Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

BBC Tests Pre-Commercial Toshiba Fuel Cell Laptop

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the fill-er-up dept.

nbannerman writes "Fuel cells have been talked about a lot recently, but Toshiba have finally demonstrated a working model. The BBC News website provides some interesting background on fuel cells, but does carrying a warning for the future; 'Toshiba's phase one fuel cell shows how near, but also how far, the version is from being a commercial reality.'"

6 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Just the thing to use in First Class Seating by SockPuppet_9_5 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Try getting THAT through airport security.

  2. How it works by ylikone · · Score: 4, Informative

    Fuel cells electrochemically convert fuel into electricity, without bothering with the awkward combustion process that dooms regular engines to inefficiency. The fuel that most currently workable fuel cells run on is hydrogen, which is a bit of a pain to store and transport. A device called a "reformer" can be used to convert methanol and water (much easier to store) into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, but reformer-based fuel cells aren't very efficient, and small models for portable electronic devices are less efficient still. "Direct methanol" fuel cells (DMFCs), on the other hand, run from un-reformed methanol. DMFCs are the things most likely to end up in your laptop or mobile phone. Learn more about fuel cells.

    --
    Meh.
  3. Safety and technology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    One of the things that jumped out at me was the thought "wow, this thing is very dependant on technology just to be safe!". From the article:

    The fuel cell is loaded with sensors. When suddenly picked up and shaken, anti-tamper sensors lock down the fuel cell to avoid leaks.

    As it produces heat from the reaction, internal sensors make sure that it does not overheat.

    What of the odds of those various sensors failing (and you know that they will for someone, somewhere) and what kinds of damage is caused when they do?

  4. Here is a picture of it during boot up by geekoid · · Score: 3, Funny

    http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Able1.jp g

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  5. Summary: Not Practical :( by smug_lisp_weenie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This fuel cell system weighs as much and is as large as a 1 Liter bottle of water... and gives 10 hours of charge?!

    Clearly you could have a Lithium ion battery that lasts many more (20? 30?) hours at the same size...

    ...and clearly there has not been any marked for a notebook with a clunky battery- The closest thing to a laptop ever released which emphasizes battery power over weight is the Electrovaya Scribbler- I have the 300 model and can get well over 10 hours out of it!

    Maybe by the 3rd generation (and a decade from now) it will be able to compete with standerd batteries, assuming standard batteries haven't improved by then this technology might be worth a second look (which is unfortunately a possiblity, given the slow progress in battery technology)...

  6. Doesn't look promising by cartman · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Fuel cells have been promised for a long time now. As an example, I remember that a production fuel-cell car was promised by Mercedes to be available in showrooms by 2001...then 2004...then 2007...then 2009... And we still wait. And there are other examples: laptop makers have also repeatedly promised that fuel cells are right around the corner, with similar results.

    It appears increasingly unlikely that fuel cells will ever happen. Although fuel cell technology continues to improve, the improvement is very gradual. It's not clear that fuel cells are progressing faster than new battery technology, in which case the two will never converge.

    I should also note that the fuel cartridge (100ml) by itself, which powers the laptop for 10 hours, is not that much smaller than a battery. Even if toshiba drastically shrank the size of the surrounding electronics, making the entire cell the same size as a battery, it still would have no advantage. You would still have to carry around extra fuel cartridges (with methanol) for additional power.

    Bear in mind that you wouldn't be able to recharge the cartridge by just pouring in more methanol, or buying new fuel cartridges at a convenience store. Methanol is extremely poisonous even in very small amounts, and medically significant amounts are absorbed through the skin. Therefore the fuel cartridges will require expensive and durable equipment to prevent the leakage of any fuel whatsoever when removed from the laptop. Probably the fuel cartridges will be expensive and will have to be recycled and disposed of properly.