A team from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) has developed the technology for long-life hydrogen micro fuel cells, which remove the hassle of recharging batteries. The fuel cells simply need to be topped off with hydrogen gas when the fuel runs out -- the same way a car is filled up with petrol. The fuel cells can be used for all types of products that use conventional batteries as power sources, such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players.
The fuel cells are environmentally friendly, lighter, and are also two times more durable than batteries. The inventors believe the new cells can help manufacturers and end consumers to save on energy costs as the fuel cells are suitable for low-cost mass production, possible through the use of plastic components instead of conventional metal components.
The new fuel cell technology will be showcased at the first World Hydrogen Technologies Convention being held in Singapore. The university has filed one US patent on the fuel cell technology, and is currently looking for an industry partner to push the fuel cell onto the commercial market.
