ROHM, a Japanese company which supplies semiconductors, has worked in collaboration with Aquafairy Corporation, a Kyoto based fuel cell manufacturer, and Kyoto University on the development of a high-efficiency fuel cell specifically designed for smart phones.
The fuel cells are about one fourth the weight of equivalent lithium-ion batteries and yet hold the same capacity. ROHM has claimed that with the weight significantly reduced, and the efficiency and safety increased, the fuel cells are far more effective and useful than the current battery technology used in portable devices.
The high efficiency of the fuel cells means that they will have a life-span of about 20 years, far outstripping the 3-5 years of the lithium-ion batteries.
ROHM said that "the hydrogen fuel cells are compact and can operate at ambient temperatures, making them suitable for use in smartphone chargers, tablet personal computers, as power sources outdoors and in remote areas, and in emergency backup power supplies."
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ROHM has three different versions of the fuel cell which it is testing for reliability before the product is launched in April 2013. One is for smart phones and other portable devices, and has a capacity of 5 watts per hour, the other has a capacity of 200 watts per hour and will be used as a portable generator, and the last will have a capacity of 400 watts per hour.
By. James Burgess of Oilprice.com
James Burgess studied Business Management at the University of Nottingham. He has worked in property development, chartered surveying, marketing, law, and accounts. He has also… More