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batterybase (wordpay) wrote,
@ 2009-09-09 21:20:00

Panasonic Shows Laptop Fuel Cell

Panasonic Shows Laptop Fuel Cell

LAS VEGAS-- Matsushita Battery Industrial, a division of Panasonic, Hp laptop battery is showing a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for laptop computers at the International Consumer Electronics Show here this week.

The fuel cell, a working model of which is on display powering a laptop PC, is the product of about five years of development work, said Tommy Ichinose, chief engineer with one of the company's technology development groups.

The fuel cell creates electricity from a reaction between a methanol and water mixture and air.

Using 200 cubic centimeters (about 7 ounces) of fuel and in conjunction with a standard Toshiba laptop battery it can power a computer for about 20 hours,Presario M2000 Battery(compaq m2000 battery), Presario V2000 Battery(compaq v2000 battery), pavillion zx5000 Battery(hp zx5000 battery), PP2200 Battery said Ichinose.

Hurdles Ahead

There are still several hurdles to be overcome before the DMFC can be commercialized,Presario M2000 Battery(compaq m2000 battery), Ichinose said. The first is that current regulations prohibit the carrying of methanol on board aircraft, so DMFC-powered products couldn't be taken on planes. Clearance for that isn't expected until 2007.

Then there is cost. DMFCs use several expensive components including platinum and a membrane, across which the chemical reaction takes place. If any company were to commercialize a DMFC now it would likely cost more than the laptop it would power, said Ichinose.

Many electronics companies have already demonstrated prototypes of DMFCs and all face the same issues regarding regulations and cost. Toshiba and NEC were both bullish on the technology early and had promised commercial fuel cells would be ready by 2004. However, they are still not on the market and not expected until at least next year.

MIT Researchers Extend Computer Life Without Batteries

Instead of using batteries, they draw power from an electronic device called an ultracapacitor.PP2200 Battery The approach is still several years away from being used as the main electricity source for commercial laptops and handhelds, but is already used for backup power in many small consumer products.

"A number of electronic devices already use commercial ultracapacitors for specialized functions," said Joel Schindall,apple laptop battery, a professor in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Power Efficiency Is Key

The new technology could shake up the retail computer business,apple a1175,Presario M2000 Battery(compaq m2000 battery), Presario V2000 Battery(compaq v2000 battery), pavillion zx5000 Battery(hp zx5000 battery), PP2200 Battery where computer makers already compete for market share by boasting of more power-efficient machines.

Chip makers apple a1185 for business by launching more efficient processors like Intel's Centrino and AMD's Turion, trading high performance speed for mobile endurance.

Hewlett-Packard also says its customers demand longer run-times. The company announced Monday that its HP Compaq nx9400 notebook will run on three levels of battery packs. Those range from the standard, four-hour unit to a substitute apple m8403 that adds five more hours, and a clip-on,Presario V2000 Battery(compaq v2000 battery), supplementary battery that adds another 10 hours.

The speed at which a battery charges is also important to users. HP says its enhanced lithium ion apple powerbook g4 can gain 90 percent of a full charge after just 90 minutes of being plugged into a wall outlet.

By comparison, powerbook g4 15inch battery,a consumer with a cell phone powered by MIT's ultracapacitor could gain a complete recharge in just a few seconds, Schindall says.

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