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

"Light on details"

[Space cowboy]

Yep, that'd be the hydrogen :-)

Simon.

Re:"Light on details"

[Erioll]

But it isn't pure hydrogen. They are reforming Methanol, which if I remember correctly, is CH3OH. A lot of us know that the products of the Hydrogen-Oxygen fuel cell is just pure water, but what OTHER products are there for this process? The carbon at least has to be accounted for somehow. I've never seen that answered anywhere. If anybody has a link or something, that would be appreciated.

Erioll

Re:"Light on details"

[iminplaya]

Now just imagine the smog in the cabin with 300 of thes things operating. Later we'll have to put catalytic(sp) converters on them. Then it will smell everyone on board ate hard boiled eggs for lunch.

Re:"Light on details"

[zmooc]

http://www.cheresources.com/fuelcell.shtml. It basicly comes down to this:

"Environmental Acceptability - Because fuel cells are so efficient, CO2 emissions are reduced for a given power output. The fuel cell is quiet, emitting only 60 decibels at 100 feet. Emissions of SOx and NOx are 0.003 and 0.0004 pounds/megawatt-hour respectively. Fuel cells can be designed as water self-sufficient. "

The complete reaction is explained there as well.

Early Adopter?

[l810c]

After reading this, not sure if I will be.

Also, the thought of a liquid methanol next to all those hot electronics make me wince.

Akmed to airport security: "I told you, I'm a laptop battery salesman..."

Re:Early Adopter?

[Kris Thalamus]

Even if the amount methanol in these AA size cells poses no risk, I still think manufactures should consider changing the changing the name of the devices to something other than "fuel cell"; If, for no other reason, than to quell the paranoia of the litigation prone public and the sensationalist press.

It's a sad state of affairs, but PR and marketing can make all the difference to the acceptance of a nascent technologh.

Re:Early Adopter?

[ivan256]

Last I checked, they served 80 proof alcoholic beverages on airplanes. These things use a 20% methanol solution. They're way safer than a nip from the bar cart.

There is zero chance of one catching fire in your pocket too. You can't say that about the LiIon cell in your Tungsten T3.

Re:Early Adopter?

[Anonymous Coward]

I wouldn't recomend drinking methonol.

Well I might, depending on what kind of person you are. But in general I wouldn't.

Re:Early Adopter?

[pla]

I wouldn't recomend drinking methonol.

I think he meant more that it won't catch on fire, rather than you can safely drink it. The ethanol comparison only referred to relative concentrations of the flamable substance (40% served as drinks, vs 20% in fuel cells, neither of which will light on fire).

For a comparison of safety of chemicals involved, modern batteries contain things that will not only will harm you if ingested, but they will burn skin on contact. Methanol might dry out your skin (like an astringent), but comes nowhere near an actual caustic burn.

which reg link, you ask?

[Anonymous Coward]

there are four (yes, 4) links to theregister up there. the one with the pic is the first one.

Gadget Integration Gone Too Far

[Hell O'World]

Coming soon, the worlds first combination PDA-cigarette lighter!

Competing Technology

[Leme]

There is also a competing technology being developed using sodium borohydride. You can read about it at Wired, at the following URL , http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60305, 00.html

Re:Competing Technology

[AKAImBatman]

I'd rather have a battery that never dies. Get me a radioisotope with a half-life of 20 years or less, and use a few grams to propel a tiny Stirling engine driving a 3/4" DC generator. That should be good for at least a few watts of power per stack. One stack could power your cell phone no problem. A larger stack (or perhaps parallel stack) could generate enough power to at least recharge your laptop when not in use. Perhaps even provide constant power.

Screw fuel cells. I want atomic!

EtOH

[zumbojo]

Ethanol stores more chemical energy, is easier to make, easier to come by in a pinch (cheap vodka anyone?), and is much less toxic than methanol. Why the hell aren't they using ethanol?

Re:EtOH

[Kevin Burtch]

Simple, you can't drink methanol.
If they made it run on ethanol, moonshine would have to be legalized.
This is why, when you go to Home Depot to buy a gallon can of alcohol for cleaning or fuel, it's denatured (ethanol mixed with methanol to poison it).
No, you can't run it on cheap vodka, whiskey, or any other kind of legally sold consumable alcohol, as there's far too many impurities - it would destroy the cell.

Now making it run on denatured alcohol would be ideal, since it is readily available and extremely inexpensive. I'm not sure it won't run on it, in fact it probably will.

Re:EtOH

[SilkBD]

Your argument is questionable, GM has an article about an Ethanol fueled car and station in Missouri: http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/environment/ne ws_issues/news/e85_awareness_103003.html

Enough with the marketing speak...

[ivan256]

sufficient fuel to power a handheld device for six to eight hours.

That's meaningless! Give me some hard data! What's the voltage, the peak and average current ratings, the amp-hours? Can it blink a handheld LED for 6 hours, or run a 400Mhz ARM core with a backlit color display for 6 hours? Is the power density higher than an LiIon battery of the same size? How much does it cost? Can it be refilled in place without turning off the device?

Seems to me that if this was actually signifigant progress, they'd be telling us all this.

Laptop power consumption & airplane security

[G4from128k]

I wonder how much methanol will be needed to keep modern laptops running? At 50 W power consumption, a laptop consumes about as much energy as half a person. With an energy content of 19.5 MJ/kg MeOH and assuming a 75% conversion efficiency, a laptop needs almost 100 gm of methanol for an 8 hour flight.

Something tells me that airlines and security people won't like the idea of people carrying 4 ounce cartridges of flammable pure methyl alcohol onboard flights. Even in a "secure" cartridge form factor, the liquid would seem to pose a hazard if a terrorist learns how to open the cartridge and set fire to the liquid.

Recharge?

[medscaper]

...methanol fuel cell systems...

Tech : No, sir. You should NOT try to recharge them like that...

Cool, but...

[Mean_Nishka]

While this sounds cool I wonder how practical this will really be.. When I need PDA juice I just pop the thing in the wall and I'm charged. I don't think people will like having to buy methanol cartridges for $5 a shot in order to keep the thing running. To me it's more economical to operate it off the battery and pay the few cents it takes to charge it.

Re:Laptop power consumption & airplane securit

[iantri]

Forks are also a very serious security risk. A terrorist could say, jam his fork from his meal into a passing flight attendent or worse, the captain.

Therefore, we should ban forks from planes.

Let's be realistic -- there's only so much you can do.

CH3OH

[whovian]

(glugg, glugg) Help! I can't see my PDA!

Re:Looking down the line

[ivan256]

These things are going to explode way less often than current battery packs. You'll have a hard time igniting a 20% methanol solution.... and that's only when it's fully charged.. It get's diluted down to as low as 3% by the time the cell is fully discharged. It's practically water.

The fuel cell industry needs to work on it's terminology to stop the misguided myth generation.

Rechargeable?

[peterdaly]

Can someone who knows more about this than me enlighten us on whether these things are rechargeable?

I have a hard time seeing these things catch on if they are one time use.

-Pete

Re:Laptop power consumption & airplane securit

[ivan256]

It's clear from all the mindless paranoia that we should just ban airlines.

Or we could all start thinking rationally.... Which one of those is more likely?

Why not ethanol

[wowbagger]

The reason they don't want to use ethanol is precisely BECAUSE it is the same as alcohol.

If they use ethanol, they have to treat the refills just as they would have to treat vodka - they cannot sell it to anybody under-age, they have to have a liquor license to sell it, they got to prison if they violate the rules.

That is why you don't see pure ethanol at the gas pump, that is why you won't see ethanol fuel for fuel cells.

Now, the COULD try to design the fuel cell to run on ethanol, as well, and leave the fact as a "back door" sort of issue, but any fuel they sell will have to be denatured in some form. The easiest way is to use methanol.

Smokey the Bear says...

[GillBates0]

When using your methanol based fuel cell system at the campgrounds, always practice safety. Surround your methanol based fuel cell system with rocks to keep the fire from spreading. Be sure when you're done with your fuel cell to put it out with a bucket of water and make sure it has stopped smoking before you leave the area.

Remember what Smokey the Bear says. Only you can prevent your methanol based fuel cell system from starting a forest fire.

Re:'Terrorist' risk?

[ivan256]

The only way the security-paranoid TSA will let this slide would be if it was non-flamable, or in such small quantities it would be harmless. Unfortunately, that would also make the technology useless.

GAH!

1. Read
2. Think
3. Post

It's very simple.

It's right in the story. 20% solution. Non-flamable. In fact the device *can't work* with pure methanol. It needs a 3-6% solution. I'd hardly call making it non-flamable the same as making it useless. Making it non-flamable is the *only way* to make it useful.

as per usual

[tomstdenis]

"...last 6 to 8 hours...".

Then what? Do I buy more cells? Can I plug them into the wall and recharge them?

At least with my AA's and my Laptop I can just charge them when they die. I've used my AA's [GP1600s] since May 2001 quite a bit and they're still going strong [I'd say they count as environmentally friendly considering if you estimate I would have gone through 4AAs a week for two years that's 416AA batteries or roughly 27lbs of waste].

Anyways make a "fuel cell" I can top off with tap water or by plugging into my wall and then maybe I'll consider it [a 1.5v/3Ah AA battery would be nice :-)].

Tom

Changing the name

[wowbagger]

To what should they change it?

Booze Battery?

Vodka Wattsa?

Gin-erator (or En-Gin)?

Re:Changing the name

[dexter riley]

Happy Fun Cell.

Huh?

[Eric_Cartman_South_P]

Also, the thought of a liquid methanol next to all those hot electronics make me wince.

I'm sure the though of having 10-20 gallons of GAS! just a yard away from your ass, 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!

I guess I can cross of full cells for the Palm, and cars from your x-mas wish list. :)

Re:didn't you get the memo?

[Idarubicin]

Some forms of radiation (e.g. alpha and beta) are not even a serious threat! Alpha radiation is incapable of penetrating the skin. Beta radiation can only do so in large quantities, and then it's akin to getting a strong electric shock. (i.e. Lots of burns and such.)

Are you smoking crack? Alpha emissions are indeed incapable of penetrating our dead outer layer of skin--but that does not make them harmless. If ingested or inhaled, alpha emitters are extremely dangerous. Alpha radiation is a much more effective mutagen (and consequently carcinogen) than beta or gamma radiation, precisely because it has poor penetrating power. All of the energy each alpha particle carries is deposited along a short path, doing significantly more damage--causing things like double-stranded DNA breaks. One mechanism by which cigarettes may cause cancer is mutations in the lungs caused by inhaled polonium-210 particles from tobacco. (Po-210 is an alpha emitter.)

Many alpha emitters are also potent chemical poisons, such that their direct toxic effects on exposure (ingestion) can kill more quickly than their radiological ones. (Plutonium, for instance, falls into this basket.)

People will crush these things inadvertantly, they'll leave them out in the rain, they'll lose them, they'll leave dozens of cells in their office drawers, they'll throw them out with the regular trash, they'll dispose of them by incineration. (All the stupid things that people do with batteries now.)

Power cells containing high specific activity nuclear materials are an interesting concept, but they do not belong in consumer products--because consumers will do incredibly stupid things with them. Radioisotopes require competent supervision.

For the record, I am a physicist.