Hitachi Readies Fuel Cell for PDAs

Anuj Jain writes "The Register is reporting that Hitachi and Japanese cigarette lighter maker Tokai will ship a direct methanol fuel cell system for PDAs in 2005. The prototype has already been built. The two companies believe they can develop the prototype into a device the size of a AA battery. Hitachi first demonstrated its fuel cell system back in March. NEC is also known to be working on a similar system of its own, as is Toshiba. Unlike Hitachi, they are targeting the notebook computer market. In October, Toshiba showed off a PDA-sized version of its fuel system that can recharge a mobile phone. Another article here. Light on details, but cool photo in the Reg article!"

Comments

Let's do that math, kids.

[medscaper]

and forcing the gas into cylinders where it will be mixed with air and EXPLODE thousands of times a second might also make you wince

GodDAMN! Let's just do the calculations, there. I'll say thousands = 2000, for arguments' sake. 2000 of times a second for each cylinder firing. So, for a standard rice-burner, let's call it a 4-banger...at 7,000 RPMs, you're talking 14,000 explosions per minute.

Ok, so for 2000 explosions per second, you'd need at least...what? around 60,000 RPMs. (30,000 or so for a V-8)

You bet your ASS I'm going to "wince" at 60,000 RPMs.