Soap-Powered Fuel Cell - Sort Of

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/008602.php' target='_blank'>http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/008602.php</a><br /><br /></div>"First it was that fuel cell that could be powered by white wine, now it's a fuel cell made by a company called Millennium Cell that uses borax, one of the main ingredients in laundry detergent, as its source of energy. Their prototype fuel cell is about the same size as the batteries used in laptops, cellphones, and PDAs, but can provide up to four times the power, so you could have a phone with 12 hours of talk time and a month of standby."<br /><br />Borax-powered fuel cells? Crazy!

[GoldKey]

As silly as it may sound, this may work because as another story posted pointed out earlier this week, they are having to go through an approval process for some of the fuel cells that use a flamable fuel to be able to take them on a plane. Something you could just fill with soap would not have that hurdle to overcome and could be to market quicker and that is just what it might take to win.

[ctmagnus]

Millennium Cell is working on several concepts, including fully disposable power packs. When the fuel runs out, the fuel pack is tossed just like an alkaline battery. Alternatively, the company may develop a cartridge that can be refilled by the consumer, or sent to a factory to be refueled. Whatever the system, Tang estimated the cost to be about $1.50 per cartridge.

It's more convenient to drop something into a cradle/charger. IMO that will play a big role in the adoption of these things, especially on the consumer end.

[JustinGTP]

This is an interesting idea - to say the least. But, what if I got the battery wet and the Borax inside became a paste? 8O

-J

[ctmagnus]

This is an interesting idea - to say the least. But, what if I got the battery wet and the Broax inside became a paste? 8O

-J

Laundry time?

[Casio Collector]

Hi,

This idea sound all well and good, part from one huge drawback - rechargable. From what I can gather, you cannot recharge this system (free of charge anyway.) I feel that this will be the main reason that it will not be as successful as it might.

Timothy Monger-Godfrey

[KAMware]

I have noticed that every time there is a discussion about a new fuel cell technology coming along there are doubters that it will work because it is not rechargable.

It seems we have become so used to recharging batteries that we cannot use any other type of system. The thing I like about fuel cells for laptops is the "Instant" recharging effect of replacing a fuel supply when it is depleted. Instead of plugging in a charger and waiting hours for a recharge. And getting that "Instant" recharge effect anywhere I am. Such as on a long flight. Now I have carried extra batteries with me on flights but I have to believe that an extra fuel supply for a fuel cell is much lighter than extra laptop batteries.

Pocket PCs and cell phones are another matter. They are so small and the batteries are so light that carrying a spare is not a bother to me.

I think the fuel cell way of doing things will take a while to catch on and it is up to the manufactures to create an easy, inexpensive replacement system for them.
:)

[GoldKey]

Exactly, Kam, you hit the nail on the head. The whole point of a fuel cell is that it is not rechargable. Fuel is burned to create electricity to power the device. You are not tethered to an outlet to recharge, you add more fuel and are instantly recharged. People tend to think of plugging in and recharging as being free, but the electricity does have a cost. If they get a fuel cell that is cheap enough to power and whos fuel has a low volume and is easy to transport, it will be a winner. Say fuel came in something the size of a tube of toothpaste. This would be easier to carry than my charger for my laptop. If this was enough fuel for say 5 fillups on a laptop, cost a couple of bucks and was readily available, would this still hold you back from adopting?

[maximus]

As silly as it may sound, this may work because as another story posted pointed out earlier this week, they are having to go through an approval process for some of the fuel cells that use a flamable fuel to be able to take them on a plane. Something you could just fill with soap would not have that hurdle to overcome and could be to market quicker and that is just what it might take to win.

The problem is FAA would not like the idea to inspect every single fuel cell battery on electronic devices, to separate the hydrogen-based and the soap-based. What happened if someone actually has the hydrogen-type, but they declare it as soap-based ?

It will be easier for them to just ban the whole family of fuel cell.

[eric linsley]

no you see the way you charge them is by takinga shower and letting the soap sudds fill the battery pack....


?_?


um.... maybe not. 0X

[cherring]

I may be mistaken, but I think you will find borax in toothpaste too. It can also be used to line nuclear fallout shelters. Apparently it absorbs gamma rays. Or so I've heard.

[maximus]

I may be mistaken, but I think you will find borax in toothpaste too. It can also be used to line nuclear fallout shelters. Apparently it absorbs gamma rays. Or so I've heard.

Borax, one of the most potent carcinogen ? That is so scary.
Brushing your teeth, incidently swallowed a little of the toothpaste ...

[Philip Colmer]

BBC News are reporting today about the possibility of cheap portable batteries that are based on a sugar-eating bacteria!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3092754.stm

They've built a prototype device that ran for up to 25 days and they reckon that a cup of sugar could power a 60 watt bulb for 17 hours.

It isn't a technology destined for laptops or PDAs, but more for environments where it is going to be difficult or costly to charge batteries, such as underwater or poor communities.

--Philip

[cherring]

...
It isn't a technology destined for laptops or PDAs, but more for environments where it is going to be difficult or costly to charge batteries, such as underwater or poor communities.

--Philip

Did you mean it would help underwater communities and poor communities or did you mean it's difficult to change underwater batteries and would help poor communities? I'd like to know of some underwater communities if you know of any, and maybe this would help when we decide to build some of those in the future.

[Philip Colmer]

...
It isn't a technology destined for laptops or PDAs, but more for environments where it is going to be difficult or costly to charge batteries, such as underwater or poor communities.

--Philip

Did you mean it would help underwater communities and poor communities or did you mean it's difficult to change underwater batteries and would help poor communities? I'd like to know of some underwater communities if you know of any, and maybe this would help when we decide to build some of those in the future.
Isn't language a wonderful thing :-)

I should have reversed the wording to remove the abiguity, viz:

"such as poor communities or underwater".

:roll:

--Philip

[ctmagnus]

You just dashed the hopes of the denizens of several coral reefs :wink: