Girls in Africa Build Urine-Powered Generator

Urine Powered Generator 1

Four young girls in Africa have created a generator that can produce power from human urine. Teenagers Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin and Bello Eniola of Lagos built the impressive generator, which provides 6 hours of power from one liter of urine, as part of this year’s Maker Faire.

Urine Powered Generator 2

Urine is placed into an electrolytic cell, which separates out the hydrogen. The hydrogen is purified by a water filter, and then pushed into the gas cylinder. That cylinder then pushes the hydrogen into another cylinder, this one full of liquid borax, which removes the moisture from the hydrogen gas. The result, a purified hydrogen, goes into the generator.

Urine Powered Generator 3

While using human urine to produce electricity may sound odd, it’s hardly the strangest source of renewable energy. Used adult diapers, confiscated booze, dead bodies and chocolate are among the most unusual alternatives to fossil fuels.