SAIT and Samsung team for smallest fuel cell charger

There's a big difference between "smallest" and "small enough," but SAIT and Samsung SDI might've just crossed the gap with their new joint-developed fuel cell mobile charger. The device, which the companies claim is the world's smallest fuel cell charger yet, can pump 2W of juice, and supposedly charges mobile devices in 1/5 the time of competing offerings. At 5.3 ounces, and measuring a mere 5mm thick, it shouldn't be much of a problem at all to slip this into your bag, letting you extend the life of your PDA, phone, camera or PMP. In tests the charger has completed 200 continuous charges, and is nearly ready for market -- with over 120 patents involved in making this thing tick. The unit is based on small user-replaceable methanol cartridges, providing "limitless" power if you're willing to spring for enough fuel cartridges. There's no exact word on when these things will hit retail shelves, but Samsung expects chargers like this, along with fuel cell-based laptop batteries to be commonplace in 2-3 years.

[Thanks, Mike]

[Gil @ Dec 1st 2006 1:12PM]

If this actually works as advertised and costs a decent amount of money it'll sell like hotcakes.

I'd also like to see a laptop version

[treetrunk @ Dec 1st 2006 5:11PM]

Or, you can take one wind-up or solar powered charger and not carry any refills of any sort. Sorry, but I seriously don't see how this is in any way better.

"As opposed to driving around with 20 gallons of highly flammable and poisonous gasoline. Better yet, as opposed to carrying around pressurized vessels of butane..."

Yes, but the fact that gasoline is flammable is NECESSARY for it's intended purpose- if it didn't burn, you couldn't put it in an engine! For a non-combustion based battery this is far from desirable. Also, pure methanol is FAR more poisonous than gasoline- as little as 4oz can kill you, and smaller amounts will make you go blind. It is also stored in a far more controlled environment by design (inside the chassis of a car, not rattling around in a pocket/rucksack), and is far less voliatile (methanol is after all the smallest alcohol) should it escape. I'm not sure what you mean with the butane quip.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Dec 1st 2006 1:49PM]

Sweet. Now kids can drink while staying up all night playing doom-or-whatever on their laptops. And if the juice runs low, just give the laptop a shotglass of the moonshine.

I'd be more interested if we could get laptops to run on methane. All it would take to recharge the thing would be a good taco dinner or a helping of chili.

[c_reek @ Dec 1st 2006 2:49PM]

"...you have to carry around cartridges filled with highly flammable and deadly methanol. "

As opposed to driving around with 20 gallons of highly flammable and poisonous gasoline. Better yet, as opposed to carrying around pressurized vessels of butane designed exclusively for the ingnition of deliberatly inhaled carcingens?

[BrandonL @ Dec 1st 2006 5:31PM]

I vote you for best comment ever.

[Alex C @ Dec 1st 2006 3:16PM]

Oh wow, yes, it's starting, at last.

Very, very, happy to hear this news.

[Matt Hadder @ Dec 1st 2006 5:01PM]

Only catch that I don't like is:

"The unit is based on small user-replaceable methanol cartridges..."

Proprietary no doubt. They should have ones you can just refill yourself with rubbing alcohol or Bacardi 151...

[Gil @ Dec 1st 2006 5:56PM]

They say this gives you 200 charges per cartridge. In my book that's enough for one trip and it's certainly a hell of a lot more than what a windup charger can give me.

[scottmcl @ Dec 1st 2006 6:59PM]

cool....still waiting for portable hydrogen cells

[Francis @ Dec 1st 2006 10:13PM]

Does anyone know what phone that is featured in the picture?

[treetrunk @ Dec 2nd 2006 4:59AM]

What's the advantage? Instead of carrying around a pile of much cheaper and safer ordinary batteries (or better still a truly "limitless" wind-up charger) you have to carry around cartridges filled with highly flammable and deadly methanol.

[BigG @ Dec 1st 2006 1:42PM]

How many batteries would it take to charge a cellphone 200 times? A lot more than 5.3 ounces worth. You take one of these on a hiking trip and keep your GPS and Sat phone charged the whole time. Imagine how much better these will perform when they do actually reach the market.

[Ryan @ Dec 2nd 2006 1:49PM]

@treetrunk

If the canisters and mechanism are properly engineered, affordable and easily-produced, I think it has legs. I don't see a need for such ardent skepticism right now. Shit, everyone knows electricity is potentially fatal, too. Doesn't mean we have to moon about "deadly" computers, or batteries, or bleach or water for that matter. Lots of things are inherently "deadly"...and we use them all the time, with a combination of care and well-engineered safeguards.

I don't know much about the mass-production or delivery of methanol, but is it possible to re-fill a methanol cartridge? This could be an environmentally friendly alternative to plugging a brick in a wall to get electricity from a coal-fired power plant, too. I know my power rates haven't been going down in recent years...

Oh and one more thing. I have had two Ni-MH rechargeable batteries explode - in my coat pocket. I stopped using them to portably re-charge my PDA shortly after.

I agree, 'wind-up' would be stellar.

[James @ Dec 8th 2006 4:30PM]

"In tests the charger has completed 200 continuous charges..."

When I read this I first though 200 charges = 1 methanol cartridge. But if you read it closely, it could also mean that their test device has undergone 200 testing charges, not necessarily on 1 cartridge. This is significant because it shows the devices is relatively mature, vs. "We've gotten it to charge a few times." So I'm glad they're closer to a real marketable product, but like everyone else I wonder the same things; Can I use it for a laptop? And, will I be able to bring it on a plane? Maybe I just put the cartridges in my baggy of toiletries and be done with it.