Fuel Cell Powered Laptop is Here, Almost  E-mail
Written by Jaymi Heimbuch   
Wednesday, 23 July 2008


We’ve been waiting around for awhile for a laptop that uses methanol fuel cells. Finally, PolyFuel has finished up a working prototype for a fuel cell-powered laptop, the Lenovo T40 ThinkPad. The laptop runs on direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), and each methanol cartridge provides power for about 10 hours of use. There are some great features to this, and some not so great features.

First off, the battery prototype is quite a bit lighter than the OEM battery the Lenovo uses, which is great, but it is larger, which is not so great. It offers three times the battery life than the current battery, yet 10 hours per charge doesn’t seem like a whole lot of use time. I don’t think I’d enjoy refilling the thing every day, sometimes twice a day. I’m hoping they’ll be able to squeeze a few more hours out of each charge before putting it on the market. Researchers believe that if they can get the fuel cell to operate at 100% capacity, they will be able to get 10 times the power of a comparable Li-Ion battery. That would be pretty stunning. MIT is already on the ball with improving efficiency of DMFCs.

Another great feature is that the fuel cell can be made from biodegradable or recyclable materials – a big plus. And of course the fact that the fuel itself is renewable is a significant feature. But just where to buy and how much methanol cartridges will cost is still going to play a big role in the laptop’s marketability. PolyFuel believes the laptop could be on the market in 2 to 3 years, so they have a little while to figure these details out.

DMFCs are an emerging technology for smaller devices, and we’re likely to see a whole slew of handheld gadgets and smaller computers start to utilize the technology on a larger scale in just a couple years, with wider availability to consumers shortly after that.

Via Ecofriend, iGreenspot, GreenUpgrader


Comments (7)add
daily free software
written by juzten , July 23, 2008
wow that is cool, im going to keep an eye on this one, sounds like it will be a real hit once they get the batter around 10x. thanks
juzten
Daily Free Software
...
written by Marketing Beginners Resources , July 23, 2008
That does sound great, my 8 year old laptops battery only lasts 35minutes before it dies out.

This looks like a way better alternative
...
written by Virgil , July 24, 2008
Yeah, 'cos the TSA is just jumping for joy at the prospect of business travelers carrying little vials of flammable liquids in their hand luggage.

Any why do this on a Thinkpad T40? Why not on one of the newer Intel Atom based laptops, with an LED backlit screen. Using it on a T40 is kinda like making a hybrid hummer - if you want to really get fuel efficiency you have to start out with something efficient.


...
written by revan , July 24, 2008
The DOT has already approved fuel cells on airplanes, The TSA has nothing to do with it.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&news
Id=20080430006337&newsLang=en
Interesting - but how to refuel?
written by arnimation , August 02, 2008
Wowowow! im just not sure how exactly it will work - so is this like your car? you will refuel it by replacing cartridges? interesting... but a laptop is something that you use for hours. will you be able to still plug it in a socket and run on electricity? i do hope so.
battery use vs. plug-in
written by Sally G , August 06, 2008
The poster says that 10-hour battery usage is not enough, as she would have to refill it daily. However, most laptops can plug into conventional electricity at home and use batteries when off-site. Is this similar, or is it battery-only?
Must a computer be "on" more than 8 hours a day? To me, that's enough computing for anyone; even at work you do not need to run your computer all day, especially when away from your desk. Even if you get an E-mail while you're away, you won't answer it until you get back, right? If you have separate computers at home and at work, and have two batteries, that would give you 16 hours a day of computing time. I agree with the comment that said that this should be done with new computers, and I would especially suggest, as a Mac user, that Apple (which now has a space on its home page called "Apple greener") look into it.
...
written by Sillydog , August 13, 2008
When will have solar/heat energy powered one??? Anyone working on that?
Write comment
quote
bold
italicize
underline
strike
url
image
quote
quote
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley
Smiley

busy

 
< Prev   Next >

Are You an EcoGeek?

Science, technology gadgets and...baby seals. We're in a bit of an eco-mess, but we've got the brains to lick any problem. And that's why EcoGeek.org publishes up to ten stories daily about innovations that are saving the planet.

And if that sounds interesting to you, then congratulations, you're an EcoGeek.

Weekly Updates

RSS

rss