Originally published December 7 2005
Taiwanese company explains how methanol fuel will be delivered to fuel cells
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Linnet Tsai, spokeswoman for Antig Technology, claims that low-cost cartridges of methanol will be available at gas stations and distributed by companies like Bic and Gillette.
Fuel cells produce power by mixing fuel with air and water between a reactive film membrane in an electrochemical reaction.
For years, companies such as Toshiba and IBM have been promising commercialization of fuel cell technology, and one Taipei-based company is hoping to beat them to it.
Longer Life, Easy to Use According to Linnet Tsai, spokeswoman for Antig Technology, Taiwan's sole direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) solutions provider, methanol fuel will be carried and delivered to the cell via a low-cost cartridge, which can be bought at local convenience stores, and which most likely will be manufactured by a familiar name such as Bic or Gillette.
The fuel is loaded through insertion of the cartridge, which is removed and thrown away after use.
Each cartridge will carry about 100ml (10cc) of a 6-9% solution of methanol and water, which is not flammable at this concentration.
A fuel cell is expected to double a notebook battery's life to about eight hours of continuous use.
Tsai predicts the duration will increase by three to four times when fuel cells are mass produced, which is expected in 2007 or 2008.
Notebook fuel cells will be similar in size to a media bay (CD-ROM) and will weigh about the same as a lithium-ion battery.
The first notebooks deploying fuel cell technology are expected to be quite heavy, as they will have both fuel cells and battery.
Notebook fuel cells will run at about 50-60*C, which is within the current norms for operating temperature.
Modular Design Antig's fuel cells deploy modular designs.
If one component breaks down or is removed, the unit can still operate.
The main problem is the lack of solid commitment to membrane electrode assembly (MEA) production from makers.
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