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Itty Bitty Fuel Cells Could be the Future of Mobile Devices

Posted 01/23/09 at 05:00:24 PM  by Andy Salisbury

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A group of chemical engineers with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have recently developed a hydrogen fuel cell that measures a measly 3 millimeters across. This means that within the not-too-distant future we could be using gadgets with cheaper, longer lasting, more eco-friendly power sources.

The cell consists of very few parts: a water reservoir, a chamber contain metal hydride separated by a thin membrane with an assembly of electrodes that conduct electricity underneath. And, thanks to the small size of the chip the need for a pump, pressure sensor and controlling electronics were eliminated.

The first models were able to generate 0.7 volts and a current of 0.1 milliamps for about 30 hours. The team does claim that now they’re able to produce 1 full milliamp for the 30 hours at the same voltage.

 

Image Credit: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

COMMENTS:5
TAGS: mobile, consumer electronics, fuel cell, Gadget
COMMENTS
avatarNunc est bibendum!   The

Submitted by Asterixx on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 4:16pm

Nunc est bibendum!

 

The article says a full milliamp, not an amp. It would take a thousand of 'em to produce an amp. Two-thousand in series-parallel to produce an amp at 1.4 volts. Even still, I can't think of any rechargable AA battery on the market that would produce a full amp for 30 hours. The NIMH AA batteries for my digital camera are only 1600mAH, or 1.6 amps for an hour...

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avatarThis is AMAZING.

Submitted by DRAGONWEEZEL on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 4:06pm

 

I don't know how they handle increased voltage, but .7v @1A is pretty signifigant.  a 2x2 matrix of these is a double a battery.  stacked end on end, aboutt he size of a watch battery, but with the capability to draw a 2 amp load for 30 hours!  That's tight!  If they'll handle the voltage, and can go in series like current batteries, we just need to stack em up.  .7x2 =1.4 v  (more than most rechargeable AA's who sit at 1.2, though less amps... multiply that by 12, 8.4V!  and still tiny!  Bye bye big square 9v batteries... (they'll now be little & square).

 I hope this is real, and I Hope they are refuelable or at least easily recyclable.  This would pave the way for lots of neat toys!

THERE ARE ONLY 11 TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. Those that think binary jokes are funny, those that don't, and those that don't know binary

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avatarOk, I had to respond

Submitted by Balgaroo on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 12:36am

Your binary joke brought back all sorts of memories for me from when I was in school. Guess I'm one of the geeks that found that funny.

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avatarthe cells provide .1 mA, or

Submitted by maaudio12 on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 5:18pm

the cells provide .1 mA each

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avatarbut if you used enough

Submitted by nekollx on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 9:35am

but if you used enough ofthem to make what something the size of a touch pad on a laptop...think about that...

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