TOPIC 'Fuel Cells' on Jan 20, 2009 (CET)
Portable Fuel Cells Are One Step Closer To Reality
Fuel cells for cell phones, iPods, laptops, etc., are one step closer to the creation of a usable end product, more than just a prototype. Fuel cells use a tiny amount of fuel to energize a small chip to produce electricity without combusting. Once this technology is finally available, what it means for the end user is the ability to replace fuel cartridges instead of having to sync up with a grounded wall socket to recharge the electronic gadget.
Nowadays, the aforementioned have-to-have, can’t-live-without products, expend their energy within a mere couple of hours and have to be re-charged with an “old school” electrical supply. Tiny fuel cells have long been considered the new-age solution. These new little miracle electrical gadgets could possibly power a laptop for days without having to refill or recharge.
Technology is still trying to solve some issues with the little jewels as they struggle to meet several important criteria: they are inexpensive; they are small; they last a long time; and they can’t overheat. The U.S. government removed one problem this year from the list when they amended the regulations for carrying certain hazardous materials onboard an aircraft. They will now allow fuel cells containing substances of butane, formic acid, or methanol to be transported. Previously, these substances were on the “no-carry” list of items as formic acid can be corrosive, and butane and methanol are flammable. An energy consultant for the group Frost & Sullivan, Sara Bradford, said that regulation was one of the largest hindrances to the fuel cell market.
Fuel cell manufacturers now have a clearer path and less resistance to producing a final product that will be easier to market and sell. In fact, a Massachusetts-based company, Lilliputian Systems, Inc., is planning to release a portable fuel cell late in 2009 to be used with any gadget that can be charged utilizing a USB port. It is said to be about two by three inches in size and will use butane to power a GPS device, digital camera, iPod, or a Blackberry. It is a charging system that would utilize refilled cartridges.
Sherry Irvin
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany
