 |
|
Camcorder fueled with hydrogen
April 19, 2001Peep! "Please switch off. Power supply almost exhausted." Every day millions of mobile phone, palmtop, notebook, portable CD player and camcorder users are driven to fury by this warning. Without a power source, this wonderful new wealth of modern electronics is of no use at all. Yet the mobile and wireless trend still surges on. Electronic devices can only be portable if they maintain their own, self-sufficient power source. Disposable or rechargeable batteries are expensive, harmful to the environment and usually do not last long enough. Researchers are thus looking for ever greater urgency for alternatives.
The Fraunhofer-Initiative "Miniature fuel cells" is working on innovative energy concepts for portable electronic devices. Its new means of mobile power supply will be on show at the Hanover fair. Fraunhofer researchers will operate a camcorder using the new fuel cells to illustrate their effectiveness in the low-power segment. "Our exhibit is a world first, since for the first time we will be demonstrating a fully operational and integrated fuel cell system," emphasizes Dr Christopher Hebling of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. A miniature fuel cell with a performance capability of 10W at 8V supplies enough power to run a camcorder. The miniature fuel cell is barely larger than a matchbox and consists of 16 bipolar plates stacked and glued on top of one another. A metal hydride reservoir, which can be easily replaced, serves as a tank for the hydrogen. The researchers have paid particular attention to cost-effective subsequent series production.
Also on display will be a fully self-sufficient palmtop, fitted by the ISE with high-performance solar cells. It requires neither fuel, nor battery nor network connection. It draws its energy from the sun. Indeed, even artificial light provides adequate energy to operate the palmtop. Concepts are currently under development for a fuel cell beamer and a universal power pack for portable power supply using fuel cells and solar cells - mobile power stations enabling users of electronic devices to dispense with any power cables.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Fuel Cells News and Current Fuel Cells Events RSSTurning Waste Material into Ethanol
Say the word "biofuels" and most people think of grain ethanol and biodiesel. But there's another, older technology called gasification that's getting a new look from researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University. By combining gasification with high-tech nanoscale porous catalysts, they hope to create ethanol from a wide range of biomass, including distiller's grain left over from ethanol production, corn stover from the field, grass, wood pulp, animal waste, and garbage.
Building a better telecom system
Hurricane Katrina helped University of Texas professor, Alexis Kwasinski, formulate a new plan for the U.S. telecom system: a de-centralized power architecture that would have kept the lights and phones on in New Orleans.
Fuel from food waste: bacteria provide power
Researchers have combined the efforts of two kinds of bacteria to produce hydrogen in a bioreactor, with the product from one providing food for the other.
Metals Shape Up with a Little Help from Friends
For 5,000 years the only way to shape metal has been by the "heat and beat" technique. Even with modern nanotechnology, metalworking involves carving metals with electron beams or etching them with acid.
Oxygen ions for fuel cells get loose at low(er) temperatures
Seeking to understand a new fuel cell material, a research team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, has uncovered a novel structure that moves oxygen ions through the cell at substantially lower temperatures than previously thought possible.
UBC physicists develop 'impossible' technique to study and develop superconductors
A team of University of British Columbia researchers has developed a technique that controls the number of electrons on the surface of high-temperature superconductors, a procedure considered impossible for the past two decades.
A promising step towards more effective hydrogen storage
An international research team led by Swedish Professor Rajeev Ahuja, Uppsala University, has demonstrated an atomistic mechanism of hydrogen release in magnesium nanoparticles - a potential hydrogen storage material. The findings have been published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
Perfecting a solar cell by adding imperfections
Nanotechnology is paving the way toward improved solar cells. New research shows that a film of carbon nanotubes may be able to replace two of the layers normally used in a solar cell, with improved performance at a lower cost. Researchers have found a surprising way to give the nanotubes the properties they need: add defects.
Are microbes the answer to the energy crisis?
The answer to the looming fuel crisis in the 21st century may be found by thinking small, microscopic in fact. Microscopic organisms from bacteria and cyanobacteria, to fungi to microalgae, are biological factories that are proving to efficient sources of inexpensive, environmentally friendly biofuels that can serve as alternatives to oil, according to research presented at the 108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston.
