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Fuel-Cell Power With Methanol
foaty writes: "It has been reported that Japanese electronics companies have developed prototypes for fuel-cell batteries that can power the smallest of electronic devices for long periods of time, and they only need refueling, not recharging! See the article at FutureEnergies.com." That article links to this piece at ZDNet; what's interesting is that instead of hydrogen, this article talks instead mostly about methanol-based fuel cells.
As this idea seems to be more and more common, I wonder what would happen if I try and take my fuel cell powered laptop on a plane. The only place I really like to use my laptop is when I travel. I don't know that I see the airlines allowing me onboard with a flammable liquid powered laptop.
Because you would refule your Laptop maybe every 3-4 days (of full speed running) while it weights MUCH less than no (50% only). The weight is interesting here - 1kg of methanol solution will propably last for a number of weeks. Compare this with what you carry around in your laptop - hell, I would pay 2000 USD for a working system RIGHT NOW, just not to carry all the reserve batteries to keep me going for a day.
:-)
Your Mobile phone runs 6 month with a load
Oh, and - why going to a gas station? A small bottle of 12 year old whiskey can help you out.
Thomas
I picked this para from : Re-Solv
Butane gas is the main component chemical found in lighter refills, usually making up 90% of the product. As these flammable containers are activated under pressure, the fuel gas is released at a very low temperature, presenting a risk through direct oral abuse of cold burns, respiratory difficulties and death by vagal inhibition due to rapid cooling of the larynx. The vagal nerve runs through the neck and inhibition of this nerve leads directly to heart failure, slowing of the heart, and cardiac arrest.
The dangers of using these fuel cells is miniscule compared to the widely used lighters.
I've seen so many companies/labs/etc... with prototype portable personal fuel cells for running electronics over the past 5 years, but none of them have made it to production. I'll believe it when i can get one off the shelf and use it for my wearable, but until such a time, it's just pie in the sky.
---
Play Six Pack Man. I
Why would refueling be preferable to recharging?
Speed. Which is faster: filling your car's empty tank, or recharging you laptop's empty batteries?
And those little batteries are also a concern. In fact, all batteries should be properly recycled so that the materials can be properly disposed of or even better reclaimed.
Not all environmentalists are complete cranks. I am, but not all of them are.
:wq
There are too many preannouncements in the fuel cell business, and very few products shipping. Ballard Power Systems maintains the illusion of having a product line, but when you look closely, you can't actually order units and get delivery. Everything is a prototype.
The process by which a fuel cell works is all 'one way', and unlikely to be degraded in the above way.
Ehmm. Wrong. Fuel cells work on Hydrogen and Oxygen. Oxygen comes from the air. The hyrdogen is extracted from the methanol. The system that is used for that is slowly clogged by any and all impurities that end up in your methanol.
Roger.