Laptop Fuel Cells Approved For Air Carriage

gilgsn writes "According to reports in BusinessWeek, the US Department of Transportation has ruled that a new fuel cell developed by US company Polyfuel can be taken on airplanes. The announcement clears the way for the commercialisation of fuel cells as an alternative to batteries in notebook computers. The use of direct methanol fuel cells on aeroplanes has been questioned as they contain methanol, which is flammable. According to Jim Balcom, Polyfuel's CEO, the US DOT said that a fuel cell designed by his company could be taken into aircraft cabins when it goes on sale because it contains a relatively low concentration of methanol. Fuel cells are viewed as a promising power source in notebook comptuers as they are instantly refuellable (using fuel cartridges) and will power laptops two to three times longer than standard batteries. Full Story." This will be more exciting news when the fuel cells are actually available.

Comments

Bush loves the idea!

[clemfoley]

Anything that is powered by oil will be quickly approved as long as Bush is in office, no matter how dangerous.

Methane gas?

[Spy4MS]

Maybe they can be refueled at the lavatory.

33 years old and still making potty jokes. It's sad, really.

Re:Methane gas?

[Usquebaugh]

33 yrs old and posting on /. V. sad

Victorian machinery

[Metropolitan]

I can see it now - all those busines-class air travelers sitting with their laptops open, little puffs of steam bubbling out every few minutes...

That being said:
This could be a boon to the more adventurous computer users. Instead of having to drag a solar pack around, and a bag of spare batteries, a jug of methanol and you'll be set for weeks!

What will the new measurement be - MIPS/liter?

aggh.

[crea5e]

First cars are going to electrical motors, now laptops are using fuel cells. Why not a diesel powered cell phone ?

Next thing you'll tell me is that there is like a tenth planet or something.

Damn slashdot. I used to be a normal person.

obligatory simpsons quote

[K.]

"One for you, one for me. One for you..."

One way or another, today's young go-getters are going to end up high on meths. Oh the canadian irony.

Flammable?

[bravehamster]

The use of direct methanol fuel cells on aeroplanes has been questioned as they contain methanol, which is flammable.

Screw the airplane--what about my lap? I mean seriously, an airplane is a lot harder to set aflame than my cordurouys.

Re:Vodka is flammable, too

[taniwha]

of course .... and when your laptop power supply is running low just pop that call button ....

Re:"Relatively" Low?

[Waffle Iron]

"Yes sir, please take a 'relatively' low concentration of one of the world's most flammable substances on board!" Sounds like a GREAT idea. It's all too easy to start a fire with these, though.

O.M.G -- To think that for all these years, I've been flying in airplanes accompanied by dozens of little 1-ounce TICKING TIME BOMBS in the beverage cart -- each one filled with a FLAMMABLE ethanol mixture!

I'm not stepping onto an airplane again until this situation is fixed!!!

(Hmm... I could offer to dispose of these dangerous articles at no charge to the arlines.)

News of November the 16th, 2009

[Dark Lord Seth]

London, United Kingdom

At 07:00 this morning, a newly comissioned methanol based airliner made by the Boeing corporation crashed near London Heathrow airport due to what seems to be a fuel shortage. Rescue personel is currently attempting to find and rescue any survivors in the wreckage of the crashed plane.

The tragedy started at 22:00 in Ney York's LaGuardia airport where 850 individuals boarded the newly comissioned and experimental plane. The majority of the passengers was bound for a Open Source meeting in Hamburg, Germany. The first signs of trouble came about Ireland, when the reports of fuel loss came in. Initially, these were disregarded as anomalies due to the new fuel system. This simple human mistake proved to cost about 700 human lives later in London.

While the most likely cause is a spantanous depressurization of the fuel compartments or a large leak, authorities have found evidence pointing in a different direction. Here we have a recording of the passenger area voice recorder. Were now playing it back live to you:

Geek 1 : I'm bored, how much longer does the flight last?
Geek 2 : Much longer, I wish we hadn't drained our fuel cells in the departure halls...
Geek 3 : Tell me about it. So, this is one of those new Boeings, right?
Geek 2 : Yeah, it is, it's based on a new kind of engine concept that works on methanol! It's really great stuff if you're into engineering...
Geek 1 : Methanol!?
Geek 3 : Brethren, I have just found a solution for our boredom! Tell me where the main fuel conduits are and get me a Dremel from the casemodders department!

*** Sound of several minutes of apparent use of tools ***

Geek 1 : We did it! Everyone got their load of methane?
Geek 2 : First post at slashdot!
Geek 3 : Damn you, Stallma- ... Hey, are we losing altit-

*** Static (or various moans and cries with a dark voice rambling "Liberate Tuteme Ex Infernus"(sp?) if you're in a marcabre mood.) ***

Re:Sounds cool, but not for my laptop.

[AntiNorm]

recharge my methanol supply

That gives me a thought...instead of using methanol, how about using methane? Sure, it's a gas, but methane can be used as a fuel, and hey, it's easy to come up with a refill for it.

Re:And why shouldn't they be approved?

[razvedchik]

You forgot to mention the dangerous cryptography that might be on the laptop. You know it's classifed as a munition under ITAR.

THE HORROR!!!!!

Re:Safe?

[pete-classic]

This is not nearly as disturbing as something I heard the other day.

The actually sell these little wooden sticks that are tipped with chemicals such that when rubbed against the box the chemicals ignite and, in turn, ignite the wood.

If you think that is bad, they even have special ones that will ignite when rubbed against any number of common items, such as the "zipper" on so-called "Levi's." (Which, I understand, are allowed on aircraft.)

The really amazing part is that these things will slip right past even the most astute airport screener and can be purchased at any grocery store without a special license! .

I have heard rumors about a secret type of these things, which I hear are called "matches," though I don't know what it is they are supposed to "match," that are made from chemically treated paper. This type supposedly comes in "books" that are so small they can be easily hidden in the palm of one's hand, and are essentially undetectable.

We live in ghastly days . . .

-Peter

PS: Rubbing alcohol doesn't explode, nitwit. Oh, and I don't know where you are from, but where I live "boosting" a car and "jumping" a car are two totally different things.

Re:What Safety

[gvonk]

i have a habit of finishing a soda and twisting the can apartment...

Ah! It was you who twisted my can apartment! I can't live in it any longer because someone twisted the damn aluminum roof right off! *sniff*
I just hope you stay away from my Can Airplane

Re:Gahhh

[the_other_one]

I wonder if you could do an emergencey ethanol refill using an airline vodka bottle?