE money due to saving on transportation costs of gasoline to filling stations costs.
     
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  5. renewable gordon Posted: 7/8/2009 10:34am PDT

    I think finding a way to waste into energy is a really smart idea. I personally create a lot of urea potential and would be happy to be power my own vehicle.
     
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  6. Erik Posted: 7/8/2009 11:54am PDT

    "Big oil will continue to prosper making electricity. Except then they will make MORE money due to saving on transportation costs of gasoline to filling stations costs. " - If that was true, they'd do so *NOW*
     
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  7. MissMyChance Posted: 7/8/2009 12:01pm PDT

    I'm really kicking myself for literally pissing away all that potential money I could have had during those late nights of drinking during college.
     
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  8. anon Posted: 7/8/2009 12:19pm PDT

    "otherwise known as urea, the major component of animal urine."
    I think you'll find water is the major component of animal urine.
     
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  9. anon Posted: 7/8/2009 12:41pm PDT

    what would be left over? N2C0 and water?
     
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  10. anon Posted: 7/8/2009 12:45pm PDT

    The linked chemistry website says .37 Volts not .037 Volts.
     
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  11. fb_523005315 avatar Jeff Deptola Posted: 7/8/2009 12:52pm PDT

    I'm no chemist, but I believe it would be nitrogen (N2) and carbon monoxide, (CO) seperatly, not bound together. That would be alot of carbon monoxide we'd be dealing with then, though probably not as much as burning fossil fuels.
     
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  12. fb_523005315 avatar Jeff Deptola Posted: 7/8/2009 12:53pm PDT

    oh, and no water. Water would be a byproduct of burning the Hydrogen.
     
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  13. Jr. Posted: 7/8/2009 2:09pm PDT

    great! now i don't have to find a toilet in the middle of nowhere, just piss in the tank
     
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  14. anon Posted: 7/8/2009 3:18pm PDT

    So long as we must create it rather than harvest it, hydrogen is still just an energy storage medium like a battery, rather than a fuel. Why then do we not simply use batteries? Lithium ion batteries of the sort in use in all upcoming electric cars provide a useful range and with a battery leasing arrangement like Project Better Place, battery electric vehicles would cost less than comparable gasoline vehicles and require less time to "refuel" (thanks to the battery exchange stations.)
     
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  15. Reliance Posted: 7/14/2009 7:30am PDT

    We need scientists to get creative, since fuel-cell applications are probably over a decade away from mass production. It's good to see that new technologies are being explored.
     
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  16. Uncle B Posted: 8/7/2009 11:52am PDT

    Don't stop at cars! Let Wind Power over-production be converted to H2,O2, and fed to on-site fuel cells for times of lower demand, lower winds - revolutionizing even the design goals for Wind Turbines!
     
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  17. antok85 Posted: 8/12/2009 4:10pm PDT

    So true uncle b...That thought went trough my head just a couple of weeks ago.. wind turbines can simply create H2,02(with our pee)home made wind&solar power can do the same,storage is a cost issue,but it would be a great investment,add it to your car`s air intake decreasing your mpg/kpg of gas every day...we should all get this stuff out in the open and into practice.It`s not rocket science its not common sense
     
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  18. supersparky Posted: 8/13/2009 4:57pm PDT

    Well ain't that a pisser!
     
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  19. shaun Posted: 9/12/2009 1:06pm PDT

    yeah but wouldnt the nitrogen combine with oxygen from the air intake and make nitrous oxide?
     
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  20. z e v Posted: 9/19/2009 5:22am PDT

    This technology would make for a real Pee(ple) car.
     
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  21. paul@contract hire Posted: 11/24/2009 4:35pm PST

    Technology is a little way off to make a difference in the alternative fuel market at the moment, im sure it wont be too long
     
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  22. Dave Posted: 12/7/2009 9:43am PST

    The CO (carbon monoxide) could be burned to create a bit more energy and CO2 (or it might power another fuel cell). It's not perfect, but the carbon comes from food, which means it was captured from the atmosphere not too long ago - it's essentially a closed loop. Unless we're going to use it to replace fossil fuel based fertilizer, this seems like a pretty good deal.
     
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  23. Horacio Prada Posted: 12/8/2009 9:51am PST

    .37 volts at how may amps per cubic foot of Hydrogen ?
     
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  24. Hydro Posted: 12/11/2009 4:34pm PST

    Hydrogen fuel cells really work. I bought mine from hydropush.com Hydrogen Generators They have some of the best 30 & 50 Amp Pulse Width Modulators I've ever seen!
     
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  25. Ella23 Posted: 12/23/2009 2:18pm PST

    I do know that the students must get know about this post and essay writing. At the writing services that is so easy to buy written essay or custom essay just about this post.
     
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  26. cheap car leasing Posted: 6/7/2010 5:26am PDT

    They need to figure out how electric cars can run for longer, they use up power to quickly and take to long to charge to be took seriously at the moment.
     
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  27. metin2 yang Posted: 8/11/2010 10:13am PDT

    very cool post
     
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  28. Michael Gater Posted: 8/13/2010 6:10am PDT

    Hydrogen fuel cell is surely the way forward.
     
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  29. sumthin fishy Posted: 8/30/2010 9:58am PDT

    This could help a great deal with farm animal waste, especially if methane conversion of solid waste accompanies an idea like this. It also would work really great for places that have waterless urinals which have been used with great success in public buildings and some commercial buildings in the past couple of years.
    It would be nice if we could get over the yuck factor we are all saddled with in our personal lives, things like urine and poop are just fairly benign byproducts and may have enough value to more than pay for their disposal using new tech methods.
     
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  30. fb_1571390057 avatar Ron Faulkner Posted: 8/30/2010 5:44pm PDT

    well nothing like useing pee to go to the store but will the air also smell of piss like sitting on the bus with a bed wetter?
     
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  31. yahoomail.com Posted: 9/9/2010 11:39am PDT

    that is crazy urine to run a car. Drink some beer youll be filling your car up in no time. lol
     
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  32. Baby Doll Posted: 10/12/2010 2:45am PDT

    There are some very ingenious methods of alternative fuel sources around and about at the moment. This is an interesting steer on an already existing process - the thing is this will also work on animal urine so farming could take on a whole new meaning....
     
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  33. Bodybuilding Posted: 12/27/2010 11:17am PST

    Are having hydrogen tanks in cars wise, I thought they are fairly explosive, moreso than petrol/diesel?
     
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  34. wetter blogger Posted: 1/1/2011 6:42pm PST

    i think it depends on political decisions which energy we'll use in future and not what is possible...
     
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  35. PeterSmith Posted: 3/6/2011 3:04pm PST

    I want to take this moment to say that I really love this blog. It has been a good resource of information for me in my research.custom writing
    Thank you so much admin.
     
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  36. kaycee avatar kay cee Posted: 5/5/2011 3:46am PDT

    Are we talking about human urine here? How about the impurities? What will happen to them?
     
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  37. stuff avatar darius wilkinson Posted: 7/26/2011 9:21pm PDT

    this is cool
     
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  38. fb_100002056665401 avatar Wendy Wednesday Posted: 8/15/2011 2:04pm PDT

    LOL. From on exhaust system to another. I guess if it works, that would be great considering the amout of urine available. It does bring new meaning to gas and [url=http://www.terracairdef.com]diesel exhaust fluid[/url] . Nevertheless, I am all for anything that reduces our dependency on foreign oil.
     
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  39. Research Paper avatar Research Paper Posted: 9/25/2011 9:20pm PDT

    This is a good article!
     
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  40. Joline0983 avatar Joline Mercedes Posted: 10/10/2011 5:46am PDT

    This is a very interesting find that is worthy of further research.
     
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  41. Joline0983 avatar Joline Mercedes Posted: 10/10/2011 5:48am PDT

    I hope also that this finding will not be left as part of any history essays but as something that is useful.
     
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  42. NICHOLASM1987 avatar Nicholas Massey Posted: 10/30/2011 2:00am PDT

    Wow, urine.... very odd.
     
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  43. latestiphone avatar wesley Hutchinson Posted: 1/13/2012 4:44am PST

    Hydrogen cars will never happen the oil companys will never allow it.
     
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  44. alanf avatar Alan Flrida Posted: 1/15/2012 4:58am PST

    This is just wonderful. I love the stuff you shared here. Great
     
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