New methanol model is half the size of originals
vnunet.com, 21 Oct 2008
Panasonic is preparing to unveil a slimmed-down version of its 20-hour methanol fuel-cell battery.
The company said that the latest prototype will feature the same capacity as its predecessor in a casing roughly half the size of the previous prototype first displayed at the 2006 CES conference in Las Vegas.
The new prototype is being demonstrated in both a 270cc casing designed for notebook use and a larger 360cc system which can be used to provide external power for other devices. Both models offer some 20 hours of power at a 10W output level.
The prototypes are set to be unveiled later this week at an event in Japan. The company has reportedly set 2012 as the target release date for the first of its methanol battery systems.
Methanol cell batteries have been under development for several years as a possible replacement for lithium-ion units. Direct methanol fuel cell systems are said to be cheaper and less volatile than hydrogen fuel cells.
My other car's a Toyota Fuel Cell Hydrogen Vehicle
Eight hours power, but it's a weighty option
Remote access - Three steps to getting connected
3.4 million UK professionals now work from home – is your company equipped?
Cost benefits of a global collaboration network
This white paper is a must read for organisations looking for evidence of the bottom-line benefits of high-definition video and voice communications
Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; IThound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.
We ask Gartner Research director Nikos Drakos for advice on...
ORG's Jim Killock calls on the government to become more...
Do you agree?
Have your say on this article