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Article: YOUR NEXT BATTERY SCIENTISTS ARE SCRAMBLING TO PERFECT FUEL CELLS SCIENTISTS ARE SCRAMBLING TO PERFECT THE FUEL CELL AS A METHANOL-POWERED SOURCE FOR ENERGY-HUNGRY LAPTOPS AND OTHER PORTABLE DEVICES
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- November 24, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2003 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic nonstop in 1927. There's
hardly a laptop computer in the world that could match that record.
Most go dark after four hours or so, forcing the user to carry along
heavy spare batteries or resign himself to a few idle hours.
That's why scientists around the world are racing to perfect a new
power source for laptops, cellphones, and other portable devices -
the fuel cell, a device that could turn cheap liquid fuel into
virtually unlimited electricity.
Like today's rechargeable batteries, fuel cells can pump out
enough power to run an energy-hungry laptop. But you won't need a
wall outlet to recharge - just a small flask of methanol, a form of
alcohol that ...