Urine - Waste product or future power source?

26 July 2010

Microbial Fuel Cells

Researchers at Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL), a colaborative UWE/University of Bristol resarch facility, are looking into the use of urine as the 'fuel' for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), which use bacterial cultures to break down 'food' to create power. MFCs are a developing technology used to power autonomous robots.

An EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellowship Grant worth £564,561 has been awarded to Dr Ioannis Ieropoulos for a four year project to develop research into how waste could be used by Microbial Fuel Cells to generate energy. A unique aspect of their research will be to look at the use of urine as a waste material that could be used to power the MFCs.

Dr Ieropoulos explains, "Over the years we have fed our MFCs with rotten fruit, grass clippings, prawn shells and dead flies in an attempt to investigate different waste materials to use as a 'food source' for the Microbial Fuel Cells. We have focused on finding the best waste materials that create the most energy. Urine is chemicaly very active, rich in nitrogen and has compounds such as urea, chloride, potassium and bilirubin, which make it very good for the microbial fuel cells. We have already done preliminary tests whic show it being a waste material that is very effective. Although it is early days for this research,we hope to work towards producing a prototype portable urinal which would use urine to create power from fuel cells. We envisage tht his could be used for example at music festivals and other outdoor events."

Ecoprod Technique are assisting Dr Ieropoulos and his team by supplying them with their Urimat Waterless Urinals as part of the resarch. Dr Ieropoulos has identified that Urimat is the only waterless urinal technology available which will work for them because it doesn't us chemicals or oils. This will be a valuable and interesting collaboration for Ecoprod Technique to be involved in.