IIT Palakkad Researchers Generate Electricity From Human Urine

A group of researchers from the IIT Palakkad has devised a revolutionary solution—utilising urine to generate renewable energy and produce biofertilizer simultaneously.

Palakkad(Kerala): In a remarkable achievement, the researchers from Indian Institute of Technology-Palakkad (IIT Palakkad) have introduced a pioneering method of generating renewable energy from human urine in a bid to address the escalating global energy demand.

In the first phase, the researchers used cow urine to generate electricity. The cow urine was collect in a chamber and then passed to the electrochemical resource recovery reactor which looks like small cells made of glass. Magnesium is used as Anode inside these cells and operate with air Cathode. In their preliminary research the researchers used 50 such cells, each working with 100 millilitre of cow urine.

"The urine-fed, self-driven stacked electrochemical resource recovery reactor integrates with an electrochemical reactor, ammonia adsorption column, decolorisation, and chlorination chamber, along with plumbing and electrical manifolds. This system offers a dual benefit of power generation for recharging smartphones and lamps and sustainable agriculture." the researchers said.

The researchers managed to generate an average of 1.5 volt electricity from 1 litre of urine, i.e., 10 cells. The generated electricity was enough for charging mobile phones, emergency lamps and to lit LED lights. "This is the first study exploring the use of real source separated cow urine for simultaneous nutrient recovery and energy production with a laboratory made MAFC," the researchers claimed.

Researchers led by IIT-Palakkad Civil Engineering Department Assistant Professor, Dr. Praveena Gangadharan, played an instrumental role in this invention. The team, comprising of Research Scholar Sangeetha V, Project Scientist Dr. Sreejith PM and research associate Rinu Anna Koshy, from Department of Civil Engineering managed to develop the new device. Their research findings were published in the February 1 volume of science journal 'Separation and purification Technology'.

The researchers informed that after producing electricity the urine has to be exchanged to another chamber where they can produce fertiliser also from the same urine. The new method of generating electricity will be capable of producing the fertilisers like Nitrogen Phosphorus and potassium which is necessary for the plant growth," the researchers said.

The IIT researchers carried out the research with the financial support from the Department of Science and Technology. Their findings are currently at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4 and the novel technology has undergone successful laboratory validation.

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