Thursday, March 6, 2003
Toshiba May Bid Laptop Batteries Goodbye (Which is Good News for Pocket PCs Too!)
Posted by Jason Dunn in "NEWS" @ 12:01 AM
"Toshiba has developed a prototype direct methanol fuel cell that it says will end the need for re-chargeable batteries on portable PCs. The new fuel cell has an average output of 12 watts and a maximum output of 20 watts, and gives about 5 hours of operation with 50 milliliters of fuel, Toshiba said in a statement Wednesday. It runs on replaceable methanol cartridges, Toshiba said.
Methanol in a fuel cell delivers power most efficiently when it is mixed with water in a 3 percent to 6 percent concentration. To date, this has made the fuel tank too large for portable equipment, Toshiba said. However, the new cell includes a system whereby the methanol is diluted by water produced in the power generation process. This process allows the methanol be stored at a higher concentration, allowing the fuel tank to shrink to a tenth of the size previously needed, the company said."
We've been hearing about fuel cells for over two years now, but it looks like they're finally becoming a reality next year. Toshiba has created prototypes, and expects to be shipping fuel cell batteries in 2004. What I found particularly interesting was this quote from the article:
"The PC communicates with the fuel cell, giving information on its operating status, so that the fuel cell can balance power demand and supply. Sensors in the cell monitor methanol concentration and tell users when to change the cartridge, Toshiba said. The fuel cell can be directly connected to a PC or other portable device in place of a lithium-ion battery, Toshiba said. Two cartridge sizes have been developed: a 4.2 ounce, 100 milliliter (3.4 fluid ounces) cartridge offering 10 hours of operating time, and a 2.5 ounce, 50 milliliter (1.7 fluid ounces) version giving 5 hours of operation. The fuel cell itself weighs just about two pounds, Toshiba said."
I was under the impression that laptops and devices with removable batteries would need to be redesigned from scratch in order to take advantage of fuel cell technology, but the above leads me to believe that if an manufacturer wanted do, they could develop fuel cells in the same physical dimensions as current batteries. This is fantastic news - because even if the OEMs don't want to do the work, there are likely third-party battery makers who will step up and create fuel cell solutions. I'm typing this sitting on a couch with my laptop in my lap, and I'd give anything to have battery technology that didn't threaten to burn my legs with direct contact. :lol:
Methanol in a fuel cell delivers power most efficiently when it is mixed with water in a 3 percent to 6 percent concentration. To date, this has made the fuel tank too large for portable equipment, Toshiba said. However, the new cell includes a system whereby the methanol is diluted by water produced in the power generation process. This process allows the methanol be stored at a higher concentration, allowing the fuel tank to shrink to a tenth of the size previously needed, the company said."
We've been hearing about fuel cells for over two years now, but it looks like they're finally becoming a reality next year. Toshiba has created prototypes, and expects to be shipping fuel cell batteries in 2004. What I found particularly interesting was this quote from the article:
"The PC communicates with the fuel cell, giving information on its operating status, so that the fuel cell can balance power demand and supply. Sensors in the cell monitor methanol concentration and tell users when to change the cartridge, Toshiba said. The fuel cell can be directly connected to a PC or other portable device in place of a lithium-ion battery, Toshiba said. Two cartridge sizes have been developed: a 4.2 ounce, 100 milliliter (3.4 fluid ounces) cartridge offering 10 hours of operating time, and a 2.5 ounce, 50 milliliter (1.7 fluid ounces) version giving 5 hours of operation. The fuel cell itself weighs just about two pounds, Toshiba said."
I was under the impression that laptops and devices with removable batteries would need to be redesigned from scratch in order to take advantage of fuel cell technology, but the above leads me to believe that if an manufacturer wanted do, they could develop fuel cells in the same physical dimensions as current batteries. This is fantastic news - because even if the OEMs don't want to do the work, there are likely third-party battery makers who will step up and create fuel cell solutions. I'm typing this sitting on a couch with my laptop in my lap, and I'd give anything to have battery technology that didn't threaten to burn my legs with direct contact. :lol:
