12-11-2003, 09:30 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Hitachi Squeezes Fuel Cell into PDA
"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.
...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."
Before you say "my Pocket PC already lasts six to eight hours!", 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 iPAQ 4150, 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! Looking at the size of the battery in the iPAQ 4350, we could see something in the 32 to 42 hour range. Wow! 8O 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.
One thing that concerns me, however, is the waste involved with this - I'd easily have to replace the cartridge four or five 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...
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12-11-2003, 09:44 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,981
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Weight would also be a factor here. Lithium Ion batteries would be heavier than a methanol. Sounds like something I would like to try out.
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"I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious" - Albert Einstein |
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12-11-2003, 10:00 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
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Pressurized, explosive containers.....on airplanes?! I have enough trouble explaining my phone is turned off on my XDA II and that my stylus isn't a leathal weapon. I sure hope they consider this in their designs.
Dave
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12-11-2003, 10:41 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 64
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This sounds OK, but who wants to go back to batteries that you need to replace (instead of recharge)? If fuel cells could recharge when you connect them to the charger, then they would rock. Can't they just get some hydrogen out of the air or something? :lol:
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12-11-2003, 10:47 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 211
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by GO-TRIBE
Can't they just get some hydrogen out of the air or something? :lol:
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Or a :lol: breathing device :lol: for that matter.... it uses it's own power to breath and makes more than it consumes (to breath).
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12-11-2003, 10:55 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7
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 Umm, the AA-sized cartridge is only the methanol container size. You still have the actual fuel cell hardware that this 'gas tank' would plug into, thus making the entire thing about the size of a typical laptop battery, not a PDA battery.
This is still great news and at least offers hope for an alternative power scheme in the future.
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12-11-2003, 10:58 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by BitBandit
Umm, the AA-sized cartridge is only the methanol container size. You still have the actual fuel cell hardware that this 'gas tank' would plug into, thus making the entire thing about the size of a typical laptop battery, not a PDA battery. |
But if that's the case, then why is this article about Hitachi putting fuel cells in PDAs? If the entire thing is the size of a laptop battery, that doesn't sound very practical...they must have found a way to shrink the fuel cell hardware. And is the fuel cell hardware bigger than what's required for a normal Lithium Ion battery?
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12-11-2003, 11:00 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,639
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Quote:
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Originally Posted by BitBandit
Umm, the AA-sized cartridge is only the methanol container size. You still have the actual fuel cell hardware that this 'gas tank' would plug into, thus making the entire thing about the size of a typical laptop battery, not a PDA battery. |
But if that's the case, then why is this article about Hitachi putting fuel cells in PDAs? If the entire thing is the size of a laptop battery, that doesn't sound very practical...they must have found a way to shrink the fuel cell hardware. And is the fuel cell hardware bigger than what's required for a normal Lithium Ion battery? |
It would fit in that Hitachi G1000 just fine.
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Cheers!
David
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12-11-2003, 11:01 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18
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More battery stamina is what I crave for. But I can see some serious environmental implications here if we are talking about non-rechargeable batteries. I do not feel that's the way to go.
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12-11-2003, 11:04 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 11
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The environmental aspects of this concern me - are harmful byproduct gasses etc emitted from this cell when they are used? Are they emitted after they have been disposed when the spent cell degrades?
Can the cell be re-used? An awful lot of waste if not.
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