The Power of Urine PDF

The Power of Urine 1
COVER PAGE
Title of Design: The Power of Urine
Competition Design Challenge Addressed: Airport Environmental Interactions
Team Members: Megan Bringham, Mike Byrne, Heidi Cox, Ruben Esparza, Kevin Kerlan,
Tommy Ondrasek, Junji Otsuka, Luis Torres, Kathy Tran, Adrian Uribe, Michael Woldezghi, &
Xingjian Zhou
Number of Undergraduates: 12
Faculty Advisor: Professor Glynn Falcon
Institution: San Jose State University
The Power of Urine
Source: www.rsc.org
Prepared by:
Megan Bringham, Mike Byrne, Heidi Cox, Ruben Esparza, Kevin Kerlan,
Tommy Ondrasek, Junji Otsuka, Luis Torres, Kathy Tran,
Adrian Uribe, Michael Woldezghi, & Xingjian Zhou
Faculty Advisor:
Glynn Falcon
Aviation and Technology Department
San Jose State University: College of Engineering

1. Executive Summary
The energy required to keep an airport operating has always been at the forefront of costbenefit analyses. With the price of fuel continuing to rise, few options are left for airport
managers to help curb the costs associated with operating at maximum efficiency, while still
providing an invaluable service to the public. It is the aim of our team, Urine Power Energy
Research (UPER), to help curtail such trends by providing an alternative to on-site electrical
power production by the use of a well-known substance human urine.
UPERs proposal stems from extensive research conducted through a thorough review of
available peer-reviewed articles, collegiate studies, websites, as well as personal interviews with
professionals in the fields of aviation and engineering. The information that we obtained from
these sources was crucial to understanding how best to design a system that is safe, reliable, and
efficient.
What is outlined in this proposal is only representative of a very specific example at a
local airport, Mineta San Jose International (SJC). However, the potential implications of this
system are extensive, providing a sustainable solution to a problem experienced by virtually
every airport worldwide in some facet. There are many forms of sustainable energy: solar, wind,
and tidal, to name a few, but only urine-sourced electricity production gives an airport the ability
to re-use a waste product and turn it into something productive for decades to come. As will be
presented, there have been many studies done to support such a claim, as well as ongoing
research that continues to improve the capabilities of wastewater technology.

Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary.... Page 3
2. Problem Statement and Background............................................ Page 6
3. Introduction .... Page 7
4. Summary of Literature Review...... Page 7
5. UPERs Problem Solving Approach..... Page 8
6. System Operation.... Page 9
7. Application of Charging Station... Page 12
7.1 Monthly Cost of Generated Power......... Page 14
7.2 Average Cost per Month to Charge the ET-3000......... Page 15
8. Safety Assessment....... Page 16
9. Risk Assessment...... Page 17
9.1 Required Steps to Analyze Risks Involved with Design.... Page 17
10. Electric Battery Storage and Use.. Page 19
10.1
Converting Power....... Page 20
10.2
Calculations..... Page 20
11. Cost Analysis... Page 21

11.1
Cost of MFCs... Page 21
11.2
Cost of Toilets.. Page 22
11.3
Cost of Storage........ Page 23
12. Toilets....... Page 25

12.1
About the Toilets. Page 26
13. Difficulty in Implementation.. Page 27

14. Conclusion... Page 27
15. Appendices A-G
A. Appendix A.... Page 29
a. Complete List of Contact Information for Advisor(s) and Team Members
B. Appendix B. Page 31
a. Description of San Jose State University
C. Appendix C.... Page 34
a. Description of Non-University Partners
b. Technical Aspects and Expert Interactions
D. Appendix D........................................................ Page 36
a. Sign-Off Form from Faculty Advisor(s)
E. Appendix E . Page 37
a. Team Member Assessments
F. Appendix F... Page 53
a. References
G. Appendix G Page 58
a. List of Safety Regulations
b. OSHA Regulation Standards

2. Problem Statement and Background
A key problem related to airport power is that energy can be expensive. Alternative
energy sources are of major importance at airports, as Going Green initiatives become better
well recognized and understood. With the use of Urine Power Energy Research (UPER) design,
it will provide airports with an alternative energy source, and can also be utilized as an
emergency energy resource, such as maintaining the charge on backup batteries. The price of
energy is exuberant, and every dollar saved puts the airport in a better economic state. As time
and technology permits, UPERs design can be modified for uses of an increased amount of
alternative energy for the airport, such as runway lighting. UPERs design of the urine-powered
generator will support airports by providing a reliable alternative energy source, compatible with
energy needs at any location on the airport.

3. Introduction
Our team, Urine Power Energy Research (UPER), decided to research the feasibility of
utilizing urine to generate electrical power for usage on an airport. Speaking with various subject
matter experts (SMEs), the team concluded that the most logical option (locally) was to supply
this energy to electric vehicle charging stations used for certain pieces of ground support
equipment (GSE), specifically at San Jose International Airport (SJC). The team members of the
UPER design project researched the different methods of converting human urine into a usable,
efficient, and a sustainable power source. Upon completion, the Team determined that microbial
fuel cells (MFCs) provided a suitable balance of power-producing capability while also reducing
the cost of energy. MFCs will be an environmentally-friendly method of producing electricity,
and will also help SJC save on water usage in the flushing process.
This report will review the processes involved in MFC electricity production, a costbenefit analysis, advantages and disadvantages, interactions with industry professionals, a safety
risk assessment, as well as projected impacts on the environment and work place. With raising
energy costs, the utilization of urine for electricity generation will help enhance an airports
ability to maintain or reduce its energy costs while reducing its carbon footprint.
4. Summary of Literature Review

Many sources of information were utilized while developing this project. The core of the
research came mainly from journal articles explaining studies of MFCs that have been done and
that are currently being performed. These studies were supplemented by scholarly journals,
books, websites, and news reports, which gave information on the type of equipment that would
be receiving the electrical power. In addition, research was done on construction and operating

costs, as well as the cost of electricity. Lastly, the team consulted with several industry experts,
who gave us valuable information and knowledge to add to our research paper.
5. UPERs Problem Solving Approach

There are many hazards when handling urine and it is important to evaluate each hazard
separately until a full and complete understanding is established. Urine is considered a biohazard, which means there are many safety precautions that are required when handling such
materials. Some factors our team considered when researching our design project was to analyze
the safety and risk factors associated with the design. The major risks associated were the use of
human urine and the handling of electrical equipment. Our team carefully chose equipment that
would eliminate human contact to any hazardous sections of the design, such as the urine. Any
problems that arose during the design process were quickly eliminated by finding solutions that
would carefully consider all risks involved.
Our team spoke with many experts in the professional field in areas such as electrical,
sewage, and airport operations and gained valuable information concerning our design and its
associated risks. We specifically spoke with Curt Eikerman from the operations department at
San Jose International Airport in which he guided us through our design and what electrical
components pertaining to our design would efficiently function on various areas of the airport.
With the help of Mr. Eikerman, our team determined the best and most efficient vicinity of the
airport to use our design based on the electrical components available to us. Other team members
spoke with employees at a sewage facility to gain further knowledge of what to expect when
handling bio-hazards such as urine. Our team also spoke with Dr. Shahab Ardalan, a professor in
the Engineering department at SJSU, who provided us with information regarding the urine

generator proposal. Dr. Ardalan had previously performed his own research pertaining to a urinepowered generator, but in a slightly different manner than our projected design. Furthermore, Dr.
Ardalan was able to contribute his help as much as possible to the extent of what his previous
research had pertained to our design. A great deal of the problems associated with our design
project were resolved, thanks to the help of those in the professional field.
The UPER design team also held many meetings to ensure everyone was staying focused
with their assigned topics. Each team member was paired up with at least one other team
member and was assigned a specific section of the paper to research. This ensured no one was
working alone and always had that extra help to answer questions if needed. Weekly progress
reports also became a requirement, in order to follow up with each meeting. This ensured our
team was staying on time with the FAA Design Competition due dates. By utilizing Facebook,
Skype, and face-to-face time, our team was able to stay consistent with our meetings and
successfully completed the design to the best of our abilities.
6. System Operation
MFCs offer a way to improve an airports electrical infrastructure with no environmental
impact. The UPER design team discussed many sources of electricity production such as wind,
wave, or solar power, but instead our team used an alternative that has been getting much less
attention biomass. To be more specific, the team proposed to use a constant supply of urine,
from the urinals, to be converted into electricity using devices called microbial fuel cells
(MFCs).
The MFC is a re-circulating system consisting of three separate containers. On either side
of the apparatus are reservoirs to hold the two liquids to be utilized: urine and water. In the

center, there is another container, made of acrylic. This center section is divided in half with a
carbon veil electrode placed inside each compartment, called the cathode and anode chambers.
The cathode and anode chambers are split in two by a cation (pronounced CAT-ion) exchange
membrane. Additionally, there are two pumps connected to the sides of each chamber to transfer
the liquids from the reservoir into the individual chambers.
The MFC is separated into two sections, the aerobic and anaerobic side. The aerobic side
is positively charged and oxygenated, while the anaerobic side has zero oxygen and is negatively
charged, allowing the electrode, placed in the anaerobic side, to attract electrons from the
bacteria in the urine. The membrane that separates the two sections prevents the oxygen from
seeping from the aerobic chamber to the anaerobic chamber. However, it does allow the
positively-charged hydrogen, which is food for the bacteria, to travel from one side of the
membrane to the other.
Source: www.engr.psu.edu

