ArticleBody:Scientists say they have discovered an unlikely ally in the race to produce sustainable, efficient hydrogen fuel—cow manure. According to recent research from engineers at the University of Illinois Chicago, a new method that combines the animal waste and other agricultural industry byproducts with solar and wind power could reduce hydrogen gas production’s energy needs by as much as 600-percent.
Each of the team’s different varieties of biochar derived from sugarcane husks, paper waste, hemp, and cow manure all reportedly reduced the power needed for electrolysis. But of the five options, it was the cow dung biochar that proved the clear winner—cutting down electricity needs by 600-percent to just a fifth of a volt. In a follow-up test, researchers found they could power the cow manure-aided electrolysis reaction by using a single solar cell that produces less power than a AA battery.