Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., a division of the Japanese company that makes the Panasonic brand, is showing a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for laptop computers at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
The fuel cell, a working model of which is on display powering a laptop PC, is the product of about five years of development work, said Tommy Ichinose, chief engineer at one of the company’s technology development groups. The fuel cell creates electricity through a reaction between a methanol-and-water mixture and air.
Using 200 cubic centimeters of fuel and in conjunction with a standard laptop battery, it can power a computer for about 20 hours, said Ichinose.
However, there are still several hurdles to be overcome before the technology can be commercialized, he said. The first is that current regulations prohibit the carrying of methanol onboard aircraft, so DMFC-powered products couldn’t be taken on planes. Clearance for that isn’t expected until next year.
Then there’s the cost. DMFCs use several expensive components, including platinum and a membrane across which the chemical reaction takes place. If any company were to commercialize a DMFC now, it would likely cost more than the laptop it would power, said Ichinose.
Many electronics companies have already demonstrated prototypes of DMFCs, and they all face the same issues regarding regulations and cost. Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp. were both bullish on the technology early and had promised that commercial fuel cells would be ready by 2004. However, they are still not on the market and not expected until at least next year.
