Wednesday, March 05, 2003

Toshiba introduces a Motor for your Laptop



OK this is just to cool. In a press release today Toshiba introduced a viable alternative to batteries for your laptop, a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) that ways less than ki. They have developed a process that allows the correct concentration of methanol, around 3 to 6 percent to be, attained from the process of burning the methanol which results in water and carbon dioxide. The water is recirculated back into the high concentration methanol cartridge to achieve the correct mix.



A 50cc cartridge of Methanol lasts approximately 5 hours. At first glance the piece seems a tad bulky, 275 x 75 x 40mm (825cc), but not many people use there laptops while walking anyway. The cartridges are alot easier to carry than extra batteries. The DMFC connection to the laptop is similar as the has the same electrodes as an ion lithium battery.



They should be available with two years.


I do have a couple of questions though:


How much heat does it generate?

How can I get one?

Can they work out a solution to have it run on airline bottles of tequila? Flight attendent may I have two bottles of cuervo one for me and one for my laptop.

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