Thirty Watts of Power from a Portable Fuel Cell

A fuel cell with 30W average power and up to 600 W-hr of run-time per cartridge could drastically change the design of portable systems for the Air Force and other applications. Recently, MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. (MTI Micro), a subsidiary of Mechanical Technology Incorporated, demonstrated such a system to The Air Force Research Laboratory - Information Directorate (AFRL).

Today, the most commonly used military battery is the BA 5590. Rated at 7.2 Ah at 70F and 5.6 Ah at -20F, the BA 5590 battery uses lithium technology and weighs 2.25 lb (1 kg). Based on direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology, MTI Micro's Mobion fuel cell design can outlast the highly successful BA 5590. A unique aspect of the fuel cell is its management of water flow in the chemical process without requiring complex micro-plumbing.

As part of ongoing development for the AFRL, the Mobion-30M prototype fuel cell demonstrated the ability to support up to 30W of average power and over 100W of peak power. For a 72-hour mission, one fuel cell and two additional 100-percent methanol fuel cartridges would replace nine BA 5590 batteries. The prototype system is designed to produce potentially up to 600 W-hr of run-time per cartridge. A system producing 600 W-hr would power an average laptop more than seven times longer than the current Lithium-ion battery. Initially, AFRL intends to use Mobion-30M prototypes in a program for the development of satellite communication terminals (SATCOM), the portable high data rate transmission systems used for communications by special operations forces.

The technology has more than just military applications. Recently, MTI Micro exceeded the energy density of a Li-Ion battery with a consumer prototype fuel cell that produced over 95 W-hr of continuous run-time. With the capability to be refueled instantly, the unit can charge a number of portable electronic products including GPS systems, gaming devices, MP3 players and digital cameras.

CONTACT: George Relan, MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc.

Tel: 518-533-2220; e-mail: [email protected]