Fuel Cells Move Forward
One of the biggest limitations to making our portable electronic devices smaller as designers pack them with an increasing number of power hungry features is the battery.
Portable fuel cells may be destined to become a major power source of the future for mobile electronic devices, and recent advancements in design are bringing them closer than ever to becoming the industry choice.
Improvements in the membrane, which permits methanol fuel to interact with water to generate electricity, have recently been shown to improve efficiency and provide for more stable performance. The result is longer run times, higher power outputs, and smaller size. One prototype, less than 15mm thick with a power output of 15 watts, was demonstrated to power a notebook PC for eight to ten hours.
For information: PolyFuel, Inc., 1245 Terra Bella Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043; phone: 650-429-4700; fax: 650-930-0219; Web site: www.polyfuel.com
Fujitsu Laboratories, Functional Organic Materials Lab; phone: +81-46-250-8257; email: organicmat@ml.labs.fujitsu.com
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Daniel Burrus, one of the world's leading technology forecasters, business strategists, and author of six books
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