Originally published January 20 2006
New Toshiba fuel cells primed to hit the market
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
From methanol technology to Toshiba’s newest fuel cell technology, experts promise that batteries are taking a turn for the better in recent trade shows.
Today's gadgets are becoming smaller and more powerful but a major roadblock remains: the batteries.
Miniature fuel cell technology is about to change the landscape.
Methanol could provide between 40 to 60 times the energy efficiency of lithium ion and an energy density gain of up to 10 times.
Toshiba has created the world smallest fuel cell and developed a prototype of a flash-based MP3 player measuring 1.4 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches which can run up to 35 hours with a single charge of 3.5ml of highly concentrated methanol.
Engineers at California Institute of Technology have also been able to create fuel cell based button-sized battery for devices like MP3 players.
Cannon announced three new fuel cell prototypes: a larger version to power devices like printers, a smaller version to power digital cameras and a 1.2 x 1.6 inches version to power cell phones.
The Cannon fuel cell batteries are based on hydrogen refillable cartridges as opposed to the more common approach of extracting hydrogen from methanol.
The initial prototype is capable of powering up the notebook for up to 8 hours with one recharge.
There are still some difficulties to overcome.
Methanol is a flammable liquid and the government is reluctant to let anything on a plane that could be used as a weapon.
Although methanol is cheap, there is the added cost of cartridge manufacture, distribution and additional costs.
Also, fuel cells tend to produce a steady stream of electricity while the electronic devices require varied power demands.
Even with these difficulties, the advantages of a fuel cell battery are clear: a smaller, lighter and longer lasting battery with promises to be made commercially available in 2006 or 2007.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml