Mechanical Technology Inc. (Albany, NY) announced it has received an award of more than $4.6 million from the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The award is to carry out a two-and-one-half year, $9.3 million cost-shared program to research and develop a micro fuel cell for use in portable electronics.
The primary program goal is to combine a direct methanol micro fuel cell being developed by Mechanical Technology with other components to create an advanced micro fuel cell system. The proposed system, a portable power source the size of a current cell phone battery, would substantially extend the "on" or total use time of a mobile phone, be instantly refuelable and be more environmentally friendly than current battery technology.
"This competitive award speaks to the strength of our team, our technology and our approach to bringing this power source to the marketplace. I am gratified by how swiftly we have moved forward since we announced our micro fuel cell operation this January," said Dr. William Acker, president of Mechanical Technology.