Bacteria are introduced into the MFCs to act as catalysts. Once this is added and all the
substances combine properly it provides energy that can be harnessed. Bacteria also need an
energy source to stay alive, which the bacteria receive from the organic compounds present in
urine. From here, a series of oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions take place, which is simply a
chemical reaction in which a transfer of one or more electrons exists (Zumdahl & Zumdahl,
2007). The energy sequence (or cycle) is oxidation, which involves extracting electrons from the
organic matter. Bacteria would normally gain energy from the electrons that are expelled, though
the microbial fuel cell disrupts this process by means of a mediator molecule. This disruption
moves the electrons from the cathode to the anode (Mercer, 2010). The reduction reaction that
follows requires having something in place that will accept those free electrons. For this to work
properly, the bacteria must be grown in an oxygen free environment (the anaerobic side). Once
this criterion is satisfied, the bacteria can then transfer electrons to the anode (a carbon electrode)
in the anaerobic cell. The next step is crucial to the process the free electrons then move from
the anode to the cathode, passing through a power-supplied device along the way. This device
can be anything from a light bulb to a resistor, though our group has chosen electrical charging
stations to serve this purpose. This movement of electrons is one example of electrical current
(Serway & Vuille, 2009), which also produces a voltage, and usable electricity is the result. Once
the current from the electron movement is harnessed, the electrons continue-on to the cathode,
where they join with oxygen and protons to form water (Logan, 2007).
The overall system will be gravity-fed, transferring urine from the toilets to the reservoir.
Once the urine and water have been processed in the MFCs, any remaining waste (from
electricity generation) will be flushed out of the system every three days with fresh urine and
water. This will be done by a preprogrammed timer that opens a valve to release the waste fluids

from the bottom of the reservoirs. Once this is completed, the contents will be drained directly
into the existing sewage system.
In an article from Penn State University discussing key facts about MFCs, it was stated
that their lab was able to reach power levels of up to 1.5 W/m2 on the surface area of electrodes
using the replenishment method outlined in this proposal. However, if a continuous-flow method
is utilized instead, the power output increases to as much as 15.5 W/m3 (Logan, 2007). In another
study published in 2012 by Ioannis Ieropoulos, John Greenman, and Chris Melhuish, it was
found that it took the energy levels, of their MFC, one full day before peaking, and then would
plateau for an average of three days. The peak value of energy was 8 mA/m2 0.5. The study
used a 25 ml anode and cathode chamber. UPERs design will have a similar setup, except there
will be five MFCs hooked in series to produce an average energy output of 40 mA/m2. The
MFCs will be connected to the two large reservoirs that will supply the liquids to all anode and
cathode chambers. This energy will be enough to slowly charge the battery to full capacity over a
24-hour time period.
7. Application of Charging Stations

In recent years, many airports have started to turn to alternative energy sources.
According to an ABC News article, Airports Go Green with Eco-Friendly Efforts, Boston
Logan International Airport added twenty tiny wind turbines to reduce the electric costs and help
the environment. At SJC, they use solar panels and EVs to reduce the amount of energy
consumption and pollution. Many airlines, like Southwest Airlines, now have their own electric
vehicles (EVs) located at their serviced airports to help with the daily operations.

To get some answers, we met with Curt Eikerman, an Operations Manager for the airport
operations at Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC). He advised that the airport also has
several city electric vehicles and their own designated charging station areas. According to Mr.
Eikerman, the city uses these electric vehicles to transport personnel and equipment on the nonmovement areas of the airport. Installation of MFCs to one of the charging station already in
use at the airport may be able to reduce the daily cost of using the electric vehicles.
Source: www.flysanjose.com
According to SJCs Master Plan Update Project, SJC introduced fifteen electric
vehicles into the Airport Operation and Maintenance vehicle fleet, in 2000 (2011, p. 27). After
inquiring some more with Mr. Eikerman, we discovered the main type of EV the airport uses is
the Taylor-Dunn ET 3000. These vehicles have a 48 volt drive train and a single charge that
allows it to drive for roughly 30 miles.

Below is the battery and powertrain information, for this EV model, from the Taylor-Dunn
website.
Powertrain
Type: Eletric
Power: 110/220V, 50 Hz
Transmission: Transaxle assembly, Sealed
Helical Gear Primary Reduction to Hypoid
Ring and Pinion Gears
Controller: SEM
Battery
Type: Eight 6V, 250 amp hour (lead acid)
System Voltage: 48
Charger: Built-in
In order to calculate the cost to charge this EV, an understanding of volts, amps, and
wattage must be obtained. Upon speaking with Shahab Ardalan, an Assistant Professor in the
SJSU Electrical Engineering department, and Rodney Maciel, an Instructional Support
Technician at SJSU, we were able to gain better insight on the subject. The ET 3000 can be
plugged into any outlet that produces 110 to 220 volts. The lower the voltage being produced
from the outlet, the longer it will take to charge the EV. The battery type states that it has 250AH
(amp hour). This means that after one hour of use, the battery is still holding 250 amps, assuming
the battery was fully charged before use. The systems voltage is 48V, which will need to be
multiplied with amps, in order to obtain the wattage.
7.1 Monthly Cost of Generated Power

Based on all of the information found, the team was able to obtain an approximate
monthly cost to generate the power for one EV. The equation below is necessary to find the
wattage. Once the wattage was found, it can plug that number into a separate equation to
determine the monthly cost.
Watts = Amps * Volts

Amps = amperage used for EV at SJC is 12 amps.
Volts = the battery voltage used at SJC airports is 48V.
W = 12 amps x 48 volts = 768 Watts.
Under Specification: Nominal capacity of 20-hr. charge is 12.50Amps
7.2 Average Cost per Month to Charge the ET-3000

To find the average number of days in a month, take 365 days and divide by 12 months.
This will give an average of 30 days in a month. The average time it takes to fully charge a
drained 6V 250 amp battery is about 20 hours (ecoDIRECT). If a single EV needs to be fully
charged every day, then it will take 600 hours a month to charge the ET 3000. According to
Energy Information Administration, Californias Electric Industry Average Revenue cost ranges
from 11.22-34.87 cents. Thus, in this case, the cost of each kilowatt is 11.22 cents. This
information can be plugged into a simple equation to find the cost per month.
Watt/month = Watts * Hours * Cost kWh = Cost per month

or
Watt = Cost
In order to convert from watt to kilowatt, the equation must be divided by 1000.
kWh/month = (768*600*.1122)/1000 = $51.70 per month
kWh/year = $620.42
kWh/day = $1.72

The calculation on the previous page describes the electrical bills for each Taylor Dunn
ET-3000. The electrical bill is $52 per month for each EV and with the installation of trickle
battery to the charging stations, it can reduce the cost by $6.46.
The price of MFC kits has fallen to an affordable range, which is favorable for the
industry. The restroom toilets are changing to waterless toilets, also known as no-mix toilets,
which can separate waste and urine for only $599 per toilet. With these toilets installed at the San
Jose International airport, it can save $77.52 for each toilet on a yearly basis. Thus, the UPER
team highly recommends for SJC to implement reusable energy to reduce monthly cost.
8. Safety Assessment
Safety is an important factor in a waste management system that deals with electricity
and hazardous waste within the premises of an airport. Problems that arise within a waste
treatment facility at an airport can extend to the passengers and employees. Employees face the
ultimate challenge with safety risks during maintenance and operations at waste treatment
facilities. Common issues that affect the safety of surrounding areas within a waste facility are
risks in keeping the operation functional: electrical hazards, containing foul smells released from
sanitation, airborne diseases from sitting water-waste, and the attraction of wildlife. Considering
thousands of passengers utilize the San Jose International airport, occupational hazards are an
important factor in maintaining legal liability from operating a waste treatment facility within an
airport.
California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency of
the United States that regulates workplace safety and health. Our team has attached Appendix G,
which contains a list of safety precautions presented by CAL-OSHA and require any operation
working under hazardous work conditions to abide by these regulations. A waste treatment

facility in compliance with federal CAL-OSHA regulations must ensure the safety of work
places that undergo challenges at an airport in order to keep the environment safe. More
information regarding the safety standards and OSHA regulation standards can be found in
Appendix G.
9. Risk Assessment
The purpose of the risk analysis is to measure and assess risks associated with the project,
with the ultimate goal of managing and reducing such risks. According to the FAAs policy on
safety risk management, all changes to aviation related procedures, aircraft, or airport
infrastructure require a thorough safety and risk analysis. Therefore, the teams objective is to
follow the procedures described in the FAAs Safety Management System Manual (2004) to
evaluate the project as to its safety and risks. The risk assessment is presented in the following
phases: describe the system, identify the hazards, analyze risk, assess risk, and treat risk. After
evaluating the project, the team found that there is a risk associated with the project, which is
that hydrogen gas is flammable when mixed with oxygen at a certain temperature and pressure.
9.1 Required Steps to Analyze Risks Involved in UPERs Design

