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They use an electrolytic cell to extract the hydrogen from the urine... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyhydrogen#Fringe_science_and_fraud http://en.wikipedia.o

by rb2k_ 14y ago

They use an electrolytic cell to extract the hydrogen from the urine... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyhydrogen#Fringe_science_and_fraud http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyhydrogen#Fringe_science_and_... > the energy required to split water molecules exceeds the energy recouped by burning it

deleted 14y ago
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nhebb 14y ago
Maybe they pee onto a turbine to recharge the battery.
Xylakant 14y ago
Well, except they don't split the water, but the urea contained in the urine. Now, I don't know whether that process takes more or less energy than you gain by burning the end result, but it's not the same process.
- Luyt 14y ago
  You can't electrolyze urea by solving it in water and passing electricity through the solution, for that you'd have to melt pure urea and electrolyze that. Problem is that it will decompose above its melting point. So, even when urea is solved in the water, only the water is electrolyzed (in hydrogen and oxygen).
  - Xylakant 14y ago
    Why would you need to melt the urea to electrolyze it? I'm actually a little behind with my chemistry, but you can electrolyze NaCl (salt) when dissolved in water, without melting it. The basic requirement is that the solution contains ions. Now I must admit that I don't know the basic reactions of urea with water, but given that you can use urea as hydrogen source in fuel cells [1] I'd assume that it should work as hydrogen source in an electrolytic process since the basic reaction is somewhat similar. [1] see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea#Laboratory_uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea#Laboratory_uses Edit: There are papers about direct electrolysis of urea http://www.suttonfruit.com/pics/urea_electrolysis.pdf http://www.suttonfruit.com/pics/urea_electrolysis.pdf (I think its a copy of http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2009/CC/b905974a http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2009/CC/b90597...) http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Singh%20Deepika.pdf?ohiou1258349080 http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Singh%20Deepika.pdf?ohi... Now I don't know how legit they are, but seems ok to me.

by rb2k_ 14y ago

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

nhebb 14y ago

Maybe they pee onto a turbine to recharge the battery.

Xylakant 14y ago

Well, except they don't split the water, but the urea contained in the urine. Now, I don't know whether that process takes more or less energy than you gain by burning the end result, but it's not the same process.

Luyt 14y ago
You can't electrolyze urea by solving it in water and passing electricity through the solution, for that you'd have to melt pure urea and electrolyze that. Problem is that it will decompose above its melting point. So, even when urea is solved in the water, only the water is electrolyzed (in hydrogen and oxygen).
- Xylakant 14y ago
  Why would you need to melt the urea to electrolyze it? I'm actually a little behind with my chemistry, but you can electrolyze NaCl (salt) when dissolved in water, without melting it. The basic requirement is that the solution contains ions. Now I must admit that I don't know the basic reactions of urea with water, but given that you can use urea as hydrogen source in fuel cells [1] I'd assume that it should work as hydrogen source in an electrolytic process since the basic reaction is somewhat similar. [1] see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea#Laboratory_uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea#Laboratory_uses Edit: There are papers about direct electrolysis of urea http://www.suttonfruit.com/pics/urea_electrolysis.pdf http://www.suttonfruit.com/pics/urea_electrolysis.pdf (I think its a copy of http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2009/CC/b905974a http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2009/CC/b90597...) http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Singh%20Deepika.pdf?ohiou1258349080 http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Singh%20Deepika.pdf?ohi... Now I don't know how legit they are, but seems ok to me.