# Cow Dung Batteries



## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Caught part of this on the History Channel last nite; did a search to day and came up with this:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtxxDpvxYdE[/ame]

http://mlgw.blogspot.com/2008/07/cow-dung-batteries.html?showComment=1215224640000
Looks interesting, no directions as of yet.
Any ideas?


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## Shinsan (Jul 11, 2006)

I think the 'inventer' also heard of the research being done on the power producing bacteria and is pulling a swift one: His effort appears to me like a bunch of ordinary batteries packed in dung.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Shinsan, I thought the same thing.
I found couple of different sites talking about using microbes to generate power and it's possible that the guys in the U-tube just buried regular batteries in cow dung as a rip off.

The program on the History Channel was a little most complete, the buried batteries (supposedly being dead) are being used as electrodes, something to connect wires to. 
found it intresting, and will keep my eye on it.
Where is McGiver when you need him.......................


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## Shinsan (Jul 11, 2006)

Hunter63, Do you think it'd work if the guy used something other than 'old' batteries for the electrodes? Somehow I doubt it.

(This look like a double post? lol.)


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Your point is taken, but:

A battery is just a chemical reaction between the case, main electrode and something in between, generally an acid of some kind, and when any of the components get used up the battery loses power. 
I would guess that the cow dung/urine provides some additional chemical reaction to re-start the existing components.(?)

I know that some old car batteries can be dumped out, rinsed and refilled with freash acid and will now work again, for a while. *(Folks, this is very dangerous to you, the area, clothes etc. Don't try this at home)*


Soooooooo....... in that line of thinking after TSHTF, local 7-11 closed and looted, might be a use for the supply that you had, but used up?????????????


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## Andy Nonymous (Aug 20, 2005)

Sounds like a load of bull dung to me. 

The chemical reaction happens within the battery, and putting a sealed "dry cell" battery in a pile of poop is not going to change the chemistry within the cell, unless it sits there until the cell case decomposes, and at that point, whatever reactionable materials left within it, would all too likely have become neutralized. 

My battery "solution", is to use a desulphator (high frequency signal) to keep lead-acid batteries in good health, and use NiMh batteries and a 12V charger from the vehicle, which could also be used with solar, or wind, or some other source. There are several ways to come up with 12VDC to power a NiCad or NiMh charger, and the newer NiMh cells tend to last for several years of recharges - my phone battery is over 5 years old, and still working very well. I have Energizer NiMh AA cells that I use in an LED flashlight, that are a couple years old, and still working well also. 

As a side note, it really doesn't pay to get cheap batteries, whatever chemistry they are.

So, what happens when/if batteries are no longer available and/or functioning? Tallow candles. That, and I figure dried cow chips when burned release more energy in light and heat than can be extracted with "battery electrodes". YMMV


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Wow, y'all really don't like bull dung batteries, I guess.
Well, for the most part, I agree with you, just thought it was intresting, but:

Consider this:


Andy Nonymous said:


> The chemical reaction happens within the battery, and putting a sealed "dry cell" battery in a pile of poop is not going to change the chemistry within the cell, unless it sits there until the cell case decomposes, and at that point, whatever reactionable materials left within it, would all too likely have become neutralized. YMMV


If most of the dry cell batteries are alkaline, and there was holes, (say, like with a nail) in the case (one electrode) to the inside chemical. 
When subjected to dung/urine (acidic? ), I can see where a reaction could happen, to the center post (the other electrode), thus providing power?

P.S. 20 years ago, if I said I was going to sell bottled tap water, for more money than gasoline, would probably got laughed at also.


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