I. Describe the system
The function of the microbial fuel cell urine power system is to convert chemical energy
to electrical energy by the catalytic reaction of microorganisms. In the reaction, hydrogen ions
will be produced from the water reservoir.
II. Identify the Hazards

Hydrogen ions are different from hydrogen gas. Hydrogen ions are not flammable, but
one should be prepared in case some hydrogen gas is produced. Although the frequency of this
occurring is extremely low, the team needs to assume and to conduct some risk assessments to
ensure the safety of the whole system. As we have learned from our chemistry course, hydrogen
gas is highly flammable when mixed with oxygen at a certain temperature; therefore, the
microbial fuel cell urine power system must be well designed in order to prevent hydrogen gas
from explosion in the case that a small amount of hydrogen gas is produced.
III. Analyze Risk

To analyze the risk, we first estimated the probability that the problem will occur by assigning
an expectation number between 1 (low) and 10 (high) to the problem. In this case, we estimated
the probability that the hydrogen will explode is 5. Second, we estimate the severity of the
problems impact by assigning a number between 1 (low impact) and 10 (high impact) to the
problem. In this case, the number assigned to the severity of hydrogen gas explosion is 10 since
its extremely dangerous when it happens.
IV. Access Risk

To access the risks, multiply the expectation number by the impact numbers to produce the
measure of severity for the problem. Multiply 5 by 10, to find the severity to be 50. After
considering our cut-off point of 25 in the severity ratings, our group determined that any
severity above 25 needs treatment.

In this case, the severity of the risk is higher than 25; therefore, our team will need to develop
a plan to treat the risk.
Risk / Problems
Measurement
Hydrogen Gas
(Flammable)
Expectation: 5
Impact: 10
Severity: 50
Analysis
Above the cut-off point

Needs treatment
V. Treat Risk
To avoid this risk, our team proposed to set up a one-way safety valve in the Microbial
Fuel Cell system. A safety value will automatically release a substance from a system when the
pressure or temperature exceeds preset limits. In the UPER design project, hydrogen gas will be
automatically released into the atmosphere from the system when the pressure or temperature
exceeds the preset limit. This way, hydrogen gas will be prevented from explosion due to the
extreme compression from excess pressure.
10. Electric Battery Storage and Use

We found that the system will be able to create one amp with 345 separate MFC units.
One amp is the necessary power to produce because it is the minimum amount of current needed
to charge a battery. The amount of time the battery will have to charge depends on the capacity
of the battery, which is normally specified in amps per hour (V. Uribe, Personal Communication,
March 18, 2013). The anode and cathode of the MFC connects to the anode and cathode of the
battery. A Vmax 125 AGM Deep Cycle 12v 125-amp hour SLA rechargeable battery shall be
used for this process.

10.1 Converting Power
Once the battery is fully charged, it will need to be converted from AC into DC power.
This can be done using a Power Bright 12 Volt DC to AC power inverter. Once the power is
converted into AC power, the specified unit has multiple regular power outlets much like the
ones found in a typical home. The electric automobile may use the regular outlet to charge. An
illustration of the urine-powered design concept is shown below:
10.2 Calculations
According to the research on MFCs, producing 2.9 milliamps/hour (mAh) is possible
using 25ml of urine. Then using 50ml of urine will produce 5.8 mAh:
2 amp/0.0058 amps = 345 MFCs. It requires 345 MFCs to produce 2 amp-hour (Ah), which is
necessary to charge a battery.
(345 MFCs)(50ml of urine)=17.25 Litters of urine are required to produce 2 Ah.

Charging a battery at 2 amps will take close to 24 hours to completely charge such battery. It is
possible to charge a battery faster by increasing the amount of MFCs or the capacity of the
MFCs (Serway, 2012).
As we can see, this system can be made possible. Having 345 MFCs can produce 2 amps
per hour which can charge the Vmax battery in 24 hours (R. Hernandez, Personal
Communication, March 20, 2013). Even during a blackout, it can be possible to charge various
EV by attaching a DC to AC converter to the battery. Other electronic applications, such as
emergency flash lights, can be charged by this system as well.
11. Cost Analysis

One of the most crucial steps in the project was to perform an accurate cost-benefit
analysis. The cost on the project would vary tremendously based on the incorporated technology.
Including of the MFCs at new construction sites would differ from integrating it into a current
layout of an already existing airport. Adding the technology to a new site under current
construction would be the simpler of the two options, but the design team decided to incorporate
the project into an existing airport to prove its practicality and ease of implementation.
11.1 Cost of MFCs

After the initial research on renewable energy via human urine, the team was very
excited. Not only was the idea feasible, but it had already been accomplished by a few young
women in high-school in Nigeria (Roach, 2012). The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) system consists
of materials that are abundant and easy to find; thus, making the technology itself very

inexpensive to attain, operate, and even replenish. The MFCs could be the next big source of
renewable energy considering their cost efficiency and environmental friendliness.
Simple MFC kits are sold on the Internet for various purposes for as low as $45, such as
the MudWatt Microbial Fuel Cell Kit (Keego Technologies, 2013). However, the MFCs needed
for the function of powering the batteries in this project would be approximately $80 in value.
The group concluded that the Urine Power project needs approximately five MFC units to
produce sufficient electrical energy for each battery.
The following is an estimation of the amount of energy the MFC will provide:
Price of MFC = $80

MFCs needed to provide enough energy = 5
80*5 = $400
11.2 Cost of Toilets

Initially, the team was a bit set back and unsure of how the separation of urine from the
rest of the human waste would be achieved. However, several companies that sell no-mix
toilets (Roediger NoMix) and waterless toilets (Separett). The NoMix technology helps to save
water and increases the flexibility of the entire wastewater management system. (Novaquatis,
2007). Other concepts such as waterless toilets are greatly beneficial in this project also
considering the main constituent for the MFCs to operate is urine. Separett, a company that
specializes in waterless toilets (but also sell urine separating toilets) claims that they are
contributing to a 'green' and sustainable environment for present and future generations (Eco
Services Group, 2011). However, in this project, the NoMix toilets will be the ones applied.

With the phrase Going Green being such a modern idea, this project can easily tap into
the notion with MFCs and the assistance of these innovative toilets. Merchants are selling these
toilets and similar products at prices ranging anywhere from $120-$500. Like all other products,
quality is directly proportional to price, but the following specification comparison between
different toilets will be included in the cost analysis for a forthcoming glance.
Roediger NoMix
Separett Torp-Isak
Price
$120-$599
$889-$1300
Water Usage
1-2 Gallons
None
$304
(Price taken for Kohler
K-3837 Devonshire)
3-5 Gallons
Reduces the amount of

nitrogen and phosphorous
entering sewage
Water and Sewage

system not needed
Already present in most

buildings
Toilets
Advantages
Convention Toilets
11.3 Cost of Storage

Several storage ideas such as capacitors and water generators were considered for storing
the electrical energy that the system would produce. Initially, capacitors were a reasonable
choice, but load capacity and storage time limitations made capacitors an unfeasible choice for
our design. The largest capacitors that were available were not large enough to hold the energy
produced. As a result, batteries appeared to be the most efficient solution for energy storage.
The group also looked into a trickle charging technique. A trickle charge technique gives
an electric charge that is supplied to the storage battery of choice at a continuous low rate. It
would keep the battery fully charged and allow for long term storage. Thus, being more
resourceful and efficient. The cost of one Vmax Change Tank is priced at around $265. A

calculation of an approximate monthly cost to generate the power for one battery is provided
below.
Watts = Amps * Volts
Amps = amperage used for electric vehicles at SJC which range from 12-20, so we
assumed 12 amps
Volts = the battery voltage used at SJC airports which range from 48- 80. We assumed 48
volts.
W = 12 amps x 48 volts = 576 Watts.
Eleven hours of charge per day during an average month, provides an approximate usage of 330
hours per month. The wattage and hours used monthly is then multiplied by the cost of kWh per
month to get a final cost of kWh/day.
kWh/month = 576*330*.09/1000 = $17.11 per month.

kWh/year =$205.32
kWh/day = $0.56
The cost analysis provides a rough estimate of the cost and savings of this project. There
may be some set-backs in construction, as with any project, but the savings will by far exceed the
expenditure. Not only is the cost user-friendly, the concept that it entails about green energy and
renewable energy is a great factor.

