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Article: Micropower heats up: propane fuel cell packs a lot of punch.(This Week)(propane in fuel cells)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- June 11, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Portable electronics such as laptops and MP3 players could soon run on miniature fuel cells that consume propane, the same fuel used in gas barbecues. In search of longer-lasting alternatives to conventional batteries, a team of researchers has developed just such a device.
"A propane-driven fuel cell could be the same size as a lithium battery but last 10 times longer," says Paul Ronney of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Other groups have previously developed fuel cells for portable electronics. However, most of these run on methanol (SN: 9/7/02, p. 155). Propane and other large hydrocarbons are more desirable because their larger ...