Hitachi Squeezes a Fuel Cell into a PDA - Will Phones be Next?

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39118469,00.htm' target='_blank'>http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39118469,00.htm</a><br /><br /></div>"The electronics giant is teaming up with a maker of disposable cigarette lighters to make methanol fuel cartridges for handheld computers. Japanese electronics giant Hitachi is teaming up with disposable-lighter maker Tokai to produce commercial fuel cells for handheld computers in 2005, the companies said this week. <br /><br />...Fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and a fuel, such as hydrogen or methanol. The cells continue to produce electricity as long there is fuel. Hitachi, Toshiba, NEC and NTT DoCoMo have all announced plans to commercialise methanol-powered devices. Hitachi and Tokai said they have created a prototype cartridge about the size of an AA battery that contains methanol at a 20 percent concentration, and could power a PDA for six to eight hours. The companies are planning to raise the concentration to 30 percent by the time mass production begins, meaning longer cell life."<br /><br />Before you say "my Smartphone already lasts longer than that!", stop and do the math. If they reach 30 percent concentration, that's about eight to ten and one-half hours. Still not terribly impressive, right? Now think about the size of a AA battery. I'm looking at the battery in my Orange SPV, and speaking from a volume point of view, I'd guess that there's about 2.5 times more volume inside that battery than in a AA battery. So now we're talking about battery life in the 20 to 27 hour range. Not bad at all! And since we're all fans of seeing things get even smaller, I think one thing we'll see is devices that are thinner and smaller as less space is needed for the battery.<br /><br />One thing that concerns me, however, is the waste involved with this - I'd easily have to replace the cartridge two or three times a week, and throwing away that many plastic cartridges seems ludicrous. Or will they sell "home recharging kits"? Fuel cells seem like a great technology, but there's something to be said for the simplicity of an old fashioned Lithium Ion battery...

[Fritzly]

Maybe I am just getting older but I am not so sure I would like to see people carrying a potential incendiary item on a plane.

[codesmith]

Jason,
You hit on a concern I feel everytime I read an article on fuel cells. It seems to me that the need to replace the spent fuel would be more of a hassle than simply plugging my phone/pda into a wall socket (which are, of course, everywhere). Not sure until I get a chance to try it out....

[James Sonne]

What about the actual cellular membrane components that the hydrogen has to pass through, and the extractor that removes the hydrogen from the methanol before entering the membrane, and the exhaust elements which are more than just water when you're using methanol as the source of hydrogen. And the transformer that has to convert the power signal into something that the device can take.

Just because lighters are small doesn't mean the grill you ignite is going to be smaller.