12. Toilets
Restrooms are very important in airports. This century is all about the best technology the
world has to offer including the common notion of Going Green. Toilets, which are used
worldwide, are also taking on this going green initiative by creating a functional and hygienic
way of separating and collecting urine for other uses. Many of these separating toilets are utilized
for wastewater recycling. Wastewater recycling is becoming ever more evident, especially for
uses on plants and gardens. The biggest movement to come across the world is wastewater for
power.
Source: www.fujitaresearch.com
Researchers at Ohio University and at the University of the West England in Bristol have
designed a method to utilize urine to help our environment and our wallets electrical energy.
Experts in Singapore have successfully researched the application of urine to create energy,
which was then applied to things such as batteries and other small devices. The team decided that
utilizing this design would be useful if implemented in the aviation field, something not yet

accomplished. Urine has similar chemical components of water, in that urine also has a high
concentration of hydrogen, which can be used to generate the power. With the amount of
passengers traveling through the airport, there will be more than enough urine to supply the
required amounts needed for the design. What once has been utilized as waste, can be used to
create substantial electrical energy.
Source: www.treehugger.com
12.1 About the Toilets
The toilets to be utilized for the
design will be supplied by Novaquatis.
Novaquatis is an environmentally
concerned company, and have been in
operation since 2000. Their goals for the
company are to improve water pollution
control by reducing inputs of nutrients and
micropollutants, and to close nutrient
cycles. These toilets function just as any typical household/public toilet, except only half of the
toilet is flushable. The front section of the toilet bowl allows for the collection of urine, without
contamination of feces, while the back section of the bowl allows feces to be collected and
flushed to the sewers. The flushable section allows for any typical items, such as womens
toiletries and toilet paper, to still be flushed without the worry of blocking or clogging pipes.
With the idea in place that waterless toilets and urinals have an unpleasant odor (Yon,
2009), the half waterless-flushable toilets eliminate this problem. These toilets are also ecofriendly in that they do not use as much water during the flushing process, being that only half

the toilet flushes. Airports will save money on this alone, but also will save on electricity by
utilizing the collected urine to generate power.
13. Difficulty in Implementation

Several challenges arose while trying to find a way to implement this system into an
airport. The process of completing the UPERs design project will require some construction
within the airport facility, both interior and exterior. A few main difficulties in the
implementation of UPERs design are with the construction and modification of the current
restroom facilities, building a housing unit specifically for the MFCs, and extending the sewage
system for disposing the waste coming out of the UPER design project. The current toilets will
need to be rep/laced with eco-flush toilets. Construction for the replacement of the toilets will
take two to three months (Luis Contreras, Personal Communication, April 4, 2013). Building a
housing unit for the MFCs and making changes to the sewage system can take about three to four
months (Luis Contreras, Personal Communication, April 4, 2013). In addition, the UPER design
project would require personnel to be properly trained. These personnel must know how to
properly and safely handle the biohazards of urine and the fire hazards involved when dealing
with hydrogen.
14. Conclusion
The process of converting urine into electrical power is possible. Our team, UPER, has
designed a basic system that can help make an airport more energy efficient and environmentally
friendly by converting urine into energy through the use of microbial fuel cells. This energy is
stored in batteries for future use. Connecting the battery to a DC to AC converter and then to an

outlet, makes this a useful back up system for any airport because it gives airport officials the
flexibility to charge a variety of electrical applications such as electric vehicles or emergency
flashlights in a power outage scenario. Boeing predicts that passenger traffic will increase 5%
annually around the world over the next 20 years (Boeing Aircraft Company) making airports
like San Jose Mineta International Airport an ideal launching pad for our design. Countries
around the world are taking notice on the benefits urine holds. Several research institutions and
universities, such as Singapores Institute of Bioengineering, Nanotechnology, and Penn State
University, are pouring millions of dollars into research to advance this innovative power source.
Urine has the potential to become mankinds main source of energy. Innovative designs such as
UPERs can pave the way to a greener tomorrow.
A. Appendix A
List of Contact Information for Advisor(s) and Team Members
Faculty Advisor
Glynn Falcon
San Jose State University: College of Engineering
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0061
LawAndAviaton@aol.com
(650) 400-1523
Team Members
Adrian Uribe
2145 Newton Avenue
San Jose, CA 95122
aug87@aol.com
(831) 776-3754
Megan Bringham
14 Sunland Drive
Chico, CA 95926
mbingbring@yahoo.com
(510) 864-8925
Heidi Cox
16445 W La Chiquita Avenue
Los Gatos, CA 95032
heidiscox@gmail.com
(408) 455-3092
Michael Byrne
6546 Rogue River Hwy
Grants Pass, OR 97527
mbyrne34@yahoo.com
(707) 332-5664
Junji Otsuka
4863 Pine Hill Court
San Jose, CA 95129
jun531@gmail.com
(408) 529-3086
Michael Woldezghi
682 Grove Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
mikih1990@yahoo.com
(415) 574-7183
Kathy Tran
100 East Branham Lane #111
San Jose, CA 95111
kathytran_91@yahoo.com
(408) 772-7032
Ruben Esparza III

PO Box 552
San Jose, CA 95106
rubs45@yahoo.com
(510) 449-5463

Kevin Kerlan
203 Murray Avenue
Kentfield, CA 94904
Kkerlan@gmail.com
(415) 686-2048
Thomas Ondrasek
2791 Shoemaker Court
Woodland, CA 95776
Aviator.one@hotmail.com
(510) 868-8532
Luis Torres
1787 Diamond Springs Lane
Brentwood, CA 94513
ltorres284@yaho.com
(925) 584-5890
Xingjian Zhou
375 South 9th Street #4506
San Jose, CA 95112
jonathan.x.zhou@gmail.com
(408) 930-0898
B. Appendix B
Description of San Jose State University
A Brief Overview of SJSU

San Jose State University (SJSU) is a public university located in San Jose, California,
whose location in the Silicon Valley makes it an exceptionally rewarding learning environment
for students. The various firms and agencies of the region consistently seek SJSU students for
internships, summer work programs, and for assistance with research and development projects.
These firms employ more graduates from SJSU than from any other university in the nation.
Located on 154 acres in downtown San Jose, the university offers the excitement of studying at a
large, metropolitan campus where many cultures meet, yet students still find personal attention
from faculty members in the smaller setting of the universitys eight colleges.

The Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering consistently receives high rankings for
masters-level institutions by U.S News & World Report (SJSU, 2012). The college aims to
educate and prepare students for the rising technological demands of the 21st century.
Departments of the college includes: Aviation & Technology, Biomedical Engineering,
Chemical & Mechanical Engineering, Civil &Environmental Engineering, Computer
Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, Mechanical &
Aerospace Engineering, and General Engineering.
The Department of Aviation and Technology at SJSU is home to the largest provider of
aviation and technology degrees on the west coast. The BS in Aviation offers students four
different concentrations: Aviation Management, Avionics, Maintenance Management, and
Operations. With at the off-campus location at Reid-Hillview Airport, aviation students are able
to achieve a high level of learning through hands-on experience. With so much industryapplicable education opportunities available around San Jose State University, students have a
greater chance of networking within the industry throughout their college careers.
Mission
To enrich the lives of its students, to transmit knowledge to its students along with the
necessary skills for applying it in the service of our society, and to expand the base of knowledge
through research and scholarship.
History
Founded in 1857, San Jose State is the oldest public institution of higher education on the
West Coast, and is the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) system. From

its beginning as a school to train teachers for the developing frontier, SJSU has matured into a
metropolitan university offering more than 134 bachelors and masters degrees with 110 different
concentrations.
C. Appendix C
Non-university Partners Involved With the Project
Curtis B. Eikerman, C.M.

In October, of 2010, Eikerman was hired at San Jose International Airport as the
Operations Manager. He is in charge of organizing and directing the daily activities of the
Airside Section. This includes the airfield operations, emergency planning, terminal
management, and safety and certifications.
In 1990, Eikerman obtained a bachelors degree in science, from Central Missouri State
University in the Aviation Safety department. In the same program, he went on to attain a
masters degree in 1994. After completing his education, he was hired by San Jose International
Airport as an Operations Specialist. He held the position from 1996 to 1998, until he was
promoted to Operations Supervisor. In 2000, he was promoted again to his current position.
Jeff Barron
Engineering & Technical Service Specialist
Jeff Barron is an engineering and technical service specialist for Interstate Battery System of
America located in Dallas Texas. Mr. Barron has extensive knowledge in how batteries work.
Brad Douglas
Corporate Parts Coordinator
Brad Douglas is the corporate parts coordinator for Industrial Battery Products. Mr. Douglas has
extensive knowledge in battery charging. He explained how batteries charge and told us a
general rule for determining how much amperage my team needs to charge a battery.

Roberto Hernandez, E.E.
Roberto obtained his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo in 2004.
After graduation he went to work for Alabama Power as a Power Delivery Engineer. He held this
position for two years until he moved to Los Angeles Area. He went to work for LADWP (Los
Angeles Department of Water and Power) for three years as a Staff Engineer where he conducted
feasibility studies, failure analysis, process analysis and other various tasks.
Roberto currently works for Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Alameda, CA. He holds the
position of DCS Engineer where he leads the design and installation of new equipment. Hes in
charge of developing and managing functional tests for control systems and ensures that all
controls work is done in a safe and efficient manner maintaining a Target Zero mind set.
Victor Uribe, M.E.

Victor graduated from Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in 1979 where he obtained his
B.S. in Chemical Engineering. After graduation he was hired by Coca-Cola Company in
Guadalajara, Mexico. He started as a Process Engineer. He held that position for one year; then
he was promoted to Chemical Project Engineer. Two years later, he was promoted to Operations
Manager. After working for Coca-Cola Company for 6 years Victor decided to go back to school
and study Mechanical Engineering. He went back to Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara and
obtained is B.S. in Mechanical Engineering two years later.
Victor has been working as a Mechanical Engineer for over 30 years. He currently has a
partnership on a welding shop where they modify tractors to do specific tasks. He has built
several wind turbines and has experimented with different designs to produce alternative energy.
He also has experimented with different ways to store energy.
D. Appendix D
Sign-off Form for Faculty Advisor
University: San Jose State University, Department of Aviation & Technology

List other partnering universities if appropriate:
Design Developed by:
Student Team
Student Team Leader:

Student Team Lead:
Heidi Cox
Permanent Mailing Address:
16445 W La Chiquita Avenue

Los Gatos, CA 95032
Permanent Phone Number:
(408) 455-3092
Email:
heidiscox@gmail.com
Competition Design Challenge Addressed: Airport Environmental Interactions

I certify that I served as the Faculty Advisor for the work presented in this Design submission
and that the work was done by the student participants.
Signed
Date: April 19, 2013
Name: Glynn Falcon, J.D.
Lecturer of Aviation
San Jose State University
Aviation & Technology Dept.
Office IS-133C
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0061
SJSU Direct Line Phone: 408-924-3203
SJSU Dept. Fax: 408-924-3198
E. Appendix E
Student and Faculty Assessments
1. Bingham, Megan
While there were times I found this competition to be frustrating, it was definitely a
valuable experience and well worth the effort. Our project wasnt just about airports and the
realm of aviation, it also had a lot of electrical and science aspects. We were forced to obtain
a better understanding in various subjects before we could put the paper together. This
project also allowed me to learn how to work with a rather group. Coordinating with so many
people to make sure everything gets done, was definitely a challenging task.
While working with such a large group was difficult, I found the greatest challenge was
trying to find a way to implement the system into an airport. We hit many walls along the
way and had to change our direction several times. I believe we were able to move past one
our more difficult challenges after speaking with Eikerman at SJC. He showed us our idea
wouldnt work the way we had planned, but pointed out alternative areas we could
implement the system into the airport.
In the beginning, everyone researched some ideas and we would meet up and discuss all
of them. Many ideas were cast to the side while some we chose to look more in depth to.
Once we narrowed the subjects down, everyone went on their own to research each idea.
Afterwards, we would all meet back up for a group discussion. As a group we were able to
come to the hypothesis we thought was best.
Participation by industry was not only appropriate, but also incredibly useful. The areas
we had to research were rather complex and just reading information online or in books only
got us so far. Speaking with other people helped me understand the more complicated

subjects. As I said before, we got stuck multiple times, but asking experts to share their
knowledge helped us come up with new or even better ideas.
I learned so much working on this project, but I what I learned most was how to work in
such a large group. Working with so many personalities can definitely cause some friction. I
learned very quickly that you had to communicate with everyone all the time or people
would get behind on where we were, or not know who had what information. However, most
careers will force you to learn how to work with all types of different people. It is essential to
know how to work with others and communicate.
2. Byrne, Michael
Yes, it was a great way to work as a team. It was also a great learning experience in
dealing with a project where we had to go out and talk to people and learn how the system
works ourselves instead of being taught or reading it out of a book. I would say the biggest
challenge with the. Competition was getting the entire team on the same page. There were so
many people we had to organize and split up the work evenly. Once this was done it went
smoothly for the most part.
We first saw the idea from three girls in Africa that created power from urine. We wanted
to have the same outcome but in a system that was more self-sustaining and efficient. Once
we figured that out we had to find a use for the energy which was not hard seeing electricity
is used everywhere on an airport. The airport and several companies we talked to for advice
provided essential information in the development of the project. The ability to work and
organize the team is essential in any workforce. I also learned more about how the different
systems of an airport work such as backup generators and the electrical grid.
3. Cox, Heidi
I definitely learned a great deal by taking part in the FAA Design Competition. Even as a
graduating senior, I felt by performing the required research pertaining our design added
much knowledge to my educational experience. We got into the professional field and spoke
with many experts regarding our design process. Of course my team and I came across many
challenges, because this design we came up with had only been successful executed a few
times, and in smaller form. However, we came together as a team and conquered these
challenges by finding solutions to any and all complications we encountered along our way.
My team and I started brain storming from all team members suggestions and ideas. By
narrowing it down to only a few suggestions, we successfully chose a topic and started our
hypothesis. By speaking with experts in the professional field, we discovered what would
work and what wouldnt work with our design idea. In my opinion, it was absolutely useful
speaking with professionals in the industry, as they helped guide us in the right direction to
successful achieve our design goals. This design project helped me learn new ways of
obtaining valid information by speaking and meeting with the experts, as well as how to
accomplish such projects in a given amount of time.
4. Esparza III, Ruben

Throughout the design competition I felt like Ive learned the amount of effort it takes to
put a large group of people together and create an idea that everyone can aspire on. The
experience Ive gained will give me the confidence to take an idea and bring it to life through
hard work and creative thinking. The learning experience started with reaching out to

professionals and questioning their daily tasks to see if there is room for innovation and
expansion. Creative thinking was a challenge because the idea has to be applicable to the
airport and all the small and large functionalities within an airport. Team effort and
coordinating together was an excellent experience that I gained on a larger scale.
Coordinating among a diverse group of people with a team full of leaders was a
challenge. Everyone had his or her own ideas and creativity, which conflicted with having a
concrete foundation and working together to accomplish a final product. We overcame the
challenge and found a system that everyone believed in and started tackling the research.
Everyone came with an idea that would be voted on. The idea with the most votes would
form a group and weave out the impracticalities. We then took the idea and formed an
innovative system that airports can use to save money and going green in technology.
Contacting industry professionals was practical for some parts of the project. Finding out
information on specific questions that only a professional could relay was useful. Legal
questions and cost analysis was provided through research. The system itself and how it can
be applied on a larger scale was something that required both professional assistance and
research.
Having to research safety and legal issues regarding a safe workplace for the protection
of the airport and the people that either work or travel was not necessarily a skill to becoming
an entry-level employee. I would lean more towards teamwork being the primary experience
gained through this project before entering into the workforce. I learned that airports have
many systems that all tie in together to make the airport function.

5. Kerlan, Kevin
The FAA design competition provided me with the learning experience of teamwork.
During the duration of the project, not everyone saw eye-to-eye in terms of the process or the
original idea. Knowing when to compromise proved invaluable for my learning experience.
We faced the challenge of having multiple ideas to submit. The majority of 15 students
had an idea that seemed like a good idea to begin with. Narrowing them down to a number
that seemed reasonable proved to be difficult. We decided to narrow down by using a system
where everyone voted on a few topics after they were pitched in a 5 minute presentation.
As mentioned before, we chose to narrow down the topic based on how people felt about
the idea in the form of a vote. The votes were only cast after a presentation of the ideas to
measure the cogency of an idea. There were two ideas that people favored, which ultimately
dwindled to one after one of the ideas revealed a faulty premise.
The industry participation was appropriate. It was not only a great opportunity to become
better connected to the other colleges within SJSU, but was needed for areas we did not
completely understand, such as electricity.
The completion of this project allowed us to come in contact to some that related to the
industry we are interested in. This is because it required us to ask questions of those who are
currently working in the industry. Now that we have those invaluable contacts, we may
inquire at a later time if we have any more questions about career path in the aviation
industry or otherwise.

6. Ondrasek, Thomas
This design competition has presented me with an opportunity to interact with the aviation
industry on a new and interesting level. I have learned a great deal from working with my
group to obtain the information that we needed from industry experts, as it has proven more
challenging than we had anticipated.
There are many challenges that the team faced while constructing our report for this
competition. When our team leader and classmate first came up with the idea, it sounded like
a very intriguing idea that could possibly have long-term benefits for airports and cities alike.
At first, it was quite difficult to find relevant articles on the operation of devices that could
convert urine into electricity. This obstacle was eventually overcome by choosing to
concentrate on microbial fuel cells, which then led to quite a bit of information. In fact, it
seems to be a pretty hot topic that has gained quite a bit of attention in recent years. Even up
until the end of this competition, I am still finding out information about MFCs that lend
more credibility to how feasible our idea really is. Another obstacle, which I alluded to in
the previous question, dealt with the difficulty of obtaining interviews with industry
professionals. A few of our teammates were able to meet with personnel at SJC, though I
was unable to obtain similar interviews at Sacramento International Airport (SMF). It was a
bit frustrating, but we moved on without incident.
Upon gaining enough information from industry professionals, it was clear to us which
direction our research should take microbial fuel cells. Once we decided on MFCs as our
method of converting urine into electricity, all other facets of the project started to come
together. Once we reviewed the research was being done on a large scale with MFCs, such

as at Penn State, we continued to build our confidence in our proposal. This further
reinforced our development of our hypothesis.
In our case, participation by the industry was appropriate. It would have been next to
impossible to ascertain much of the information that was critical to our research had we not
been able to meet with professionals in the aviation industry. It was meaningful and useful in
that those personnel provided unparalleled information that we would have not been able to
find otherwise. If we could have met with more professionals, and for a longer period of
time, I know that our proposal would prove to be even more informative.
If I were striving to be an airport manager, or some related position, then I could say that
this project would directly correlate to an improvement in my skill-set. However, I have
always wanted to be a professional pilot, so about the only way I can think of that this project
enhanced my skills is that it has helped to build my working relationships with my fellow
classmates. In the cockpit, as well as in the field of aviation, you have to work together as a
team to accomplish whatever tasks are assigned to you. There will always be differences of
opinion as to the direction that should be taken in working through those tasks, but the key is
to follow the old military adage adapt and overcome.
7. Otsuka, Junji
Yes, the FAA design competition provided a meaningful learning experience for me. Not
only FAA design competition taught me how to cooperate with the group, it also gave me an
opportunity to think outside the box by finding different solutions to a problem.
The first obstacle we had to face was lack of time, two to three months of research to
complete a research paper. With great teamwork and well-informed members we were able

to finish the project in a short span. Second obstacle was converting urine to electrical
energy. The engine that was used by the African high-school girls used a method of
separating ammonia with water to create energy, however their method was highly inefficient
to be used at airports. The solution we found was Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) and trickle
battery.
On our first meeting, one of the teammate said that we should all come up with an idea
and present it on the next meeting. At the second meeting two groups were formed, each with
their unique idea. One of the groups couldnt move on with their idea because of the defect in
the product that they were researching upon so they joined and formed a single group. The
participation by industry was extremely helpful. Without their help we wouldnt have been
able to calculate the cost-analysis and the use of the MFC at the airport.
8. Torres, Luis
This FAA design competition proved to be very meaningful and insightful. We learned
the process and steps it takes to convert urine into energy. This energy was then applied to
power a basic outlet in the airport. I gained a lot of experience by participating in this
competition. I saw in increase in my team building skills, research skills, and brain storming
skills.
This projected also tied into what I was learning during my studies at San Jose State
University. My team faced plenty of obstacles during this competition. There was a lack of
research on our design. We overcame this obstacle by talking to experts, chemistry
professors, physics, and engineers to slowly put our design together. Having a large group
proved to be an obstacle. Everyone had different schedules and could not meet up all at once

to work on this project. We had to become flexible and use other resources such as
conference calls and the computer program SKYPE to make sure everyone was connected. I
believe that this truly made us a stronger team in the end.
My team and I saw on the news that four girls in Africa have successfully generated
energy from urine. This inspired my team and I do conduct research. We decided that urine
would be a perfect alternative energy source for an airport because of the traffic volumes that
go in and out of an airport. Hundreds of thousands of liters of urine are available at an airport
giving us essentially an unlimited source of energy. Once we figured this out we decided to
draw a diagram and start figuring out how we could make this possible.
Having industry participation was very useful for us. We told battery companies like
Interstate batteries about our project and they recommended a battery that would best suit our
needs. We also talked to Curt Eikerman who is in charge of airport operations at San Jose
Mineta International airport; he gave us suggestions on where in the airport our design would
best fit. The team work skills, research skills, brain storming skills, and knowledge I have
gained from this competition well help me be successful in the work force. Todays jobs are
looking for team building, researching, and brainstorming skills and the project has given me
these valuable skills. I would like to pursue further study because making energy from urine
shows a lot of potential and a bright future. The world is moving toward greener technologies
and I believe power from urine will be the next breakthrough technology. Once a more
efficient way is found to convert urine to energy, the world will have a new main source of
energy. The FAA design competition was fun and provided me with a large amount of
knowledge. Im glad I got to participate in this competition.

9. Tran, Kathy
The competition did provide a meaningful learning experience for me. Throughout the
years at this university, every single person on the team has been in multiple of my classes.
We befriended each other and helped each other through the hardships and the semesters.
Despite knowing each other, we never had to be as cohesive as we are with this design
competition. We helped each other out in our classes at our own leisure, whenever we felt
like it, but with this competition, we had to learn how to prioritize. Teamwork was never as
apparent within us throughout the long four years as it was for this design competition.
I think the biggest challenge was the number and size of the group. However, there are
definitely pros and cons. The pros are that we had many people to split the project amongst
and we had countless ideas. However, that also proved to be a semi-con. We were
constantly coming up with ideas, when we thought we had settled, another group member
would come up with another useful idea and it seemed endless. At times, it was a bit hard to
keep track of everyone and the work that everyone was doing, so we came up with the
solutions of deadlines and mini sub-groups so everyone would have their own partner to
confide in and help them if they got stuck.
The way we started to the design competition required a lot of brainstorming. Each
person in the group was to bring in a few ideas that they had done some brief research about
and thought was interesting. During our class meeting, we presented our ideas to the class
with a rough presentation and description. The class then narrowed down the topic and we
decided on the topic. When the topic was chosen, we disbanded for the week and everyone
continued the research that they deemed necessary to familiarize themselves. We spoke to
professors, friends, professionals, and everyone who had knowledge on the topic.

The help of professionals definitely helped the team out tremendously. Most of our
research was completely beyond our prior knowledge. Although we read up on the topics
and information, there was so much that we could not merely comprehend on our own
through reading. We needed further explanations, which is where the experiences of the
people in the industry definitely helped.
I learned so much working on this project. Assertiveness can be a great attribute and can
go a long way. If I did not agree with something that was said, I always felt comfortable
telling my teammates. My opinion mattered just as much as the next person on the team.
Also, during the research portion of the project, we had to contact many different people.
Some were very helpful and tried their best to help us understand whatever it was we needed
help on, and on the other hand, some people wanted nothing to do with us. We got positive
responses, negative responses, and some that were just out of pity, but the best thing learnt
was that it does not hurt to ask.
10. Uribe, Adrian

The FAA Design Competition provided a meaningful learning experience for the
complexity of the project we selected. It was a challenge for everyone in the group. I had to
learn about something I was completely unfamiliar with. I had to do research and talk to
experts of different professions. This helped me with networking and expanding my
knowledge on different sources of energy. It also helped me with time management, since we
had a short period of time to finish this project.
The biggest challenge was understanding this new form of energy (Energy from urine).
We had to do plenty of research to know how it works and find its limitations. It was

difficult to calculate the amount of energy we could produce from this source and the amount
of energy that was required to power an electric vehicle at the airport. To overcome these
challenges, we broke down the project into smaller parcels and the group into smaller groups.
Each group was assigned to different parts of the project.
Each student was asked to come up with an idea on how to improve an airport. We voted
for most useful and feasible idea. After we had our topic, we brain-stormed on how energy
from urine can be applied to help improve an airport. We talked to airport managers and
operators to have a better understanding on what the limitations were of this source of
energy.
Participation by industry experts was necessary in order to complete this project. It was
necessary to talk to several experts involved in different professions such as Electrical
Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Airfield Operators and many others. Without their help
our project couldnt have been completed. Their expert advice provided insightful
information whenever we had difficulties trying to understand how to make our project
work.
I learned how to do a difficult project in a short amount of time. I learned the importance
of delegating work and trusting our teammates with their parts of the project. This project
helped me understand a new source of energy and its limitations and how we can apply it to
the real world. The project helped me develop skills such as crew resource management for
we had a limited time and limited resources to do this project. Even though we had limited
knowledge on the subject we were able to learn more about our topic and come up with an
excellent project by talking to experts and doing research.

