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Fuel Cells Japanese electronics firms are developing miniature fuel cells to generate and store electricity in small electronic gadgets. This technology may lead to fuel cell use in cars and homes. All Features Great, and Small
Teensy fuel cells offer greener power sources for small gadgets Yes, yes, your new iPod nano is very cool. But wouldn't it be just that much cooler if you could recharge it with a small bottle of clear liquid? It might happen: Toshiba
and other Japanese electronics firms are developing itty-bitty fuel cells to juice up
portable gadgets. Unlike batteries, fuel cells contain few hazardous chemicals and
metals and generate rather than just store electricity. Toshiba says its fuel cells for
cell phones will run about twice as long as the average lithium-ion battery and recharge on the run with methanol. Developers say perfecting such small-scale applications is a step toward figuring out how to economically use fuel cells for bigger applications like cars and homes.
"We're starting with as small an application as we can and keeping costs low," says Toshiba tech chief Fumio Ueno, whose lab has developed the world's smallest fuel cell to date. "We think it's better to start that way and grow into larger applications."
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, Phred Dvorak, 20 Oct 2005 (access only for subscribers)
From: Grist Magazine: Environmental News and Commentary
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