Japanese inventor touts water-powered battery

Japanese inventor Susumu Suzuki claims to have found a solution to some of the world's energy problems (the AA-sized ones anyway), recently showing off his water-powered battery to Reuters. The battery itself is made mostly of carbon-based compounds but is activated with only a tiny amount of water -- even licking it will apparently do. Fine on a small scale perhaps, although we'd be a little hesitant to pucker up to anything bigger than a D cell. (Yeah, we'll spare you the Sony jokes.) According to Suzuki, the water-based batts can be stored far longer than traditional batteries without degrading and also could cost about 1/10th the price of a normal battery if mass produced, all while still providing the same amount of juice as a standard manganese dioxide battery -- not to mention being less hazardous to the environment when disposed of. Whether it'll become the "essential tool" of the future Suzuki says it is, we'll just have to wait and see.

[Via Crave]

[PacketMonkee @ Nov 9th 2006 5:51AM]

I, for one, welcome...

[Sean @ Nov 9th 2006 6:39AM]

This is awesome! now imagine a rechargable method! I'd imagine this battery is still in the early stages of developement imagine what will branch out from this.

[Michael @ Nov 9th 2006 6:42AM]

English is not my native language, so you are the expert. But shouldn't it rather read "water-activated" instead of "water-powered" and "carbon-based" instead of "water-based". For me, it reads like there is water inside the battery, but as I understand it, the clue is that there is no water in it??

[Colin @ Nov 9th 2006 7:01AM]

@Micheal, English is my native language and as far as I can see you're spot on. Misleading headline of the week!

[Alex C @ Nov 9th 2006 8:59AM]

Very misleading! Thought we had a fantastic new energy solution for a second.
Also... does anyone know what happened to that Irish company that claimed to have developed a new energy source, and was pitching it to a group of scientists for testing??

[seatec @ Nov 9th 2006 8:14AM]

Anything to grab some readers stats. Water powered my behind.

[csnoke @ Nov 9th 2006 8:34AM]

What happens to a water filled battery when the temperature gets below freezing?

[j murphy @ Nov 9th 2006 8:53AM]

Additionally, urinating on it triples the battery lide and keeps your friends from stealing your batteries....

[Rohit Kapur @ Nov 9th 2006 9:16AM]

They're still recruiting scientists to verify their "Free energy" claims. Check it out on the website if you like. www.steorn.net

[Alex C @ Nov 9th 2006 12:07PM]

Thank you! I wish they would get on with it and let the final product speak for itself rather than trying to build up hype.

[Progress @ Nov 12th 2006 6:48AM]

That steorn technology is based on special positioned magnets. More impressive is nuclear plasma technology of Keshe. He claims to make at low cost energy (for years) but at the same time realizes very special processes with atomic carbon, unknown till today. See diamond layering: http://www.keshetechnologies.com/diamond_layers.html.

[Oddmanout @ Nov 9th 2006 9:17AM]

"Water powered my behind."

Uh...to what end ?

What, did you fly or something ? What powers it now ? Wait...don't answer that last one...

[Ken @ Nov 9th 2006 11:02AM]

Well it's not exactly powered by water. It's "activated" by water. I think I'll get a rod of sodium and show people what "water activated" is all about.

[TIMMAH! @ Nov 9th 2006 12:46PM]

It's cool, but it only uses special imported water from the Middle East...

[ds @ Nov 10th 2006 1:25AM]

water powerd battery cars for the future

[SurfLounge @ Jan 24th 2007 12:47PM]

Water powered car info at
http://waterpoweredcar.com/

[gemma @ Feb 21st 2007 4:21PM]

I just watched that programme 'Dragon's Den' on c4 in uk. this bloke was trying to get £200000 investment for this water powered/activated battery. He said the person with the patent for this was Chinese... ooppss. Think he was trying to pull a fast one. Nice bloke though, haha.

[FM @ Feb 24th 2007 3:42PM]

gemma - not sure whether or not you will read this but i am an investor in the chinese company and only caught the last seconds of what the guy said (what was his name?) any chance we can take this off line and i ask you want went on on the program as the bbc are not going to respond to me for 10days and i'm obviously a little concerned about what was said! thanks

[phil bray @ Feb 24th 2007 6:59PM]

FM, just read your query. The guy's name was Vivian Crick of Tango Group
PMB

[steven hayhurst @ Feb 28th 2007 11:49AM]

Hello FM his name was Vivian Blick and he used to work for the leading brand in wind up radios.He wanted £200,000 for a 5% share in the company tango group ltd.He wanted the £200,000 for research into taking the battery from a second generation cell to a fourth generation cell to run higher drain appliances.He also says he has a 5 year license but says if he makes a leapfrog in technology to a 4th gen cell then they will own the patent and technology and brand themselves.He also says they know how to take it to the next stage and that the chinese inventor is not willing to invest anymore in it.they say it wont infinge his patent and says it will show additional novelty and enough dis-similar property worthy of its own patent in its own right.Hope this helps

[Gerald @ Feb 21st 2009 5:51PM]

Looking for info on investment opportunity into Susumu Suzuki's water powered battery technology.

[Gerald @ Feb 21st 2009 6:04PM]

Didn't see the previous couple comments. Thanks can take it from here.