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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 1:59 am Post subject: Singapore Scientists Create Battery Powered by Urine |
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Singapore Scientists Create Battery Powered by Urine
Researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore have created a credit card-size battery, powered by urine, as a disposable power source for medical test kits.
Scientists have been scrambling to create smaller, more efficient, and less expensive "biochips" to test for diseases such as diabetes. Until now, however, similarly small batteries to power the devices remained elusive. Diagnostic test kits commonly analyze the chemical composition of a person's urine to detect a malady. Ki Bang Lee and his colleagues realized that the substance being tested—urine—could also power the test.
"In order to address this problem, we have designed a disposable battery on a chip, which is activated by biofluids such as urine," Lee wrote. The research team describes the battery in the current issue of the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.
To make the battery, Lee and his colleagues soaked a piece of paper in a solution of copper chloride and sandwiched it between strips of magnesium and copper. This sandwich was then laminated between two sheets of transparent plastic. When a drop of urine is added to the paper through a slit in the plastic, a chemical reaction takes place that produces electricity, Lee said.
The prototype battery produced about 1.5 volts, the same as a standard AA battery, and runs for about 90 minutes. Researchers said the power, voltage, and lifetime of the battery can be improved by adjusting the geometry and materials used.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0818_050818_urinebattery.html
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 2:32 am Post subject: |
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Weird- I was just reading Paul Theroux's Riding the Iron Rooster, and he talks about coming across collections (100's of gallons) of urine outside toilets in western China. Apparently they collected it (it was 1986, but probably still) for medical use- medications, enzymes, etc. They have used it for, reportedly, 1000's of years for this.
Now there is a new use. Ultimate recycling. |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 2:44 am Post subject: |
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| They do it in the states as well. Urine is collected from certain prisons for manufacturing purposes. There is even a company in California that sells "artificial urine", which is used to calibrate testing equipment for illegal drugs. |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 5:03 am Post subject: |
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Interesting article. Could do without the picture of it in a glass.
Ken:>  |
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dogbert
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210
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| Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 5:04 am Post subject: |
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| Gandhi drank urine. Menopausal women in the U.S. ingest mare urine. |
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EFLtrainer
Joined: 04 May 2005
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| If I'm not mistaken, all sorts of acidic fluids will do the same. Ancient batteries have been found in Egypt and/or the Middle East based on this principle. The more things change.... |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| If only they could come up with a car powered by BS... |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 2:05 am Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| If only they could come up with a car powered by BS... |
rapier would instantly become a major natural resource.  |
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