Posts Tagged ‘Bristol’
Pee-Power tests at UWE proves potential fuel cell option
Research into producing electricity from urine has been carried out by scientists at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol.
It is claimed the publication of a research paper into the viability of urine as a fuel for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) is a world first. They say tests have produced small amounts of energy, but more research could produce “useful” levels of power.
Dr Ioannis Ieropoulos said he was “excited by the potential of the work”.
MFCs contain the same kind of bacteria that is found in soil, the human gut or waste water from sewers.
The bacteria anaerobically (without oxygen) respire just like any other living organism, and this process gives off electrons. Those electrons are then passed through an electrode and a measure of electricity is generated…
“Through this study… we were able to show that by miniaturisation and multiplication of the number of MFCs into a stack and regulating the flow of urine, it may be possible to look at scales of use that have the potential to produce useful levels of power, for example in a domestic or small village setting.”
Terrific. First, it’s always useful to add another potential waste source to the mix of electrical generation. Second, I’d love to see what might be developed either as a domestic source of electricity or a small village setting.
We live in a core community of about 110 homes. An ideal size for small-scale energy production.
Man hid body in apartment for 10 years
A body lay undiscovered under a sofa in a sheltered flat in Bristol for nearly 10 years, an inquest has heard.
The dead man, Denis Pring, 73, had been living with a city council tenant Alan Derrick, who has learning difficulties.
The inquest heard Mr Derrick did not want to tell the authorities that Mr Pring had died because he was worried he would be evicted…
Mr Pring, a former warehouseman, is believed to have died at some point between April and June 1998…
Mr Derrick, the dead man’s friend and drinking partner, had invited him to stay there because he had nowhere else to go. But when he died suddenly, Mr Derrick panicked and worried that he might be evicted.
He covered up the body with cushions and two armchairs and carried on living in the flat in Bedminster, Bristol, for the next 10 years without reporting the death.
Neighbours complained to the council about foul smells from the flat but although council officers visited twice the body was never found.
Mr Pring’s skeleton was discovered in January 2008 when cleaners were brought in after Mr Derrick was evicted from the flat following a county court order…
The council’s deputy chief executive, Jon House, acknowledged a “more active intervention nine or 10 years ago”, and a ” healthier dose of common sense”, might have led to Mr Pring’s body being found earlier.
Aside from the dude probably being a bit more than slightly round the bend, the fact that fear of becoming homeless should prompt the bureaucrats involved to learn something about their clients.
As we all are.
First newborn given xenon gas to prevent brain injury
Riley Joyce with his mom and dad, Sarah and Dave
A newborn baby has become the first in the world to receive xenon gas treatment, pioneered in Bristol in a bid to prevent brain injury.
Riley Joyce had no pulse and was not breathing when he was first delivered by emergency Caesarean section at the Royal United Hospital, Bath. He had a 50:50 chance of permanent brain injury and was transferred to St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol.
His parents agreed to the experimental treatment and Riley is now doing well.
Every year in the UK more than 1,000 otherwise healthy babies born at full term die or suffer brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen or blood supply at birth…
Professor Marianne Thoreson said: “After seven days, Riley was alert, able to look at his mother’s face, hold up his head and begin to take milk.”
She said: “Over the past eight years, we have shown in the laboratory that xenon doubles the protective effect of cooling on the brain.
“However we faced the challenge of how to safely and effectively deliver this rare and extremely expensive gas to newborn babies.”
Dr John Dingley, who invented a machine to deliver the gas, said: “A key design feature of this machine is that it is very efficient, using less than 200ml of xenon per hour – less than the volume of a soft drinks can. “Xenon is a precious and finite resource and difficult to extract so it can cost up to £30 a litre…
The device is now authorised for clinical trials and will be used on a minimum of 12 babies over the coming months in a feasibility trial before it can be used on a larger scale.
Bravo!
