fuel cell
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Honda FCX Clarity set to enter limited production and sale
If you're in the market for a fuel efficient car, but you've been holding out for something a little more advanced than the Prius -- your dreams may have just been answered. Honda announced today that it would begin producing limited quantities of its FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for sale in the US and Japan over the next few years. According to the automaker, it plans to offer around 200 of the zero-emission cars in the next three years, with a few dozen models expected on the road this year leased at around $600 a month. Said John Mendel, a senior vice president at Honda, "It's an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars." Now all they have to do is get more than 3 fueling stations out there and we'll be all set.Read - Honda rolls out fuel cell carRead - Honda starts producing next-generation fuel cell car
Genepax shows off water-powered fuel cell vehicle
We've seen plenty of promises about water-powered cars (among other things), but it looks like Japan's Genepax has now made some real progress on that front, with it recently taking the wraps off its Water Energy System fuel cell prototype. The key to that system, it seems, is its membrane electrode assembly (or MEA), which contains a material that's capable of breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical reaction. Not surprisingly, the company isn't getting much more specific than that, with it only saying that it's adopted a "well-known process to produce hydrogen from water to the MEA." Currently, that system costs on the order of ¥2,000,000 (or about $18,700 -- not including the car), but company says that if it can get it into mass production that could be cut to ¥500,000 or less (or just under $5,000). Head on past the break for a video of car in action courtesy of Reuters.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Angstrom Power shows off G2 portable fuel cell power source
It looks like Angstrom Power is working on more than just fuel cells for MOTOSLVR L7 prototypes, with the company now also touting its G2 portable fuel cell power source that promises to keep a whole range of gadgets charged up. This one packs eight V60 Fuel Cell Modules that combine to provide a full two watts of power, which can be used to top off any device that charges via a USB connection. According to Angstrom, the G2 itself can also be replenished "in minutes," either by using an Angstrom P2 Portable Refueling Cartridge or an R1 Refueling Station, though it can apparently withstand "several charges" before it needs to be refueled. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but it seems safe to bet that it'll show up before those fuel cell-powered cellphones, which are apparently still on track for a release somewhere in the neighborhood of 2010.[Via Gizmo Watch]
Sharp reveals world's most densely powerful methanol fuel cell -- still can't buy it
We've been huffing the vaporous promise of methanol fuel cells for so long now that we sold all our furniture and live in a cardboard box. Nevertheless, Sharp's in a tizzy over its direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) prototype. Sharp's cell is able to provide 0.3 Watts of power per cubic centimeter making it the world's most powerful DMFC cell for its size. Availability? Sharp has no idea but "it won't be commercialized soon," according to a spokesperson. Kudos for honesty, but that gnawing angst for a refillable battery replacement for traditional lithium-ion batteries continues to taunt us.P.S. Sharp didn't offer any photos with the press release so we tossed in an old Toshiba concept just to annoy them.[Via PCWorld]
MTI Micro testing feasibility of fuel cells in digicams
The ever-boastful MTI Micro is back again, just days after showing off a fuel cell-powered GPS prototype in Atlanta. This go 'round, the company is announcing a newfound partnership with an elusive Japanese developer of digicams in order to "evaluate the feasibility, development and production" of Mobion products. The love affair will enable the two to work together in evaluating and adapting the aforesaid technology for use in "various precision imaging applications, including digital cameras." Best of all, work is apparently already ongoing, and MTI Micro is expected to deliver prototypes later this month. Going from prototype form to the store shelf, however, will be the hard part.
Sony creates micro-sized fuel cell system
Finally we can all sleep at night, safe in the knowledge that Sony has created a prototype fuel cell system that fits in the palm of your hand. The combination lithium-polymer battery, backup battery, and control circuit are destined for future mobile devices. According to a company engineer, "We have been aiming to mount (a fuel-cell system) in mobile devices and finally reached a level of commercial design." The tiny power-pack uses methanol as a fuel and controls supply with a hybrid pump, which allows it to regulate the amount of power used based on a system's needs. The company claims that just 10ml of methanol can power a mobile device through 14 hours of 1seg movie watching. Sure, it sounds good on paper, but does this mean soon we'll have to visit tiny, methanol refilling stations manned by a team of mice in jumpsuits? Probably not.
