Samsung Unveils Prototype Fuel Cell Laptop

zekrahminator · Aug 13, 2007

While recent recalls suggest that the current type of laptop batteries are dangerous, an alternative power source seems to be screaming "you ain't seen nothing yet": The Direct Methanol Fuel Cell. Samsung recently showed off a prototype of their Q35 laptop powered solely by a fuel cell. Samsung claims that the laptop can run eight hours a day for a month (about 240 hours) without needing a recharge. The most recent prototype of the Q35 even solved some noise problems previously associated with fuel cell powered laptops. Samsung is currently putting the Q35 through some strict safety testing, and it might even be available by the end of this year. A retail price is yet to be confirmed.

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Jess Stingray · Aug 13, 2007

I thought they were supposed to be Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

newbielives · Aug 13, 2007

Hmm so when does the inventor of this battery get murdered?

Jess Stingray · Aug 13, 2007

Soon. Very soon. Toshiba shall steal the patent. And then they'll rust.

kwchang007 · Aug 13, 2007

I wonder if they'll come up with an adapter for current laptops.....

zekrahminator · Aug 13, 2007

Ben Clarke said:
I thought they were supposed to be Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

There's more than one type of fuel cell, apparently

.

Jess Stingray · Aug 13, 2007

Wow. I never knew that.

Technology keeps racing ahead.... sioon they'll be offering CPU implants into our brains :laugh:

ryboto · Aug 13, 2007

there are many types of fuel cells. DMFC technology still has a ways to go. Sure, it's pretty efficient, but methanol is toxic, not to mention CO, a formed intermediate is a poison to the electrocatalysts. I'm impressed if Samsung makes this a reality. I wonder what the lifetime of the cell is, in our tests, the catalyst loses a lot of it's activity over short periods of time.

Darkrealms · Aug 13, 2007

ryboto said:
there are many types of fuel cells. DMFC technology still has a ways to go. Sure, it's pretty efficient, but methanol is toxic, not to mention CO, a formed intermediate is a poison to the electrocatalysts. I'm impressed if Samsung makes this a reality. I wonder what the lifetime of the cell is, in our tests, the catalyst loses a lot of it's activity over short periods of time.

So basically they're saying you can use it for 8hrs a day for a month or . . . 1hr a day for a month, either way you'll have to recharge it every month. How long would something like that last? With the price of the component I'd hope it lasts 2 years at least.

WarEagleAU · Aug 13, 2007

so this is the fuel cell that was reported on here a few months back? Very nice indeed.

Methane gas is gaining alot of momentum as an energy source. ITs a great thing.

My only question, if the battery was to bust by some means, would it smell like sewage still?

mullered07 · Aug 13, 2007

i hope thats a docking station and not the fuel cell :wtf:

Jess Stingray · Aug 13, 2007

Oh, Methane.... easiest free way to rechage it:

1. Get a gas mask.
2. Open the cover.
3. Fart in there, then quickly put the cover back on.

Tada.

newbielives · Aug 13, 2007

I would buy it if it lasted 240hrs from one fart

Ben Clarke said:
Oh, Methane.... easiest free way to rechage it:

1. Get a gas mask.
2. Open the cover.
3. Fart in there, then quickly put the cover back on.

Tada.

ryboto · Aug 13, 2007

Ben Clarke said:
Oh, Methane.... easiest free way to rechage it:

1. Get a gas mask.
2. Open the cover.
3. Fart in there, then quickly put the cover back on.

Tada.

it's not methane, it's methanol. Methanol is a liquid, it evaporates at 60C, has a low vapor pressure, and will easily evaporate if the cell is not sealed. Methanol isn't going to be fed as a gas however, in this cell it's a liquid. Very high power density compared to a Li-ion battery.

zekrahminator · Aug 13, 2007

I still like the idea of a fart-powered laptop, I'd never have to worry about power issues again

.

ryboto · Aug 13, 2007

Darkrealms said:
So basically they're saying you can use it for 8hrs a day for a month or . . . 1hr a day for a month, either way you'll have to recharge it every month. How long would something like that last? With the price of the component I'd hope it lasts 2 years at least.

What I'm saying is that the methanol oxidation will poison the catalyst, and over time it will cause the power from the battery to be reduced. After some amount of time it just wont provide enough voltage. I'm not sure how long Samsung has been able to get their cells to last, but 2 years of excessive use might be pushing it.

Grings · Aug 13, 2007

exploding laptops round 2

Darkrealms · Aug 14, 2007

ryboto said:
What I'm saying is that the methanol oxidation will poison the catalyst, and over time it will cause the power from the battery to be reduced. After some amount of time it just wont provide enough voltage. I'm not sure how long Samsung has been able to get their cells to last, but 2 years of excessive use might be pushing it.

Sorry, I was figuring they used the month example as that was how long they could get the cell to last as you were saying. My second part had to do with rechargeability, how many times/how long before the cell must be thrown out. I'm assuming it will be expensive and as such hopefully the cell will last at least two years.

TY for the update on info.

kwchang007 · Aug 14, 2007

zekrahminator said:
I still like the idea of a fart-powered laptop, I'd never have to worry about power issues again .

Yeah....just pop open a can of beans and wait for them to do their magic.

ex_reven · Aug 14, 2007

lol at people thinking methane is methanol.
Isnt methanol a form of racing fuel?

Reminds me of that guy that was lit on fire with it, noone knew he was on fire because methanol burns with an invisible flame. Im pretty sure it was methanol, or some other form of ethanol. Cool stuff

ryboto · Aug 14, 2007

ex_reven said:
lol at people thinking methane is methanol.
Isnt methanol a form of racing fuel?

Reminds me of that guy that was lit on fire with it, noone knew he was on fire because methanol burns with an invisible flame. Im pretty sure it was methanol, or some other form of ethanol. Cool stuff

it's not invisible, it's light blue, but I'm not even sure that's methanol, I thought that was hydrogen.

mdm-adph · Aug 14, 2007

ryboto said:
What I'm saying is that the methanol oxidation will poison the catalyst, and over time it will cause the power from the battery to be reduced. After some amount of time it just wont provide enough voltage. I'm not sure how long Samsung has been able to get their cells to last, but 2 years of excessive use might be pushing it.

...compared to regular laptop batteries today, this is still better.

Nothgrin · Aug 15, 2007

I wonder if the 240 hours is including the port extender that its currently pictured with. They could have placed batteries in it too to inflate the numbers.

schriss · Aug 18, 2007

Nothgrin said:
I wonder if the 240 hours is including the port extender that its currently pictured with.

You mean the battery that is so big that it looks like port extender.

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Samsung Unveils Prototype Fuel Cell Laptop

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