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Urine Powered Battery Developed
Saeed al-Sahaf writes "Research investment into developing smaller and cheaper chips to process information in disposable health tests has been significant, but they were still reliant on an external power source. The researchers at Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology think they have overcome this problem with their latest urine powered battery. From the article "The battery is composed of paper, soaked in copper chloride, sandwiched between layers of magnesium and copper. The whole thing, once laminated in plastic, is just a millimeter thick, and 6cm by 3cm in size." The breakthrough promises a cheap and disposable power source for home health tests."
I saw that once in a bar near LA: there was a urinal with a 3x3 square hole and the top half of a small paddlewheel behind it. A small sign advised that it was an electronic pissing contest machine, and that men who could turn the paddlewheel the fastest would win a free supersize softdrink (to play again no doubt). A bulb on top of the urinal would go brighter and brighter as the paddlewheel would turn faster.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
The copy writing muse wispered to me.. These are going to be called "UP Batteries" Urine Powered...
- Henrik
- when the Shadows descend -
So, let me get this straight...
It's a battery.
Shipped dry.
Electrolyte added only when needed.
How is this new?
(It's not really urine powered anyway. Urine is just the electrolyte.)
I dub thee... Sir Phobos, Knight of Mars, Beater of Ass.
This battery is going to take the pressure off the industry. It doesn't take a whiz to see that they're looking out for number one. Trust me, these guys are going to make a big splash very soon!
In Soviet Russia, battery piss on YOU!
The urine is only the electrolyte, the chemical reaction would be: Mg + Cu2+ --> Mg2+ + Cu The battery would also work with pure water. But the whole thing won't be a very "clean" source of energy. Copper chloride is not good for your environment.
1 battery outputs 1.5 mW / 1.5V = 1mA
theoretically you could get 1A at 1.5V by wiring them in parallel, OR 1mA at 1500V by wiring them serial, both outputting 1.5W of power.
What if you miss and pee on the laptop?
Wouldn't be any worse than installing Microsoft Project.
Great! Now I don't even have to get off the couch to change the batteries in my remote anymore. And as a side benefit, I don't have to *share* the remote anymore.