MTI Micro showcases fuel cell-powered GPS prototype
MTI Micro is edging dangerously close to vaporware status, but until 2009 comes and goes, we suspect we still owe it the benefit of the doubt. The ever-boastful company is at it once again, this time showing off a purported fuel cell powered-GPS prototype at the International Small Fuel Cells Conference in Atlanta. The Mobion-powered device promises to provide "three times as much energy as GPS devices powered by four disposable AA batteries," meaning that users could see up to 60-hours of continuous use on a large, full-color screen navigator. You'll also find an integrated USB port for using it as an energy source, so you could theoretically utilize your NAV to charge your handset / PMP / ray gun. At this point, however, we wouldn't get too excited here -- it's not like there's any guarantee that we'll ever see this thing in commercial form.[Via I4U News, image courtesy of John S.]
Samsung aiming for water-powered cellphones by 2010
We've seen quite a few prototype fuel-cell powered mobile devices, but Samsung's upping the ante by predicting that we'll all be running our phones on water by 2010. The company says it's developed a method to generate hydrogen by exposing water to metal, but the details are a little shaky -- we're guessing it's similar to the system used in the HydroPak generator, but it's hard to tell. Still, we've got no reason to doubt Samsung's engineers, who say the system currently provides about 10 hours of use, or about five days of average cell usage, and will eventually allow users to simply top off and go. That's every traveler's dream -- let's get this to market, Sammy.
MTI Micro trumpets fuel cells for mobile devices... again
If you'll recall, we first got wind of MTI Micro's fuel cell endeavors way back in 2004, but nearly four years later the firm is still at it and hoping to have something rolled out by 2009. Reportedly, the company has conjured up a few working prototypes which utilize methanol and are built to power small gizmos such as cellphones, handhelds and even DSLRs. Recharging the cells would be as simple as "squirting in some new fuel or putting in a new cartridge," and MTI has even created a way to recycle the water within the unit. Still, it's not handing out any specifics about what products it plans on churning out first, but given that we've been waiting on these things for quite some time already, it's not like we can't twiddle our thumbs for another dozen months or so.[Via ElectronicsWeekly]
InnovaTek's hand-sized microreactor converts liquid fuel into hydrogen
While oil prices continue to soar to new heights, the gurus at InnovaTek are peering into the future. After years of work, said company is finally testing its hand-sized microreactor that can reportedly "convert virtually any liquid fuel into hydrogen, producing a portable hydrogen stream for use in adjoining fuel-cells." In a perfect world, the technology would come built-in to vehicles, where we'd bypass the dangerous act of transporting hydrogen and instead convert biodiesel (or similar) right within the confines of the car. As it stands, the outfit has already signed a half-million dollar joint development agreement with Chevron to "pursue fuel processing technology for hydrogen refueling stations," and while this stuff isn't apt to be an option on any showroom models next year, InnovaTek is still aiming to commercially license the microreactors by 2009.
QuantumSphere speaks of homemade hydrogen
We'll be honest, we're not getting ourselves all riled up about this just yet -- after all, it's not like QuantumSphere is the first (nor the last) company to teeter on announcing a legitimate "solution" to ditching gasoline. Nevertheless, said startup has reportedly figured out a way to "make hydrogen at home from distilled water and ultimately bring the cost of hydrogen fuel cells in line with that of fossil fuels." More specifically, the outfit claims to have "perfected the manufacture of highly reactive catalytic nanoparticle coatings that could up the efficiency of electrolysis, the technique that generates hydrogen from water." Unbelievable though that may sound, it's still looking to unveil a battery using its own technology later this year, so we'll just wait and see what becomes of that initiative before bidding gas stations adieu for good.[Via Autoblog, thanks Sean]
New solar cell cuts out the middle man, harvests hydrogen from water
Some Penn State researchers are taking a cue from nature and have built the first solar cell that can effectively split water to harvest the hydrogen. While the technology and efficiency of electricity-gathering solar cells has been humming on nicely, cells that can pull hydrogen out of water directly (instead of using solar-harvested electricity to do it) have found that the catalysts conducive to separating hydrogen and oxygen are usually pretty good at putting the two gases right back together again. The folks at Penn State have now developed a process that more closely mimics the photosynthesis process in plants, and while we won't pretend to understand all the nitty gritty of dye usage and other such nonsense, we do know that such a system could eventually attain 15% or so efficiency, providing a nice and clean way to gather power for that fuel cell car of the future.[Image courtesy of MTU.edu]
Hydrogen fuel cell-powered MOTOSLVR L7 prototype gets pictured
Right around a month ago, we heard that Angstrom Power had managed to stuff some of its sophisticated hydrogen fuel cells into a MOTOSLVR L7. That prototype, friends, is what you see about. Unfortunately, we're no closer to realizing when this stuff will actually escape the proverbial beta stage, and for whatever it's worth, we're also no closer to feeling absolutely safe with one of these next to our melon (though existing alternatives don't have the greatest track record either).
