Chinese University Uses Urine to Charge Smartphones

A teaspoon of gray powder, a small amount of mineral water and a splash of urine was the chemical concoction that Sichuan University students used to charge their smartphones from dead to 100% recently.

Yes, you read it right – urine. The three science and engineering students completed this project as part of the Discovery 2014 national youth science innovation and future experiences national finals. Utilizing a gray magnesium hybrid powder that is calcium based as the core of their fuel, this device uses the powder to react with water, generating hydrogen gas into a hydrogen fuel cell. Oxygen then reacts with this concoction to form water in the battery, charging the ions with the reaction resulting in emission of power.

According to estimates, the total amount of gray powder used is 15 grams which costs only 1.54 yuan ($0.25 USD) in the local market. Combining this with 150 grams of water (or urine if water is not available) will see your Samsung Galaxy S3 Smartphone charge from dead to full battery levels three times. Lianfeng research claims that this form of mobile power source can be used for all aspects of travelling and outdoor adventures, alongside possible military applications due to it’s small and easily operable nature and the ability to replace often-scarce water with human waste.

Bear Grylls will be proud – once again there’s another use for urine other than survival tactics.

Image courtesy of apartment therapy