Cell Phone Powered By Urine

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Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday July 17, 2013 @10:55AM from the want-to-use-my-phone? dept.

sciencehabit writes "The newest source of battery power for your cell phone is both cheap and abundant. Scientists report that microbial fuel cells using human urine can directly power a cell phone battery. However, the devices are not quite portable enough to come in handy during a marathon pub crawl. One consists of six, 4-inch-long ceramic cylinders; the other is a network of 25 smaller fuel cells borrowed from the team's waste-fueled EcoBot. And urine-powered conversations would have to be short and sweet. After 24 hours of charging, a Samsung phone stayed alive for 25 minutes—enough to send several texts and make a 6-minute, 20-second call."

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Yeah but... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-17 10:56 · Score: 5, Funny

Yeah but it gets piss-poor reception, even when using frosty piss.
Re:How does one pee for 24h straight ? by gandhi_2 · 2013-07-17 10:59 · Score: 2

I heard the new iPhone 6 has the catheter tube in the bottom!

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THL phish sticks
So shit tech then by happyurine · 2013-07-17 10:59 · Score: 2

And urine-powered conversations would have to be short and sweet. After 24 hours of charging, a Samsung phone stayed alive for 25 minutes
Why do we even post this if it's that shitty charger?
1. Re:So shit tech then by lightBearer · 2013-07-17 11:25 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  ...because it's a start? Not all technology starts of at it's peak. This just happens to be a piss-poor beginning.
  
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2. Re:So shit tech then by dintech · 2013-07-17 21:47 · Score: 2
  
  "Hi, I'm not home at the moment so please wash your hands and call back later."
  
  "Oh... hi... it's me. I'll call back later when urine..."
Urine Powered by keytoe · 2013-07-17 11:02 · Score: 5, Funny

Perfect for Bear Grylls!

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Culture is more than commerce
Before you try this in the field ... by DrJimbo · 2013-07-17 11:07 · Score: 2

You should know it does't work to power subway trains!

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grammar-school physics by bmo · 2013-07-17 11:07 · Score: 5, Insightful

It's like people are rediscovering that you can make a battery out of any random electrolyte and two dissimilar metals to get grants.
Who *didn't* make a battery out of a potato or lemon as a kid, or at least didn't see it demonstrated in 4'th grade?
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BMO
Dehydration by MrEricSir · 2013-07-17 11:15 · Score: 4, Funny

If you're so dehyrdated that you have to call 911, urine trouble.

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There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
But this isn't a battery.... by Ellis+D.+Tripp · 2013-07-17 12:39 · Score: 4, Insightful

This is a fuel cell, not a simple primary cell like you make from a lemon and a couple coins. The urine isn't acting as a simple electrolyte here.
The urine acts as the fuel, and a fuel cell will keep producing power as long as it has fuel and oxygen. Unlike a primary electrochemical cell, the electrodes are not consumed as part of the reaction.

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Re:How does one pee for 24h straight ? by Tarlus · 2013-07-17 14:22 · Score: 2

They call it the iPee.

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Re:How does one pee for 24h straight ? by Velox_SwiftFox · 2013-07-17 15:46 · Score: 2

Urine touch with the iPee