尿液電池問世 一泡尿可充手機3小時

British scientists have created a new way to charge smartphones - using urine.

英國科學家發明了一種爲智能手機充電的新方式——利用尿液。

Researchers have revealed a new system which transforms urine into electricity using a microbial fuel cell.

研究人員表示，這一新系統會通過一個微生物燃料電池，將尿液轉換爲電力。

Just over half a litre of urine is enough for six hours of charge time, which can power a smartphone for three hours.

只需要半升的尿液，就能夠充電六小時，而這能爲智能手機提供三個小時的續航時間。

The average toilet break produces around 600ml of urine.

人們平均每次上廁所能產生約600毫升的尿液。

Researchers at the University of the West of England hope the technology will eventually allow people to stay connected when off-grid.

西英格蘭大學的研究人員希望，這項技術最終將會使人們能夠在斷電時，依然保持通信。

Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos, Director of the Bristol Bioenergy Centre, said: 'This project is all about generating electricity from waste material.

布裏斯托爾生物能源中心的主任揚尼斯·耶羅普洛斯教授表示：“這項工程致力於將廢棄材料轉化爲電力。

'In other words, turning waste into something really, really useful.

“換句話說，就是將廢棄物轉變爲有用之物。

'And the microbial fuel cell technology is something that does exactly that.

“而微生物燃料電池技術能完成這一轉換過程。

It takes the waste that we naturally produce and it converts it directly into electricity.'

“它會將人類產生的排泄物直接轉化爲電力。”

The fuel cells contain living microorganisms such as those found in soil or the human gut.

燃料電池還包含了那些寄生在土壤中以及人類腸道中的活性微生物。

In breaking down and processing the urine they produce electrons which can then be harnessed into electricity.

在分解和處理尿液時它們會產生電子，而電子可以轉變爲電力。

The urinal is the result of a partnership between researchers at the University of the West of England in Bristol and Oxfam.

發電馬桶是布裏斯托爾的西英格蘭大學與樂施會(Oxfam)的研究人員們共同合作取得的成果。

It is located near the students' union at the university's Frenchay campus and researchers will be hoping for brisk business at closing time.

它位於西英格蘭大學弗朗蔡學院的學生會附近，研究人員也希望項目完成後會帶來巨大商機。

Students and staff are being asked to use the urinal to donate pee to fuel the microbial fuel cell stacks that generate electricity to power indoor lighting.

學生以及員工被要求捐獻其尿液，爲微生物燃料電池提供燃料。而電池產生的電力則用於室內照明。

The urinal on the university campus resembles toilets used in refugee camps by Oxfam to make the trial as realistic as possible.

放在大學校園中的這個發電馬桶外形就像樂施會難民營中使用的馬桶，目的是讓試驗環境儘可能接近現實。

The technology that converts the urine in to power sits underneath the urinal and can be viewed through a clear screen.

將發電馬桶中的尿液轉化爲電力的這一技術過程，可直接通過透明隔板觀察到。

They hope the abundant, free supply of urine will make the device practical for aid agencies to use in the field.

他們希望大量免費的尿液能爲援助機構提供實用的戶外設備。