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Article: Fuel Cells Grow More Practical.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Futurist
- Article date:
- January 1, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 World Future Society. 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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Laptop computers, hand-held CD players, and other portable devices may one day be powered not by batteries but by portable fuel cells.
One company has debuted such a device, which is about the size of a cola can. The Enable PFC (Portable Fuel Cell) measures 6 inches long by 2.75 inches in diameter, weighs 1.4 pounds, and supplies 12 watts of electric power, according to its developer, DCH Technology.
However, the PFC must be attached to an external source of hydrogen such as a small gas canister. The company is looking into lighter, less bulky sources of hydrogen such as solid metal hydride powder, which releases the gas.
At a recent technology ...