Slashdot Mirror
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.
Why would refueling be preferable to recharging?
Speed. Which is faster: filling your car's empty tank, or recharging you laptop's empty batteries?
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.