Improved ion mobility is key to new hydrogen storage compound
A materials scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has deciphered the structure of a new class of materials that can store relatively large quantities of hydrogen within its crystal structure for later release.
More Fuel Cells News Articles
 | Profiting from Clean Energy: A Complete Guide to Trading Green in Solar, Wind, Ethanol, Fuel Cell, Carbon Credit Industries, and More (Wiley Trading) by Richard W. Asplund With Profiting from Clean Energy, respected investment analyst Richard Asplund provides an in-depth explanation of the technology and industry structure behind various sectors of this field and in the process identifies more than 150 stocks related to clean energy. Along the way, Asplund discusses exactly what it takes to effectively invest in clean energy—whether it be through buying... |
 | Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius by Gavin D J Harper FUEL YOUR EVIL URGES WHILE YOU BUILD GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS! Go green as you amass power! Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius broadens your knowledge of this important, rapidly developing technology and shows you how to build practical, environmentally conscious projects using the three most popular and widely accessible fuel cells! In Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius, high-tech... |
 | Designing and Building Fuel Cells by Colleen Spiegel Acquire an All-in-One Toolkit for Expertly Designing, Modeling, and Constructing High-Performance Fuel Cells Designing and Building Fuel Cells equips you with a hands-on guide for the design, modeling, and construction of fuel cells that perform as well or better than some of the best fuel cells on the market today. Filled with over 120 illustrations and schematics of fuel cells and... |
 | Fuel Cell Fundamentals by Ryan O'Hayre, Suk-Won Cha, Whitney Colella, Fritz B. Prinz Fuel Cell Fundamentals is an introductory-level textbook covering the basic science and engineering behind fuel cell technology. Focusing on the fundamentals, it provides straightforward descriptions of how fuel cells work, why they offer the potential for high efficiency, and how their unique advantages can best be used. Emphasis is placed on the founding scientific principles that govern fuel... |
 | The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate by Joseph J. Romm "Vital, very readable guidance for investors, environmentalists, and interested bystanders looking toward a future without fossil fuels." -BOOKLIST"It's hard to argue with the relentless logic...." -E/THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE"Readers looking to separate facts from hype about cars running on hydrogen and large-scale fuel cell systems will find a useful primer here."-PUBLISHERS WEEKLYLately it... |
 | Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet by Peter Hoffmann The word hydrogen conjures images of devastating bombs and burning zeppelins (the Hindenburg) for most of us, but it inspires visionaries like Peter Hoffmann to picture clear skies and safer roads. Hoffmann's book Tomorrow's Energy traces the history of the volatile gas and explores options for its use as fuel. Though the author can't avoid using some technical language, his writing should still... |
 | Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles: Fundamentals, Theory, and Design (Power Electronics and Applications Series) by Mehrdad Ehsani, Yimin Gao, Sebastien E. Gay, Ali Emadi Air quality is deteriorating, the globe is warming, and petroleum resources are decreasing. The most promising solutions for the future involve the development of effective and efficient drive train technologies. This comprehensive volume meets this challenge and opportunity by integrating the wealth of disparate information found in scattered papers and research. Modern Electric, Hybrid... |
 | Hydrogen Fuel: Production, Transport, and Storage From Methane to Hydrogen—Making the Switch to a Cleaner Fuel Source The world’s overdependence on fossil fuels has created environmental problems, such as air pollution and global warming, as well as political and economic unrest. With water as its only by-product and its availability in all parts of the world, hydrogen promises to be the next great fuel source. All of the Key... |
 | Fuel Cell Systems Explained (Second Edition) by James Larminie, Andrew Dicks Building on the success of the first edition Fuel Cell Systems Explained presents a balanced introduction to this growing area. "In summary, an altogether satisfying book that puts within its covers the academic tools necessary for explaining fuel cell systems on a multidisciplinary basis." Power Engineering Journal "An excellent book….well written and produced." Journal of... |
 | Fuel Cell Technology Handbook by Gregor Hoogers Fuel cell systems have now reached a degree of technological maturity and appear destined to form the cornerstone of future energy technologies. But the rapid advances in fuel cell system development have left current information available only in scattered journals and Internet sites. The even faster race toward fuel cell commercialization further leaves the objectivity of many Internet articles... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |