Future energy source? Urine-powered socks can create enough electricity to charge a wireless transmitter
- 9 years ago
BRISTOL, UK — Urine could become an alternative energy source to fossil fuels, according to the inventors of socks which use waste fluid to create electricity.
The wearable technology can generate enough electricity to power a wireless transmitter, researchers at the University of West England (UWE) said in a press release.
Soft tubes placed under the heels of the footwear ensure that urine keeps being pumped while a person is walking. The pumped urine passes over microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which are energy generators located inside the footwear's material support.
The MFCs contain bacteria capable of eating the urine and breaking it down, producing electrons in the process.
The electricity created is then able to power a wireless transmitter that sends a signal to a computer.
The invention was inspired by the simple cardiovascular system of fish, the researchers said.
The technology can use any organic waste to produce electricity, and could be an alternative to fossil fuels, according to the UWE press release.
The invention also opens up the possibility to use waste to power portable and wearable devices, according to Ioannis Ieropoulos, from the Bristol BioEnergy Center at UWE.
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The wearable technology can generate enough electricity to power a wireless transmitter, researchers at the University of West England (UWE) said in a press release.
Soft tubes placed under the heels of the footwear ensure that urine keeps being pumped while a person is walking. The pumped urine passes over microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which are energy generators located inside the footwear's material support.
The MFCs contain bacteria capable of eating the urine and breaking it down, producing electrons in the process.
The electricity created is then able to power a wireless transmitter that sends a signal to a computer.
The invention was inspired by the simple cardiovascular system of fish, the researchers said.
The technology can use any organic waste to produce electricity, and could be an alternative to fossil fuels, according to the UWE press release.
The invention also opens up the possibility to use waste to power portable and wearable devices, according to Ioannis Ieropoulos, from the Bristol BioEnergy Center at UWE.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.
Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.net
Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj
Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f
Get top stories delivered to your inbox everyday: http://bit.ly/tomo-newsletter
Stay connected with us here:
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Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS
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