Motorola curiously shows off fuel cell technology at MWC
Okay, we suppose cellphone companies trumpeting some sort of fuel cell technology isn't that weird, but nevertheless, Moto sure seems proud of its most recent advancements. Showcased at this year's Mobile World Congress are a number of "alternative power solutions including fuel cell and reflow batteries," which can be deployed in most every wireless / mobile environment out there. More specifically, the outfit is demonstrating a fuel cell-powered WiMAX base station, and it's also suggesting that said technology could "further guarantee [the] availability of uninterrupted power" in TETRA radio networks that are used in public safety environments. Fascinating, no?
NEC Flask Phone sports fuel cell, not for human consumption
NEC is set to begin pushing fuel cell-powered handsets if the pic we see here can be believed. The handset features a touchscreen display and what appears to be valve to potentially recharge the handset once the fuel has all been used. Color choices are a bit too pastel for our liking, but it appears the liquid provides the color, so perhaps we'll get some cooler tones when it's released sometime this year -- if it's released. No word on any specs, pricing, networks, or anything, so until we get that bit of detail sorted, enjoy the pretty pic.[Via textually.org]
Samsung partners with HydroGen to distribute fuel cell power plants
Trust us, this ain't the first time we've heard "Samsung" and "fuel cell" mentioned in the same breath, but signing up with another firm to be its "sole and exclusive distributor" of fuel cell power plants sounds pretty serious. Sure enough, Sammy has inked an agreement with US-based HydroGen, and will soon be selling its phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) power plants in Asia, the Middle East and in other unspecified regions. Reportedly, Samsung is planning to use HydroGen's technologies to "supply heat and electricity from fuel cell power plants to Korean chemical plants or energy providers and expand its business into the hydrogen fuel cell market." Yeah, we'd say locking things in with a hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer 'til 2015 is a pretty good way to accomplish that.[Via Chosun]
Angstrom Power touts hydrogen fuel cells for cellphones
There's certainly no shortage of companies out there trying to provide unconventional means of keeping your cellphone powered, and it looks like you can now add yet another ever-recurring bit of tech to the list, with Angstrom Power now touting its hydrogen fuel cells for cellphones. While they're obviously still quite a ways from landing in your handset, Angstrom does seem to be a good deal further than the concept stage, with them having already managed to cram some of the cells into a MOTOSLVR L7. That transplant, Angstrom says, gives the phone twice the juice of a standard battery and lets it recharge in just ten minutes. Just don't look for those anytime before 2010, which is when Angstrom "hopes" the first commercial phones equipped with the fuel cells will be available.[Via Physorg]
Microbial fuel cell insights bring practical poo power closer to reality
It's been a while since we had an update from the exciting frontier of microbial fuel cell technology, but researchers at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute report a recent breakthrough in understanding exactly why bacteria seem to enjoy donating their electrons for the potential betterment of gadgetkind. The ASU team developed an equation that describes the relationship between the rate of bacterial metabolism and the electrical potential of the fuel cell, enabling a much more accurate model of how an MFC actually works. The researchers are working with this information to optimize fuel cell performance and power output, which to date has been disappointingly inefficient. Before long, we could totally be taking it for granted that our robotic underlings are powered by beer and poo.
India's Tata announces plans for hydrogen car
India -- already an established presence in the alternative fuels space -- has announced that it will be joining the US, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands in rolling out a hydrogen-powered car next year. The country's space agency (ISRO) has teamed up with Tata Motors -- makers of the recently-revealed plastic car -- to develop a fuel cell vehicle whose only emissions will be water vapor, critical for a developing country whose pollution woes are only getting worse. According to ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair, while the hydro-car is scheduled for 2008 completion, mass production has yet to be determined.[Thanks, Raghu]
Water-activated portable power generator on the horizon
We've seen our fair share of diminutive power generators, but rather than worrying with vibrations or hyperventilating, Millennium Cell and Horizon Fuel Cell have teamed up to deliver an iteration that's water-activated. The pair has been working together on this technology for some time now, and apparently, it's readying a beta that will be demonstrated at next year's CES. The portable power generator incorporates a "unique water-activated cartridge system," which is designed to quietly provide clean energy to consumer products in emergencies and when far, far away from an electrical outlet. Reportedly, the device will provide an AC socket alongside two USB connectors, an operating time of over 16-hours, infinite shelf-storage life and 400-watts of instant juice by just adding H2O. Regrettably, we still have no idea what this thing actually looks like, but considering that CES is less than two months away, we'll soon be seeing what this $400 gizmo can do up close and in person.
