04-20-2005, 07:00 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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IBM's Prototype Hybrid Fuel Cell: Recharge & Refuel?
"IBM and Sanyo said Monday that the two companies had developed a prototype external fuel-cell booster that has helped power a current ThinkPad for a total of sixteen hours. . . . Until a fuel cell technology can power a ThinkPad for 80 to 90 hours, or about ten times the battery life of today's ThinkPads, designing in the fuel cell technology within the ThinkPad's innards won't be viable, according to Locker. "That's second-generation technology," he said. "I think that in the second generation, infrastructure needs to be there. Convenience stores needs to sell these things at a reasonable price to make this worthwhile."
The current fuel cell prototype weighs 2.2 kilograms, which is obviously too heavy to be practical for portables. However, the idea that fuel cells should complement rather than replace notebook batteries is an interesting one. Up to now it's been presented as an either/or situation and this appears to be the first time that a hybrid power source will be commercialised for portable devices. PDAs obviously don't require 75 watts of power like laptops do, so the 20 watts output of the fuel cell would go much further when paired with say, the newly developed fast charging Toshiba battery.
Still, the interesting part about this announcement isn't the current hardware details; it's the direction that IBM is predicting (and preparing) for the future of fuel cells. Note the 'second generation' statement. Eighty or ninety hours battery life for a laptop (and goodness knows how long for PDAs) with fuel and fuel cells widely available sounds pretty good. It would be even better if we had the choice of whether to just use battery power, or 'top up' with methanol/hydrogen etc. I still think it's going to be odd getting into the mindset of paying for fuel to run our portables when recharging them is practically free. What do you guys think?
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04-20-2005, 07:45 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,202
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I think we can safely say that the "first generation" solution IBM is suggesting probably will never be a solution for PDA's. We already have a similar solution using AA batteries, at least for devices that can charge via the USB port. I can recharge my iPaq from a portable "recharger" that contains batteries that can be replaced. Seems they are pointing to the same solution, but using fuel instead. Not sure I see much advantage in one vs. the other.
If Fuel Cells eventually make their way into handhelds, I'd prefer they are an option to a rechargeable battery. I'd love to use one that say provided 80 hours of use for those times I'm traveling so I don't have to lug around a charger. But for those time's I at home and a charger is convenient, I'd prefer the almost free battery charging I use today, instead of having to worry about refueling on a regular basis.
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04-20-2005, 09:31 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 469
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Ya, can you imagine going to get some more fuel for your battery only to be frustrated by the latest price hikes due to underproduction or world demand.
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04-20-2005, 10:35 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 209
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Here's a way to think about it.
The old Palm Pilots used to run on AA or AAA batteries, or use them for fuel and the user would have to constantly re-fuel or buy new batteries. We would just be going back to that kind of system.
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04-21-2005, 11:07 AM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jpaq
....the user would have to constantly re-fuel or buy new batteries. We would just be going back to that kind of system.
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Yes, you are right. That is a good way of thinking about it. Liquid batteries. :wink:
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04-21-2005, 07:32 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 481
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I think you guys who get all excited about this are thinking that there is going to be some kind of universal fuel canister/connection nozzle. In reality, each manufacturer will be selling their own fuel canisters, which you can only get from them at the price they want to charge (think ink jet cartridges), and which retailers have to stock individually. That is the reason that manufacturers might get behind this: ongoing profits from consumables, of which these items (laptops/PDA) have had very little.
We already have the closest thing to universal power replenishing: the AC wall outlet. The fast charge battery might improve upon what we have now, but a lot of other developments will get us further away.
In short, I don't think we'll ever (strong word) see fuel cells in consumer PDAs.
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04-21-2005, 11:05 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 65
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by PPCRules
I think you guys who get all excited about this are thinking that there is going to be some kind of universal fuel canister/connection nozzle. In reality, each manufacturer will be selling their own fuel canisters, which you can only get from them at the price they want to charge (think ink jet cartridges), and which retailers have to stock individually. That is the reason that manufacturers might get behind this: ongoing profits from consumables, of which these items (laptops/PDA) have had very little.
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To extend your analogy of ink cartridges, that would mean that there would be a lot of after market options (assuming that the tech behind the cell is availble).
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