FuelCell
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Horizon MiniPak personal fuel cell charger hits shelves for $100
We first laid our eyes and hands on Horizon's MiniPak personal fuel cell charger back at CES and now it's finally available for purchase. Designed for charging portable electronics on the go, the MiniPak has two refillable cartridges, each with the juice equivalent of around 1,000 AA batteries. The MiniPak -- which uses Hydrogen to produce electricity -- isn't the first portable fuel cell, but it's certainly the cheapest. Check out our demo video from CES 2010 after the break. You can hit the source link if you're looking for a $99 fuel cell for your very own.
Hyundai-Kia looking to beat Toyota in the automotive fuel cell price wars
When Toyota made clear its aim to release a hydrogen-powered fuel cell auto to the public in 2015 for $50,000, we asked the simple question of whether you'd buy that car for that much. The overwhelming answer was "heck no!" Hyundai-Kia is glad to hear it, and is taking this time to trump up its cheaper fuel cell technology. General Manager Byung Ki Ahn explains that his company's tech does not require an onboard compressor and contains less platinum in the catalysts than Toyota's, in theory meaning reduced cost and complexity. But, will that come at the expense of efficiency? Just what will Hyundai's alternative cost? And, most importantly, will its first fuel cell car look as good as good as the Genesis coupe, or will it just be the boring Borrego prototype above? These questions could be answered as soon as 2012, when the company hopes to get the first early models into the willing driveways of consumers.
Horizon's H-Cell 2.0 hydrogen fuel cell for R/C cars now shipping (video)
You may have a hard time buying yourself a full-sized hydrogen-powered auto, but thanks to Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies you can at least get a 1:10 scale version. The company's H-Cell 2.0 fuel cell kit, unveiled back in February, is now shipping to forward-looking enthusiasts and comes with everything you need to mount it on a tiny boat, little plane, or R/C car (like the Tamiya TRF416 shown above). While Horizon indicates the cell will keep that car moving at 45mph for a full hour, an impressive figure, they still haven't told us another very important number: the cost. We do, however, have the full system specs just after the break, along with a demo video of the thing in action. It may not be as fast as your neighbor's nitro-powered beast, but what has he done for the environment lately? %Gallery-93639%
Would you buy a hydrogen-powered sedan in 2015 for $50,000?
That's the question Toyota is asking, announcing plans to release such a thing in that year for that price. That's more than twice as expensive as the company's current eco-chic offering, the Prius, but for greenies the advantages here are considerable: zero carbon emissions and a renewable fuel source. Toyota has been showing off its hydrogen-powered FCHV (pictured above) for quite some time now, but the initial model to hit dealers will instead be a sedan (presumably a luxury one at that price point) that would have a range comparable to gasoline models. Toyota hopes to actually make a profit on the car thanks to ever-decreasing fuel cell costs, a goal that the company did not achieve when the Prius initially hit the road and was sold at a loss. Of course, if the hydrogen distribution system in the US doesn't improve over the next five years then this thing will surely be a loser too.
Panasonic's silicon-packin' batteries boast 30 percent capacity boost, hit stores in 2012
Sure, not a day goes by without some sort revolutionary (if not just plain silly) announcement regarding fuel cells, and once again it looks like it's Panasonic's turn. According to Nikkei, the company will begin volume production of Li-ion rechargeable batteries that use a silicon alloy anode sometime in fiscal 2012. While Si alloy batteries have a tenfold theoretical improvement over current cells that utilize graphite, Panny claims that its device will have an improvement in linear capacity of close to thirty percent -- keeping at least 80 percent of its capacity even after 500 charge/recharge cycles. Currently the bad boy is being marketed towards notebook batteries, although we could be seeing 'em in our electric cars in the near future. Catch a couple pictures from the press conference after the break.
