[Josh Starnes] had a dream. A dream of a device that could easily and naturally be activated to generate power in an emergency, or just for the heck of it. That device takes in urea, which is present in urine, and uses it to generate a useful electrical charge. [Josh] has, of course, named this device the P Cell.
An early proof of concept uses urine to create a basic galvanic cell with zinc and copper electrodes, but [Josh] has other ideas for creating a useful amount of electricity with such a readily-available substance. For example, the urea could be used to feed bacteria or micro algae in a more elegantly organized system. Right now the P Cell isn’t much more than a basic design, but the possibilities are more than just high-minded concepts. After all, [Josh] has already prototyped a Hybrid Microbial Fuel Cell which uses a harmonious arrangement of bacteria and phytoplankton to generate power.
[Josh]’s entries were certainly among some of the more intriguing ones we saw in the Power Harvesting Challenge portion of The Hackaday Prize, and we’re delighted that his ideas will be in the running for the Grand Prize of $50,000.
It’s a low efficiency zinc-copper cell. For the cost, environmental impact, mass and volume this could be beaten by a AA cell from the supermarket.
You missed the point. After 30 years sitting on the shelf in an emergency bunker, how will that AA from the supermarket do? After 30 years, add the P to the Cell, and it will work as well as the day it was made.
What happened to the Carbon Dust and Water battery
If it’s a zinc-carbon dry cell, it’d probably still be good. It’s one of the reasons they still survive on the market vs alkalines and single-use lithiums… they last exceedingly well in very low-drain applications.
As for something to put in an emergency bunker, I think I’d probably put my faith more in a hand-cranked dynamo and a bunch of thin-film capacitors (ie non electrolytic, non tantalum) for short term storage of charge – or perhaps just a wound-spring clockwork mechanism to drive the dynamo hands-off like the already well-established Wind-Up Radio. More immediate, higher power, and longer lasting than the P-cell, or most traditional batteries, and reusable unlike the dry cells.
Boom, ” Tiny Settlement Dweller” got the idea
This is already developed enough to launch a Kickstarter.
[intro: music with ukuleles and a small chorus of people whistling a happy tune. a suburban couple smilingly admire their cookie cutter house and perfectly manicured grass ]
narrator: P-Power is ready to save the planet and now you can help make that dream reality. It is the world’s first urine powered battery. Imagine the difference we can make if every house had a P-cell to power your home and charge your cell Tesla. By using a P-cell to run a refrigerator to keep your beer cold to supply the raw materials for making more urine, the resulting positive feedback loop will solve global warming.
[ Cut to 20-something silicon valley inventor with tousled hair and a two day beard]
inventor: I first had the dream when peeing two years ago, thinking, everyone pees every day. There must be something better we can do with all this urine. Then it hit me: the P-cell. The technology works, and we need your help to carry the product across the finish line and save the planet for only $149* (* early bird pricing for the first 100 people)
[ Cut to original suburban dad, standing with his back to the camera and his pants at his knees. he is wearing boxers, obviously peeing into some device hidden by his body. ]
10 year old son enters frame: What are you doing, dad?
Dad: I’m saving the planet Timmy!
Timmy: Can I save the planet too?
Dad: That’s my boy!
[exit: suburban family once again admires their resource intensive home without guilt or shame, knowing they have done more than their share to save the planet ]
You also need a negative counterpoint to enhance the positivity, like how De Krul in Amsterdam is potentially wasting 1.21 gigawatts every single day.
That’s a surprisingly well written script.
Gold!
:o)
all you need is an oblique start up name, like “Pissify” or “pink.ly” and you’ve got millions in VC just waiting for you
Does HaD award prizes for comments, because that was the best most accurate thing I’ve read all year!
Also, this takes the piss less than most crowdfunding campagins do ;)
My wife ran a Boy Scout troop. She once commented to me that a troop of Boy Scouts knew only one way to put out a campfire, and it involved peeing on it.
Also – in my misspent youth, I read a story (or paperback) about a Jewish James Bond. His car was pee-powered, so when it ran out of “gas”, he had to unzip and fill the tank. Don’t recall the title or how the fact that he was Jewish entered into it….anyone else recall this? So…now, it’s reality (or could be). New from Elon Musk: the Pee-sla,
Im cracking up
“My phone needs charging.”
“Urine luck!”
> allowing him to be the first US president to break the 2-term limit….
That’s the most objectionable part of your post.
Franklin D Roosevelt served 4 terms in USA. Benhoff could only claim to be the first president to break 2 terms since the limit was implemented by the congress in 1951
I hope he gets it right with v1, because number 2 isn’t a P-cell any more…
number 2 is a PP-cell
Suck up much?
No offense, Brian is pretty cool.
He toiled into the wee hours of the morning perfecting this.
why zinc… the precursor of P already comes in Aluminium cans!!!
Urea is actually a really good way of turning hydrogen into a manageable solid fuel that just adds nitrogen and water back to the atmosphere as waste. Petroleum fuels are like a liquid battery that you use once then throw away into the sky, you can’t beat them for energy density and convenience but the CO2 is harder to manage.
Yes! though I will print out a working version of this version, I am working with someone who is keen with chemistry to have a P-Cell stack able/ expandable MFC for power generation use.
“prototyped a Hybrid Microbial Fuel Cell which uses a harmonious arrangement of bacteria and phytoplankton to generate power.”
It is still just a zinc copper cell with a shitty electrolyte.
I hope, he’ll try diarrhea as electrolyte next.
If you will read into the project more closely, copper/zinc electrodes are already ditched on the microbial fuel cell project. :)
Dingle Berry Cell, I shall call it a D-Cell battery !
I think he’s taking the piss
Damn- car battery’s dead…
MORE BEER!!!! I NEED MORE BEER!!!
It reminds me of Pee Power.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z44BM1isxdg
reminds me of old news
Related research “Miniaturized Ceramic-Based Microbial Fuel Cell for Efficient Power Generation From Urine and Stack Development”
DOI: 10.3389/fenrg.2018.00084
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327987661_Miniaturized_Ceramic-Based_Microbial_Fuel_Cell_for_Efficient_Power_Generation_From_Urine_and_Stack_Development
My electricity smells like asparagus.
I am the P – Cell project owner and I am simply Rolling Over laughing