Casio Adds Life to Mobile Devices

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,87324,00.asp">http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,87324,00.asp</a><br /><br />Three cheers for fuel cells! There are several companies working on them, but they're all two years away still. I know that the two years will pass quickly, but I want more power now! Casio apparently has 120 patents on fuel cell technology, so it looks like they could be the first company to deliver the technology to us. Imagine being able to use your Pocket PC for a week or two without having to worry about re-charging. It would be just like a Palm - only it wouldn't suck as much. ;-)<br /><br />"Casio Computer has developed a more efficient fuel-cell technology for mobile devices, the company said Tuesday. Using Casio's newly developed fuel cell, a notebook PC will run for 20 hours, compared to five hours using a re-chargeable lithium-ion battery, says Akira Watanabe, a spokesperson for Casio. The company plans to include the fuel cell in its mobile products, including notebook PCs, digital still cameras, PDAs, and cell phones, by 2004, he says." Source: <a href="http://www.pocketinformant.com/">Alex Kac</a>.

[yada88]

While yes your device will go for maybe 20 hours, maybe even 40, its still not as easy to use as a lithium ion or lithium polymer. You are going to have to go out and buy cartridges every time the thing runs out. I don't know about you, but i got rid of alkalein batteries in my pda years ago, and going back to that type of system isn't enticing.

[Will T Smith]

The cell "recharge" is analogous to plugging in. You don't necessarily have to "go out" and buy cartridges.

The cartridges themselves are just methane. Such cartridges can be refilled at home or office.

The acceptability of this model has been proven with the Zinc-Air batteries. They are VERY successful.

The issue need not be framed as a fuel-cell vs Lithium-Ion. Many notebooks already employ a fixed battery and a "supplemental" battery in a multi-device bay.

Fuel cell plugins could become an instant and convenient battery extender providng life well beyond the Li-On cell. The fuel cell can also be used as an alternative charging mechanism similar to the Zinc-Air cartridges or the mode of a gas-electric hybrid vehicle.

Such recharges would be instant. You would not have to wait tethered to an AC plug. You insert your methane cartridge and go.

Additionally, unlike traditional batteries, methane is economical to "pack" and expect a reasonable return in usable minutes. No one would seriously heave a stack of Li-On batteries to a cabin in the woods or other such AC-remote locations. Methane cartrides however, make the journey easily and amply return upon their transportation cost/effort.


Plus a spent methane cartridge will likely be disposable without the harmful environmental affects of Alkaline, Ni-Cad, Lead-Acid and Lithiom Ion cells. I imagine they could even make them biodegradable. :-)

[kurzon]

What is the catch? What are its disadvantages vs. other battery types? Is it very large?

[kagayaki1]

Clearly, there will be many enhancements to this technology in the next year or two. But, as it exists today, fuel cells are not ready.

I see the advantages very clearly. Trust me: I would like like 20 battery life like the next Joe. But the problem is the refueling. If you have to "refill" rather than plug in, you would need something just as convenient (if not more) to fill your gas cartidge when you sat down.

Think about it: today you put your PDA in the charger, put your laptop in the docking station, your cell phone in a cradle; all of these are simple drop and go solutions. Fuel cells will need a cradle that's hooked up to a safe gas charger.

Let's dream: every house has the option from the utility company to get a fuel-cell friendly gas piped to their residence. Then, that pipe can go anywhere in the house, eventually connecting to a fitting, connecting to a cradle where your battery is sitting.

It just has to be convenient, that's all. The way it sounds, we're going to be laboring over our batteries, looking like we're refilling our printer cartidges and fixing our watches with the same tools.

[jeffmckean]

If it's a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), it will just be a simple methanol cartridge. The biggest problem is just like a disposable battery: "Will the cartridge fit?"
Sooner or later you will have to replace the conversion membrane in the cell (or more likely, the cell itself) but that's really a minor issue; again much like replacing an old Li-ion cell today.
The biggest benefits are that it is instant power, and very, very long lasting.
I can't see much but an upside to this one. One issue is that it's expected to be difficult to make them very small (like for a tiny cellphone) for awhile yet.

[Maverick]

Another disadvantage of using Methanol fuel cells is that they have a byproduct of water, which has to be dispelled. I don’t think any of us would want to have water dripping allover the place when we use our devices.

[MikeB]

The cartridges themselves are just methane. Such cartridges can be refilled at home or office.

Well in that case I know a guy who could produce enough power for all our portable devices after a trip to White Castle :o

Mike B.

[Ivan]

The cartridges themselves are just methane. Such cartridges can be refilled at home or office.

Well in that case I know a guy who could produce enough power for all our portable devices after a trip to White Castle :o

Mike B.


:D

There's an idea... you wouldn't need a cartridge to refuel your PPC... just stop by your nearest Wendy's, get some chilli with beans, wait a few hours and connect a specially designed craddle attached to your undies to your device... talk about recycling! :P