Mercedes-Benz F800 Style teases us with fuel cells, aggressive new look
Mercedes has just announced its latest "research vehicle," the F800 Style, and as concepts are wont to do, it intersperses some extremely ambitious goals with plenty of viable and forthcoming improvements. The two powertrain options touted by the company represent this best. On the one hand, there's a perfectly reasonable PHEV setup that will generate north of 400bhp combined grunt and offer an 18-mile range when abstaining from gas power. On the other, there's an electric drive with fuel cells system that will get you a spectacular 375-mile cruising range -- if only it'd make it to real products, which seems highly unlikely right now. All the same, as the company's premium sedan concept, the F800 Style represents the direction of Mercedes' future designs, both in its external styling and in the internal focus on becoming friendlier to the environment. We can find little reason to object to either. Check out a couple more pics after the break, then hit Autoblog for more details.
The Bloom Box: a power plant for the home (video)
Those two blocks can power the average high-consumption American home -- one block can power the average European home. At least that's the claim being made by K.R. Sridhar, founder of Bloom Energy, on 60 Minutes last night. The original technology comes from an oxygen generator meant for a scrapped NASA Mars program that's been converted, with the help of an estimated $400 million in private funding, into a fuel cell. Bloom's design feeds oxygen into one side of a cell while fuel (natural gas, bio gas from landfill waste, solar, etc) is supplied to the other side to provide the chemical reaction required for power. The cells themselves are inexpensive ceramic disks painted with a secret green "ink" on one side and a black "ink" on the other. The disks are separated by a cheap metal alloy, instead of more precious metals like platinum, and stacked into a cube of varying capabilities -- a stack of 64 can power a small business like Starbucks. Now get this, skeptics: there are already several corporate customers using refrigerator-sized Bloom Boxes. The corporate-sized cells cost $700,000 to $800,000 and are installed at 20 customers you've already heard of including FedEx and Wal-mart -- Google was first to this green energy party, using its Bloom Boxes to power a data center for the last 18 months. Ebay has installed its boxes on the front lawn of its San Jose location. It estimates to receive almost 15% of its energy needs from Bloom, saving about $100,000 since installing its five boxes 9 months ago -- an estimate we assume doesn't factor in the millions Ebay paid for the boxes themselves. Bloom makes about one box a day at the moment and believes that within 5 to 10 years it can drive down the cost to about $3,000 to make it suitable for home use. Sounds awfully aggressive to us. Nevertheless, Bloom Energy will go public with details on Wednesday -- until then, check the 60 Minutes sneak peek after the break. [Thanks, Abe P.]
Horizon debuts H-Cell 2.0 hydrogen fuel cell system for R/C cars
We just checked out Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies' personal MiniPak fuel cell charger at CES last month, but the company's already back with another product that promises to take fuel cells where you might not expect them: hobbyist R/C cars. That comes courtesy of the company's new H-Cell 2.0 hydrogen fuel cell system, which is an add-on kit that's designed to replicate the full-scale hydrogen systems now being used on actual cars. In fact, it can even be refueled using a model-scale hydrogen refueling station, which itself can be outfitted with solar panels or wind turbines for a completely carbon-free experience. No word on pricing just yet, but the kit will apparently be available on March 15th -- head on past the break for a quick video demonstration.
Protonex fuel-cell batteries to power HULC exoskeleton for three solid days
We're selfishly daydreaming of how we could use something like this at the next CES, but chances are that Lockheed Martin is really only fixated on boosting its bottom line by assisting the US military. The company's HULC exoskeleton, which was originally introduced by Berkeley Bionics in 2008, is seeing a significant upgrade this week courtesy of a fuel-cell power pack from Protonex. The goal? To strap a new, more potent battery onto the Human Universal Load Carrier that will support 72+ hour extended missions. Soldiers tend to carry around a lot more gadgetry now, all of which requires more and more power; with this pack, the men and women in the field could carry fewer conventional batteries while seeing an overall boost in available juice. There's no mention of when exactly this stuff will be rolled out en masse, but that's a detail you'll probably never know, anyway.
