Hydrogen in your hands

A great variety of possible applications for fuel cells and hydrogen can be found in the energy supply of portable devices: mobile phones, laptops, walkmen, camcorders and many other things could be powered by hydrogen and by fuel cells in the size of batteries.

In this exposition you can have a look at a computer powered by a fuel cell. Its operation time far exceeds the operation time of computers powered by conventional accumulators. And when the hydrogen draws to an end one simply inserts a new cartridge. The empty cartridges can be refilled.

Fuel cells which are even smaller, so called micro fuel cells, could be integrated in mobile phones. Prototypes with an operation time of fifty hours have already been presented.

Portable applications with higher power ratings are in the development stage as well. In the USA the lighting appliances on some construction sites in remote regions are already powered by fuel cells. Provided there is a big enough tank these systems work for weeks and they are cheaper to run than batteries with equivalent capacities.

Mobile phone (Motorola)

Notebook power supply (SMFC)

Portable power supply (Ballard)