Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Alcohol-powered Fuel Cells

Posted by Hemos on from the time-to-booze-up-the-laptop dept.

prostoalex writes "Researchers have developed a fuel cell that can be recharged with few milliliters of alcohol. MIT's Tech Review quotes the researchers claiming that those 'cells could eventually be used as a replacement for any rechargeable power source, including laptop and PDA batteries'. I suppose the scientists still have to explain all those bills from liquour store that say 'research material' on them."

25 comments

  1. Nice. by noselasd · · Score: 1

    So we all should get som Jack Daniels shares now ? - Red Hat 9 extra RPMs at http://utelsystems.dyndns.org/

    1. Re:Nice. by Drakin · · Score: 1

      Naw, vodka was what prior articals on the subject suggested.

  2. Hm.. by tansey · · Score: 1, Funny

    Beer...my laptop...beer...my laptop...don't make me choose!

  3. American beer!!! by heldlikesound · · Score: 1

    I knew it was good for something!!!

    --


    Cloud City Digital: DVD Production at its cheapest/finest
    1. Re:American beer!!! by knowledgepeacewi · · Score: 1

      mod parent up!

    2. Re:American beer!!! by Raumkraut · · Score: 1

      I didn't realise they'd got it to work with water, too!?

  4. Stewardess, more power over here, please! by Hanashi · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Finally! Now I can leave my notebook's airline power adapter at home and just use those tiny bottles of cheap vodka. A measly $5 per recharge sounds fine to me.

    Seriously, though. This could be good news for the cereal grain industry. Corn is abundant, cheap and easy to ferment. I wonder how the efficienccy of this technique will compare to that of regular batteries and more "traditional" hydrogen fuel cells?

    --
    Check out my eclectic infosec blog at InfoSecPotpou
  5. So What? by turgid · · Score: 1

    I'm an alcohol-powered Scotsman!

    --
    Stick Men
  6. overheard on an aircraft.... by wowbagger · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Coffee? Tea? What can I get you, sir?"

    "I'll have a rum and Coke, and my computer will have a vodka."

    --
    www.eFax.com are spammers
  7. Won't work for Slashdotters.... by orthogonal · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let's face it, this won't work for Slashdotters...

    Half are too young to buy alcohol, and the other half will want to wait until they can use their favorite re-charger:

    Mountain Dew.

    --
    Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
    1. Re:Won't work for Slashdotters.... by orkysoft · · Score: 1

      Does it necessarily have to be ethyl alcohol?

      --

      I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
  8. hm... by C21 · · Score: 1

    mmmmm...alcohol powered fuel cells...

    --
    this is not a sig.
  9. Quoth Fry by orkysoft · · Score: 1

    Fry (thinking he is a robot): "As a mighty robot, I need alcohol to power my fuel shellssh..." :: snore ::

    --

    I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
  10. Bad habits by presearch · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...ethanol and nicotinimide adenine dinucleotide...

    A laptop that runs on booze and cigarettes.
    Just like Keith Richards.

    1. Re:Bad habits by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Just so you know Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide ( NAD ) is practically the same thing as Niacin (the B vitamin in breakfast cereals). (see http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyP ages/N/NAD.html for a structure of NAD (found by google).

      Nicotine (the compound in tobbacco) has a similar sounding name because the basic chemical structure is similar, although for all practical and functional purpouses they are unrelated. (Google gives http://www.galaxygoo.org/nicotine/what_is_nicotine .html as a site with the structure of nicotine.)

  11. Same with RC airplanes by mnmn · · Score: 1


    RC airplanes can use glow fuel engines or electric engines. Electric is cleaner and cheaper, but fuel engines can be recharged on the spot and are much more powerful.

    I believe the smartest companies will offer a battery replacement, that can be switched with electric batteries rather than building the whole fuel cell system in.

    Cant wait to see whole lanparties running without wires, and a lemonade-type alcohol stand nearby serving power. I wonder if the fuel can be SPIKED for exciting sessions of counterstrike!

    --
    "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
  12. alcohol for cells? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought alcohol killed cells. This is great news!

  13. Can we use them in cars? by immanis · · Score: 1, Funny

    Alcohol Fueled Car eh?

    . o O (One for you, one for Me! One for you, one for Me!)

    *HomerDrool(tm)*

    --

    best web host ever

  14. Bender already knew about this! by clintp · · Score: 3, Funny
    Bender from Futurama of course, is powered by alcohol (the cigars are just to make him look cool). From www.fox.co.uk/futurama/bender_interview.html:
    Alcohol
    1. What is the attraction of alcohol for a robot? Bender: Alcohol fuels my power cells, lubricates my personality piston, and makes me a better dancer. It's the reason I'm alive. And from what I understand about human mating, it's probably the reason you're alive too.
    2. Do robots get frisky when they've had a few drinks? Bender:Who doesn't get frisky when under the spell of liquor's magic? Again, though, I remind you that robots need alcohol for fuel. As for any humans reading this: I do not endorse wholesome, delicious liquor, available at your local store. Tell 'em Bender sent ya!
    3. How does a robot feel when drunk? Bender: They feel like not answering a bunch of dumb questions , jerkbag.
    4. Have you ever drunk anything prohibited by your operation manual? Bender: Yeah, one time I drank some weird eggnog at an office Xmas party. I got woozy and ended up making out with a fax machine. The same thing happened to Fry.
    5. . What's your favorite cocktail? Bender: Anything you drink using a funnel. Or the neck-cone of an injured pet.
    --
    Get off my lawn.
  15. Specific Energy Comparison by Michael.Forman · · Score: 4, Informative


    The specific energy of a NiMH battery is approximately 70 Wh/kg (250 kJ/kg).

    In comparison a realistic methanol fuel cell has a specific energy of 700 Wh/kg (2.5 MJ/kg).

    A methanol fuel cell has roughly ten times the specific energy. However I've heard that the energy density in (J/L) is only on the order of a factor of two better. Can anyone speak to this?

    Michael.

    Previous Slashdot Science post on Ecologoy and Economy

    --
    Linux : Mac :: VW : Mercedes
    1. Re:Specific Energy Comparison by drf5n · · Score: 1

      If you look at the units, it is clear that it is a density thing. If the fuel cell holds 10 times more energy by weight, and only 2 times more energy by volume, then the density of the fuel cell is 1/5th of the density of the NiMH battery.

  16. Lack of details, GRRRRR... by AB3A · · Score: 3, Insightful
    1) What kind of alcohol?

    2) What "poisons" this fuel cell? Will it survive a bit of water?

    3) What are the by-products of power generation? Can it be used to store energy too?

    4) How many watts per kg or liter?

    Sheesh. And it's only been tested for a few months. I'll bet there are at least a few unknowns yet to be discovered. Nontheless, the concept is interesting. The question is whether this can become a practical commercial device. You can't even begin to guess with shoddy reporting like this...


    --
    Nearly fifty percent of all graduates come from the bottom half of the class!
  17. Sigh -- Same research reported in a different pub by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 1

    We've been over this already back in March. Granted, that article was looking in New Scientist, and this one is looking at MIT Tech Review, but they both refer to the same work done by Shelley Minteer at St Louis University in Missouri
    --

  18. Hmmm. by Cyno01 · · Score: 1

    Sounds like Bender.

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."