Sugar-powered phone concept robs us of perfectly good Coke
This wouldn't be the first time we've seen a sugar fuel cell, but gosh darnit, it just might be the sexiest. Chinese designer Daizi Zheng has conjured up a vision for a soft drink-powered cylindrical Nokia of the future that pounds Coca-Colas to stay juiced: just screw off the top, pop the can, and pour. Daizi estimates that a single can of the stuff could outlast a traditional lithium ion battery by three to four times -- never mind the obvious ecological benefits -- but don't you dare steal our caffeine the next time you need a charge, alright? [Thanks, Rob]
Horizon's Hydrofill converts water to hydrogen, hydrogen into juice for your gadgets
Could 2010 finally be the year of the fuel cell? Horizon thinks it will be. The company has been teasing us with products for years, and while this latest one is also just a promise at this point, Horizon says it will be for sale by the end of the year. Hydrofill is a "personal hydrogen station" capable of converting water into hydrogen gas, which then gets stored in small cartridges called Hydrostik -- apparently in a crystalline structure to prevent your fanny pack doing a Hindenburg. Those cartridges will be usable in rechargers, like the Minipak, which provides USB output to recharge smaller gadgets on the go. It'll surely be a little more powerful than the toy kit Horizon released back in 2008, but we're bummed this one won't run on vodka like that one did. We tend to have plenty of that lying around this time of the year.
Toshiba's DMFC fuel cell seen 'powering phones' at CEATEC (video)
Toshiba has been promising the world a healthy dose of fuel cell chargers for what feels like ages now, with its most recent swearing happening just two months ago. Here at CEATEC, the company's wares were being trumpeted by KDDI. We witnessed a standard handset have its stock battery removed and replaced with an admittedly bulky fuel cell container. The booth attendant proudly juiced up the cell, clipped it onto the phone's rear and mashed the power button. Within seconds, the device booted up normally, and a handy level indicator on the charger itself kept us in the know on how much life was left. Or -- you know -- maybe the whole thing was just an elaborate hoax to fool English-speaking media into thinking this stuff was really nearing its commercial release. Have a look at a brief video just beyond the break, but try not to get your hopes up too high. No need in having your heart broken again unnecessarily. %Gallery-74777%
Researchers propose $30 portable fuel cell charger, we don't hold our breath
If you believed all the fuel cell talk that's been bandied about in press releases over the years you'd have thrown away your plug-in chargers by now and started squirting alcohol into all your gadgets. Many promises have been broken, so please take this news of a supposed $30 fuel cell charger for cellphones and other mobile devices with a suitably large chunk of salt -- or some sodium-free flavor enhancer if your doctor has imposed such dietary restrictions. Scientists at the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan have created a prototype charger that runs on small tubes containing solid-state hydrogen, "plasticized" so that it is only released when mixed with water. The canisters are said to sell for $.30 a pop, leaving one researcher to say: "They could be sold at 7-Eleven." We want to write a skeptical response analyzing the feasibility of to such pricing but instead got distracted researching information about Taiwanese convenience stores. Did you know there are 4,807 7-Eleven franchise locations around Taiwan? Amazing!
Toshiba plans to launch fuel cell chargers in next two months, may be lying
We'd love to believe you, Toshiba. Really, it would give us nothing but pleasure to sit expectantly for the next 60 days while you deliver wonderful, life-changing fuel cell technology to our front door. Unfortunately, we've been burned one too many times by your shattered promises, and we've developed a bit of a complex, to tell the truth. If you were being straight with us this time we suppose we'd be looking forward to a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) device capable of topping off small rechargeable devices like phones and PMPs, with extra juice just a cartridge replacement away. After that we could anticipate with bated breath your long awaited entry into directly DMFC-powered devices, claiming your rightful place as power generator for our phones and laptops. You tease.
