Originally published November 29 2005
Fuel cell leaders meet in London to discuss the technology's future
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Meeting in London, the Grove Fuel Cell Symposium gathered fuel cell promoters to discuss innovations in fuel cell technology.
As energy costs continue to soar and portable devices hog more power, fuel cell developers foresee growing market demand for micropower devices in mobile applications that could extend beyond the wireless market to include automotive uses.
A range of new applications were highlighed at a recent conference in London, the Grove Fuel Cell Symposium.
Promoters of micropower fuel cell technology said the technology could catalyze the entire fuel cell market.
Portable applications are expected to launch the industry.
Cost and performance are sufficient to attract customers, volume distribution channels are already in place and a "huge, pent-up market demand" is developing," claimed Jim Balcom, president and CEO of PolyFuel, a micropower fuel cell developer based in Mountain View, Calif.
Balcom told the conference that regulatory issues such as carrying small fuel cartridges on airplanes must still be resolved.
The "run-time gap" --- the difference in energy demand for portable devices and energy available from current battery technology --- "is going to drive portable fuel cells to mass commercialization years before automotive fuel cells become economically viable, or stationary power fuel cells become widely deployed," Balcom argued.
PolyFuel develops membranes designed to improve the performance of fuel cells used in mobile and automotive applications.
Many experts think direct-methanol fuel cells (DMFC) will be among the first technologies to be commericalized as portable power sources.
The publication Fuel Cell Today recently rated methanol-based cells as the most likely to hit the market first, with likely spin-off benefits for the automotive sector.
A host of Asian and European companies are working on DMFC technology.
Most recently, a Korean developer claimed its fuel cell could generate more than 4,000 hours of 25-W power, or eight times more than its nearest competitor.
U.S. developers have also focused on dry fuel cells for mobile applications.
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