MTI Micro partners for fuel cell ultra-mobile PC

MTI Micro and Korean manufacturer NeoSolar said on Thursday they will build prototype ultra-mobile PCs powered by fuel cells.

The two companies said they will develop digital devices that use MTI Micro's Mobion fuel cells, which use liquid methanol cartridges as a fuel.

Dr. James Y. Yu, president of NeoSolar, showing off his company's Wibrain ultra mobile PC and the Mobion chip.

(Credit: NeoSolar)

The development could lead to external chargers, snap-on attachments or devices with the Mobion fuel cell embedded in them, the companies said.

Fuel cells are being developed for a wide range of applications, from back-up electricity in buildings and data centers to transportation.

Rather drawing on tanks of hydrogen to make electricity in a fuel cell, MTI Micro's Mobion uses methanol. The advantage is that it's a liquid fuel that can be easily transported and store, say backers. The byproduct of using the fuel is water and carbon dioxide, in relatively small amounts.

MTI has signed on a partners to develop GPS devices and digital cameras that use its fuel cells.

Other consumer electronics manufacturers, including Sharp, are also developing direct methanol to fuel cell chargers.

[tech_crazy]

"The byproduct of using the fuel is water and carbon dioxide, in relatively small amounts."

This is grossly misleading. Methanol "decomposes" into water and carbon dioxide. So, when "spent", the methanol will produce water and carbon dioxide. And it won't be in small amounts. It will be proportional to the amount of methanol "spent".

Any hydrocarbon, when used, no matter by what means will produce carbon-dioxide. That said, the key advantage of fuel cells is their high efficiency of tapping the chemical energy in the fuel compared with other technologies like combustion engines.

[texaslabrat]

While I don't disagree with your overall statement..I think you missed the point of the particular statement in the article that you seem to take issue with. The article stated that the byproducts of this particular fuel cell are water and carbon dioxide...both of which would be produced in relatively small amounts because there will be relatively little methanol being reacted. Thus, it is suitable for mobile use as it won't be spewing great fountains of water nor great plumes of CO2 due to it's miniscule size and fuel charge (only a few ounces of dilute methanol). Scale it up to the size needed to power a city, then yeah...lots of CO2 (and water), sure....since, as you mentioned, the by-products are proportional to the amount of fuel spent.