Video: Antares DLR-H2 becomes planet's first fuel cell-powered aircraft
Fuel cells may have lost some steam of late here in the automotive realm, but they're still going strong at 30,000 feet. Over in Hamburg, Germany, the Antares DLR-H2 has become the first piloted aircraft capable of taking off using only power from fuel cells, which means that it flies with absolutely no carbon emissions. The craft is based on the Antares 20E glider, which boasts a wingspan of just over 65 feet and has a cruising range of 466 miles over five hours. Currently, the propulsion system permits maximum flying speeds of around 105mph, but we're certain those behind the creation are gunning for more. As for its future? It'll be stationed at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg where it'll act a "flying test platform" for the next three years, and afterwards, we fully expect to see this thing fetch a pretty penny on eBay. Action-packed video is after the break.[Thanks, Mademoiselle Y]
Carnivorous Clock eats bugs, begins doomsday countdown
It's not enough that humans gave robots a place to congregate to plan our demise, now we've adapted them with the ability to extract fuel from the very nectar of life. All that innocent experimentation with fuel cells that run on blood has led to this, a flesh-eating clock. This prototype time-piece from UK-based designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau traps insects on flypaper stretched across its roller system before depositing them into a vat of bacteria. The ensuing chemical reaction, or "digestion," is transformed into power that keeps the rollers rollin' and the LCD clock ablaze. The pair offers an alternative design fueled by mice, another contraption whose robotic arm plucks insect-fuel from spider webs with the help of a video camera, and a lamp powered by insects lured to their deaths with ultraviolet LEDs. Man, this is so wrong it has to be right.[Via Hack a Day, thanks Isaac]
Thinergy micro-battery retains charge for years, very easy to misplace
As you know, it wouldn't be a typical day in the blog mines without some revolutionary battery news, and for today's fuel cell fix we'd like to present the Thinergy Micro Energy Cell. Developed by Infinite Power Solutions and consisting of "a new class of electronic component that bridges the performance gap between batteries and supercapacitors," the battery is downright lilliputian: about the thickness of a postage stamp, and half the area at its smallest. Since the battery requires a minimum of four volts to charge (with the ability to hold its charge for years) these guys are perfect for RFID cards and Big Brother-style thought-control implants. Tinfoil helmet squad: You've been warned![Via Red Ferret]
Hydrogen-powered Riversimple Urban Car unveiled, makes your hybrid green with envy
Smug about your 65 mpg Prius potential? Don't be. A little car from up-start Riversimple looks set to deliver the equivalent of 300 mpg, running on hydrogen and utilizing a network of small fuel cells to power four motors, one per wheel. The recently unveiled prototype manages 240 miles on just 2.2 lbs of hydrogen, has a top speed of 50 mph, seats two (reasonably) comfortably, and looks a little like a smiling, new-age Citroen 2CV -- but will hopefully be a more enjoyable to drive. That considerable range means that the relative lack of hydrogen distribution stations is less of a problem (until you can get one for your garage), and an estimated monthly lease price of just £200 (about $330) makes it potentially affordable. The only question now is availability of the cars themselves, and since nobody's talking about that you needn't worry about delaying that appointment with your local Toyota dealer.[Via TG Daily]
Sprint nabs $7.3M grant for hydrogen fuel cells at cell sites
The US Department of Energy is feeling generous with some $41.9 million worth of cold, hard cash in a round of grants aimed at advancing fuel cell tech, and Sprint ended up scoring some $7.3 million of it -- the only carrier to do so. Carriers and hydrogen fuel cells don't seem like a natural fit at first, but it turns out that backup power at cell sites is kind of a big deal, and fuel cells are a perfect fit for a reliable, long-running, zero-emission solution. Interestingly, Sprint has been really into this for a while now -- it's their third awarded grant, and it turns out that they've had fuel cells deployed at sites since way back in 2005 (and they've even got 12 patents under their belt to prove it). Most current sites offer up to 15 hours of power in the event of an emergency using low-pressure hydrogen tanks, and the carrier says that it'll use the latest cash infusion to work with its partners to boost that up to 72 hours. Probably worse ways for the government to spend $7.3 million, when you think about it (say, on no-bid contracts for surplus eraser heads for Number 2 pencils, for instance).
Samsung's latest fuel cell prototype proves again that soldiers get the coolest toys
Back in 2006, a bright-eyed Samsung pledged a simple, methanol-powered dock that could power a laptop for a whole month, promised availability by the end of 2007, and then ran off to look for unicorns. Three years on an older, wiser Samsung is making some rather more modest statements about its latest generation of DMFC (Direct Methanol Fuel Cell), now set for release in 2010 -- only for the military. But, trendy requisition officers will have their choice of three colors: black, gold, or black. This 3.5 kilogram device is said to provide 1,800 watt-hours without a recharge, enough to power all a soldier's mil-spec gadgetry for three days. That's a far cry from the 30 days promised a few years back, but far better than the 10 kilograms of batteries you'd need otherwise. Want to get your hands on one of these? Start by heading to your local recruiter's office -- and don't mind the giant human microwave.
