New Fuel Cell Chargers on the Way

by Euan Sadden

Fuel cell battery chargers remain a strong area of potential growth for the fuel cell industry with high-growth applications such as digital cameras, smart phones, and tablet computers open to the introduction of a reliable, efficient technology that allows for battery recharging independent of the main electrical grid. Niche markets such as outdoor enthusiasts and emergency response services are seen as the most immediate applications for these products.

One of the most active companies in releasing new fuel cell products has been myFC. Last month the company unveiled its latest model, the PowerTrekk fuel cell charger. Designed for use by outdoor enthusiasts who spend long periods of time away from the electrical grid, the 5V PowerTrekk is designed to provide instant power for portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and GPS devices. These devices receive power via a USB port. Water is then added to the Powertrekk converting hydrogen into electricity through the application of the fuel cell. The PowerTrekks has a capacity of 5.9 Wh (1600mAh, 3.7 V) and a rated output of 5V, 1000 mA and rated input of 5V, 500 mA. The PowerPukk Fuel Cartridge can be swapped out without interrupting the supply of power to the attached portable device. One cartridge is said to provide the device with enough power to fully charge a smartphone battery, but myFC says that "if the internal battery /buffer is full it will charge more than two smartphones or 15 iPods." The 2.59 x 5 x 1.65 inch (66 x 128 x 42mm) PowerTrekk will come in green, red, or yellow and is expected to be shipped internationally in October for EURO 148 plus sales tax.

This month, Aquafairy Corporation, a Japanese firm that has been manufacturing and marketing fuel cells since 2006, announced that their new fuel cell multi-power supply, the AF-M3000, which is specially designed for mobile devices, will be available for YUAN 26,250 (or about $320). It is planned to be launched by April of this year. The device, which is 67.6 x 118.6 x 21 mm and weighs 128g, can provide a maximum output of 3.5W with a 5.2V output voltage. The device will require at least two cartridges that will retail for around $6 each and $32 for a pack of five, to charge an empty mobile phone battery. Not particularly price competitive, but Aquafairy insists that the current market prices are just a product of the test sales phase and discounts will definitely be given for bulk sales .

Other products already on the market include Horizon Fuel Cells' MiniPAK, a palm sized universal portable designed for any electronic device requiring up to 2W of power.

2011 is looking like a big year for fuel cell battery chargers. We can expect further announcements in the coming months.

Photo by myFC

Euan Sadden is a research analyst contributing to Pike Research's fuel cells and smart energy practices.

New Fuel Cell Chargers on the Way

Backlink: http://featured.matternetwork.com/2011/4/new-fuel-cell-chargers-way.cfm

Portable Solar Chargers, Explained

by Susan DeFreitas

Modern life increasingly involves portable technology. Whether it's laptops, cell-phones, MP3 players, handheld games or all of the above, all that tech requires juice to keep it running, creating an ever-increasing carbon footprint. One way to nip this vicious cycle in the bud is to use an off-grid charger-i.e., one that does not need to get plugged in to produce juice for your portables. As the market for such "advanced charging technologies" has grown over the years (it's estimated this year to total $1.5, and to reach a whopping $34 billion by 2015), solar chargers have proven some of the most popular. Solar chargers make use of a photovoltaic solar panel-often thin-film-to harness the sun's energy and turn it into electricity, acting as a portable primary or back-up charger for a variety of portable devices, via a large number of adaptor "tips," typically included in the price of purchase. As an added bonus, these chargers (like most off-grid chargers) are nearly universal, knocking out the e-waste associated with a number of different, product-specific wall adaptors. Solar chargers come in all different forms and formats-from those that fit in a purse for ease of transport to those that roll out into mats for maximum surface area. Some are waterproof; some are not (a factor to consider when using a solar charger for camping, back-packing, or river trips). They also vary in charge time versus electrical output and performance in indirect sun (important for using solar chargers in less-than-sunny climates). There are also a whole class of solar chargers built directly into bags, whether laptop bags, backpacks, or bike panniers. According to Kriss Bergethon, president of Solar Sphere, an online solar store that carries solar panels, solar chargers and solar kits for a variety of applications, there are now literally hundreds of different solar chargers available, up from a few models just a couple of years ago. He attributes the boom to increased efficiences, which means that today's solar chargers are lighter and more compact-leading more manufacturers to create solar chargers, and more consumers to adopt the technology. Some of the most popular makes, according to Bergethon, are the rollable thin-film chargers, foldable heavy duty versions, and the Solio foldable pocket solar charger, which Google recently donated to international health workers operating in rural areas through the International Medical Corps. (These chargers also have the convenient ability to soak up sun directly through a window, via suction cup.) The Sunlinq and Powerfilm foldable chargers have also proven popular in military applications. What to look for in choosing a solar charger? "The thing to remember in solar," Bergethon told us, "is that more square footage equals more wattage. So the bigger the charger the more juice. You have to adapt the size and style of your charger to your situation." So if you plan to charge your laptop on the go, you may want to choose a solar laptop bag, rather than a pocket-charger, which would be more appropriate to keeping your cell-phone topped off-and if you're depending on your solar charger to keep multiple gadgets operational in the back-country, consider a heavy-duty, rollable charger with maximum surface area. Reprinted with permission from EarthTechling

Portable Solar Chargers, Explained

Backlink: http://featured.matternetwork.com/2010/11/portable-solar-chargers-explained.cfm