11. Woldezghi, Michael
Yes, this project provided a significant learning experience because it helped me
perfect and increase my teamwork abilities, time management, and research skills. Also I was
able to learn something new that could be used in the future that could help our planet
waste useful and have clean energy.
The primary challenges we encountered were choosing the topic, dividing into groups and
time management. First, all students in capstone class had great ideas, so we narrower it down
and choose the one we liked. Secondly, we came to conclusion on two ideas so we divide the
group, however one of the idea wasnt good enough so we agree to work as one and we divided
the work into 3 people per group. Our last and main problem was time management. Everyone
had different schedule and it was hard to meet outside class, but we decided to meet a least once
outside class with one member from each group with their progress report.
After deciding on the topic from the competition, we each came up with ideas, and narrowed
it down to 2 topic and divided into groups. Our group came up with the idea that one of our
classmates saw; which was three girls from Africa that used urine to generate power for
their village. So we did research and learned the concept, and it seemed a good idea since it is
environmental friendly and save money.
Yes, involving expert from San Jose airport and teacher with knowledge of Microbial fuel
cell was very helpful and provided a great resource and advises for the project. This project gave
us many skills that will be useful in the future. First, it helped me perfect my research skills, how
to manage my time, and work as a team which one will experience in his/her future profession. I
also gained knowledge on the material we talked about that could be use in the near future to
make airports more environmentally friendly.

12. Zhou, Xingjian
The FAA Design Competition provided me with a great learning experience because it
allowed me to display what I have learned in my major. Also, it is meaningful that this is my
last chance to make some achievement as an undergraduate student in the Aviation
Department at San Jose State University. There were 12 graduating seniors, including
myself, working on this project. I have never worked with that many other peers on one
project before, and I thought that would be difficult to work in cohesion. However, we did it.
We set deadlines for each stage of the project, and the project went smoothly.
The biggest lesson I learned from this project is time management. Time management is
the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent
on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. This
capstone course project is limited by time and personnel availability; therefore, we tried to
schedule our weekly meetings based on our individual availability, and we also tried to plan
on our project tasks accordingly throughout the project life cycle. In each meeting, we
discussed what we had accomplished and what the next step should be. I believe that we all
developed a sort of time management skills during the project, and it will benefit for our
future projects.
Overall, I think that the FAA design competition was a great experience for me in my
final undergraduate career. Also, I am glad that I got the chance to participate in this design
competition because it taught me how to do teamwork and how to achieve team goals
through team effort.
E. Appendix E
(Advisor/Instructor Portion)
1. Describe the value of the educational experience for your student(s) participating in this
Competition submission.
This competition is used as the culminating experience for SJSU aviation majors as their
graduating Capstone class projects. This competition has proven to be an excellent Capstone
experience for our graduating seniors. They are working and experiencing the real-world
pressures of meeting deadlines, advance planning, scheduling, group dynamics and personal
commitment and responsibility, dealing with personal and group conflicts, interfacing and
consulting with aviation experts, and editing and publishing a professional, finished report. As
their professor, I was able to observe their growth throughout the process, especially in how they
managed to overcome major problems, hurdles, and roadblocks, which, if they happened in other
college courses, would have left them motionless and looking to their instructor for solutions and
resolution. That was not the situation here. I was able to act merely as facilitator for access to
information and expertise, and as a sounding board, so that they could see what some of the
issues were, and then be able to resolve them with their own resources and solutions.
2. Was the learning experience appropriate to the course level or context in which the
competition was undertaken?
Yes. The Aviation Department limits participation in Department sponsored projects,
such as this, to only Capstone enrolled, graduating, seniors. In this way, the Department is able
to supervise and witness their learning experiences and, hopefully, successful outcomes.
This protocol proved successful. Again, without exception, each of the Aviation seniors
demonstrated maturity, group commitment, and educational excellence and competence in their
approach to, and submission of, their designs projects to the FAA.
3. What challenges did the students face and overcome?

The primary challenge was the very limited time span that the Capstone students had in
which to complete the projects. This class met for the first time on February 5, 2013. That
meant they had only ten weeks to submit their projects before the FAAs Competition deadline
of April 12, 2013. Additionally, this team had to quickly evaluate each members strengths and
weaknesses, and then assign appropriate duties to each member which best utilized that
members potential, skills, and talents.

4. Would you use this Competition as an educational vehicle in the future? Why or why not?
Yes, and I have. This program continues to be an outstanding opportunity for our senior
class to demonstrate their readiness to join government or industry employment.
5. Are there changes to the Competition that you would suggest for future years?
Yes. Extend the deadline until after classes and final exams have been completed. This
would allow more time to those participating in the Spring semester to research and prepare their
project reports.
Thank you, again, for continuing to provide this excellent program for college students in
which to compete.
Respectfully submitted:
April 9, 2013
_______________________
Glynn Falcon, J.D.
Lecturer of Aviation
Aviation & Technology Dept.
College of Engineering
San Jose State University
F. Appendix F
References
Ardalan, S. (2013, February 22). Interview by H.S. Cox [Audio Tape Recording]. Feasibility and
applications of urine power energy production at San Jose International airport.
BBC News. (2011, Sept. 11). 'Urine Power' Tests at UWE in Bristol Are Successful. Retrieved
from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-15636544.
Bluejay, M. (2013, March). How much electricity costs, and how they charge you. Retrieved
from http://www.michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cost.html
Boeing Aircraft Company. (n.d.). Current market outlook: 2012-2031. Retrieved from
http://www.boeing.com/boeing/commercial/cmo/
Broadwith, P. (2011, October 31). Pee-powered fuel cell turns urine to energy. Royal society of
chemistry: Chemistry world, Retrieved from
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/October/31101103.asp
DeWerrdt, S. (2011, March 9). Pee Power Could Fuel Hydrogen Cars. Retrieved from
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/09/pee-power-fuel-hydrogen-urine.
EcoDirect. (2013). Fullriver dc250-6 > 6 volt 250 amp hour agm battery. Retrieved from
http://www.ecodirect.com/Fullriver-DC250-6-6V-250AH-AGM-Battery-p/fullriverdc250-6.htm
Eikerman, C. (2013, February 27). Interview by H.S. Cox [Personal Interview]. Feasibility and
applications of urine power energy production at San Jose International Airport.

Faucet Direct. (2013). Kohler k-3837 devonshire two-piece elongated comfort height toilet less
seat, with 12" rough-in.
Retrieved from http://www.faucetdirect.com/kohler-k-3837-devonshire-two-pieceelongated-comfort-height-toilet-less-seat-with-12-rough-in/p1740711?source=gg-gbapla_1740711____14333073323&s_kwcid=PTC!pla!!!42748559723!g!!14333073323&g
clid=CPqawIbLqLYCFcR7Qgod8R4Aig
Federal Aviation Administration. (2004, May 21). Federal aviation administration safety
management system manual. Retrieved March 19, 2013, from
http://www.atcvantage.com/docs/FAA_ATO_SMSM_v1.1.pdf
Fujita Research. (1998, May). Wastewater: The urine-separating toilet. Retrieved from
http://www.fujitaresearch.com/reports/wastewater.html
Grainger. (2012, January). Wastewater-treatment facility safety guidelines. Retrieved from
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/static/wastewater-treatment-facility-safety-guidelines284.html
Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., & Melhuish, C. (2012). Urine utilisation by microbial fuel cells;
energy fuel for the future. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics,14(1), 94-98. doi:
10.1039/C1CP23213D
Keego Technologies. (2013). Mudwatt mfc kit. Retrieved from
http://www.keegotech.com/ScienceKits/MudWatt
Logan, B. E. (2007). Microbial fuel cells: Q & a. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Civil
and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA,
Retrieved from http://www.research.psu.edu/capabilities/documents/MFC_QandA.pdf
Maciel, R. (2013, March). Interview by H.S. Cox [Personal Interview]. Feasibility and
applications of urine power energy production at San Jose International Airport.

Mercer, J. (2010, May 4). Microbial fuel cells: Generating power from waste. Retrieved from
http://illumin.usc.edu/134/microbial-fuel-cells-generating-power-from-waste/
Monavalli, J. (2009, July 22). Pee Power: Urine Isn't Just "Waste," It's Useful Energy and
Possibly Car Fuel. Retrieved from http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/carstransportation/urine-fuel-power-hydrogen-460709
Northern Arizona Wind & Sun. (2013). Universal battery model 45964 250 amp-hours 12 volts
sealed agm battery. Retrieved from http://www.solar-electric.com/unba250amagm.html
Novaquatis. (2007, May 3). Novaquatis: Overview. Retrieved from
http://www.novaquatis.eawag.ch/ueberblick/index_EN
Novaquatis. (2012, November 5). Welcome to novaquatis. Retrieved from
http://www.novaquatis.eawag.ch/index_EN
Roach, J. (2012, November 8). African girls' pee-powered generator raises questions. NBC News.
Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/african-girls-peepowered-generator-raises-questions-1C6956099
Roach, John. "Urine Battery Turns Pee Into Power." National Geographic. National Geographic
Society, 18 Aug. 2005. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0818_050818_urinebattery.html>.
Serway, R., & Vuille, C. (2009). College physics. (8th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 570-571). Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Serway, R., & Vuille, C. (2012). College physics. (9th ed., pp. 608-609, 617). Boston, MA:
Charles Hartford.

Singh, T. (2011, November 9). Pee power: Bristolian scientists make breakthrough in using
urine as a viable power source read more. Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/peepower-bristolian-scientists-make-breakthrough-in-using-urine-as-a-viable-power-source/
Taylor-Dunn. (2013). Taylor-dunn vehicles: Et-3000. Retrieved from http://www.taylordunn.com/vehicle-details-standard.aspx?id=28
Richard, M. G. (2010, March 11). After smart grids, smart sewage? urine-separating nomix
toilet gets thumbs-up in 7 european countries. Retrieved from
http://www.treehugger.com/bathroom-design/after-smart-grids-smart-sewage-urineseparating-nomix-toilet-gets-thumbs-up-in-7-european-countries.html
U.S. Department of Labor. (2007, July 30). Occupational safety & health administration.
Retrieved from
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=25898&p_table=INTE
RPRETATIONS
U.S. Department of Labor. (2013). Occupational safety & health standards. Retrieved from
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_
id=9797
U.S. Department of Labor. (2013). Occupational safety & health standards for special
industries. Retrieved from
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id=9868
Wikipedia. (2013, February 26). Safety valve. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_valve

Yon, Douglas, P.E., and David Cosaboon, P.E. "Assessing Odor with Waterless Urinals."
Facilitiesnet. Plumbing and Restroom, Jan. 2009. Web. 02 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.facilitiesnet.com/plumbingrestrooms/article/Assessing-Odor-withWaterless-Urinals--10383>.
Yu, Roger. Airports Go For Green With Eco-Friendly Efforts. USA Today. ABC News. NA.
Web. March 2013
Zumdahl, S. S., & Zumdahl, S. A. (2007). Chemistry. (7th ed., p. 154). Boston, MA: Houghton
Mifflin Company.
G. Appendix G
List of Safety Regulations
Confined Space
In work conditions that hinder the duties of an employee to perform confined work
conditions and enter and exit confined space can be a safety issue. The Microbial Fuel Cell
systems have large reservoirs that storage water-waste (urine). These reservoirs can be
underground that require confined spaces for inspections and operational maintenance. Without
the proper training and safety equipment one can find themselves in a life or death situation
underground. Different departments in a Microbial fuel Cell System surround the workplace with
safety hazards that require training and experience. Each employee is responsible to understand
safety hazards to protect themselves from preventable events that result in death or injury. A list
of some dangerous confined space is listed below.
Aeration Basin
o A holding well or treatment reservoir provided with artificial aeration to promote
the biochemical oxidation of waste-fluids.
Digesters
o A series of stages that waste is treated using microorganisms to breakdown
biodegradable material with a deficiency of oxygen.
Man holes
o A utility hole, maintenance holes, inspection chambers, and access chambers, are
all examples of underground utility access points.
These are examples of areas that are confined and require some analysis. CAL-OSHA has
placed safety laws that define a safe workplace in a confined space. According to CAL-OSHA
confined space can be described as contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous
atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that

converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or
asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as
unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress. Precautions have been taken in rulemaking for permitting this type of working condition.
CAL-OSHA Regulation Standards

Part number: 1900
Standard number: 1900.146
Title: Permit-required confined space
Appendix: A,B,C
1900.146 (A)
Necessary permit requirements for practice and processes that protect employees from hazardous
workspace, entry, and exit points in a confined space.
1900.146 (B)
Definitions for a permit-required confined space
1900.146 (C)
General Requirements
1. Workplace must be evaluated to guarantee a workplace is a permit required confined
space or a general confined space.
2. The employer must notify the employee at risk with signs or any equally effective
awareness.
3. Do not allow employees to enter restricted confined space using effective awareness.

4. Before entering a confined space employees must be aware and employers must have a
permit required confined space permit that can be presented to inspectors or employees
5. An employer must present and deliver a healthy and safe work condition with proper
precautions to prevent the harm of any employees.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Employees are provided with a diversified amount of Personal Protective Equipment to
prevent hazardous situations. Protective equipment is supplied after proper training, and practice
for each employee to contain the knowledge to perform daily tasks using their PPE. Personal
protective equipment ensures the safety and health of workers.
Lockout/Tag-Out
Repetitive upkeep, inspections, repairs and testing can lead to dangerous circumstances
while working alone. OSHA designed a simple method for personal protection under severely
dangerous situations during a routine maintenance, inspection, repair, and testing of equipment.
Lockout/ Tag-out is designed to shutdown or de-energize equipment during a task on equipment.
Locking the equipment to prevent reenergizing or starting equipment and Tag the device to
aware employees the equipment is under maintenance or service work.
1910.269 (A)
This section is general standards requirement that illustrates the standards for operating
and maintaining electrical generation, transmission, and distribution. Employees shall be trained
for safety response hazards relative to electrical emergency.

Skilled employees should be skilled in:
1. Skills and techniques to classify exposed electrical currents on systems of electricity.
2. Skills and performance necessary to determine nominal voltage of exposed electricity.
3. Qualified under OSHA regulation standards with the voltage the employee is exposed to.
4. Employees should be aware of hazardous conditions and use Lockout/Tag-Out
procedures.
1910.269 (D)
Employers must have a program using energy control procedures, employee training, and
periodic inspections before practicing or proceeding to service work on equipment. As of
November 1, 1994 CAL-OSHA requires Lockout devices to render any injury from major
repairs, new construction, renovation or modification of machinery or equipment. Procedures for
safety hazards must be clear and visible for all employees to summarize the scope, purpose,
responsibility, authorization, rules, and techniques to be applied to detain any hazardous situation

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The Power of Urine 1

Title of Design: The Power of Urine

Competition Design Challenge Addressed: Airport Environmental Interactions

Faculty Advisor: Professor Glynn Falcon

Institution: San Jose State University

The Power of Urine 2

The Power of Urine

The Power of Urine 3

The Power of Urine 4

Converting Power....... Page 20

11. Cost Analysis... Page 21

Cost of MFCs... Page 21

Cost of Toilets.. Page 22

Cost of Storage........ Page 23

12. Toilets....... Page 25

About the Toilets. Page 26

13. Difficulty in Implementation.. Page 27

The Power of Urine 5

The Power of Urine 6

The Power of Urine 7

4. Summary of Literature Review

The Power of Urine 8

5. UPERs Problem Solving Approach

The Power of Urine 9

The Power of Urine 10

The Power of Urine 11

The Power of Urine 12

7. Application of Charging Stations

The Power of Urine 13

The Power of Urine 14

7.1 Monthly Cost of Generated Power

The Power of Urine 15

Watts = Amps * Volts

Under Specification: Nominal capacity of 20-hr. charge is 12.50Amps

7.2 Average Cost per Month to Charge the ET-3000

Watt/month = Watts * Hours * Cost kWh = Cost per month

The Power of Urine 16

The Power of Urine 17

9.1 Required Steps to Analyze Risks Involved in UPERs Design

The Power of Urine 18

II. Identify the Hazards

III. Analyze Risk

IV. Access Risk

The Power of Urine 19

Above the cut-off point

10. Electric Battery Storage and Use

The Power of Urine 20

The Power of Urine 21

11. Cost Analysis

11.1 Cost of MFCs

The Power of Urine 22

Price of MFC = $80

11.2 Cost of Toilets

The Power of Urine 23

Reduces the amount of

Water and Sewage

Already present in most

11.3 Cost of Storage

The Power of Urine 24

Watts = Amps * Volts

kWh/month = 576*330*.09/1000 = $17.11 per month.

The Power of Urine 25

The Power of Urine 26

The Power of Urine 27

kWh/month = 576330.09/1000 = $17.11 per month.