According to the scientists at the University of Ohio, it is possible, using a nickel based electrode, to create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that in turn, can be utilized in hydrogen fuel cells.

This utilization of hydrogen as a source of power is one that is being extensively researched with everything from hydrogen fuel cell cars to hand held personal devices being powered by the most common element in the universe.

It is however, a complex process. As well as being highly flammable, storing pure hydrogen requires high pressure and low temperatures. Currently, new nano-materials with high surface areas capable of absorbing hydrogen are in production, but not on a large scale.

The science behind utilizing urine is to do with chemically binding hydrogen to other elements, such as water, to make it easier and safer to store and transport.

By inserting a special nickel electrode into a pool of urine and then applying an electrical current, you can release hydrogen gas. The current prototype measures 3x3x1 inch and can produce up to 500 milliwatts of power.

Read more from NextGenPE.com

Using hydrogen to power cars has become an increasingly attractive transportation fuel, as the only emission produced is water – but a major stumbling block is the lack of a cheap, renewable source of the fuel. Gerardine Botte of Ohio University may now have found the answer, using an electrolytic approach to produce hydrogen from urine – the most abundant waste on Earth – at a fraction of the cost of producing hydrogen from water.

Read more