Fuel Cell batteries: The future of energy generation…
Are you tired of recharging the batteries in your mobile device every few hours? Well, fuel cell technology, which uses hydrogen for energy generation, may be just the thing for you. Let me first introduce this technology to you.
Most of you have probably heard about hydrogen-powered cars. Actually, energy generation from hydrogen is not only usable in cars but almost everywhere. We will be using hydrogen cars on the roads; our electricity and heating needs will be met by hydrogen generators, and much sooner than the previous ones, we will be using fuel cell batteries in our electronic devices.
The fuel cell battery’s working principle is very simple: hydrogen flows from one channel, while the atmospheric oxygen flows in the other and the membrane, which is between these channels catches the electrons that flow from the unification of these molecules. The result is very efficient power generation, and the only emission is heat and pure water if pure hydrogen is used as fuel. However, the issue of fuel is still unclear.
Hydrogen does not exist in pure form naturally, and therefore it must be obtained from natural resources. The most widely accepted fuel is methanol, since it is an inexpensive alcohol.
Some prototypes of fuel cell batteries have already been exhibited at electronics fairs. The first implementation of the fuel cell technology will be on laptop computers. Some companies have successfully demonstrated fuel cell batteries that can run for up to 5 hours in a regular laptop PC. These fuel celled enabled portable PCs will be available for sale by early 2005. The models that will appear in 2006 will have a battery life of 40 hours, which is incredible compared to today’s best Centrino laptops, which require recharging every 8 hours. Another prototype was a PDA with AA size fuel cell batteries that could go 8 hours without refills. Two problems with fuel cells: the short lifetime of the membrane, and their bulky and heavy weights.
Technology companies, however, are confident that these problems can be overcome in the short term and more applications (digital cameras, cell phones) will follow.

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