If there is one thing almost all smartphone users want, that's life span of the battery.While the processors, memory and other components have advanced by
leaps and bounds, advances in battery technology has been much slower in
the last two decades.All
these people you see charging their phones at airports, cafes and other
public places are a testimony to the frequency batteries die during the
day. So while engineers are fighting against the chemistry and physics to
improve current lithium-ion cells, is there a better way to recharge?One answer might be fuel cells, which produce electricity through a chemical reaction and provide instant power anywhere. Unlike portable batteries, they do not need to be charged in advance. You just need a fuel cell cartridge.
The promise has been there for some time. A few years ago, the electronics companies have tried to popularize methanol based fuel cells but failed to take off. This time the focus is on hydrogen.Since hydrogen gas enters the fuel cell through a membrane, the electrons are pulled out and travel through an external circuit which is the flow of electricity. At the output of the fuel cell, the electrons recombine with the ionized oxygen and hydrogen from the air, so that the only byproduct is water.There is already a hydrogen fuel cell on the market, with another promised for this year. Both were exhibited at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.
The main difference between the two is in the manner in which the hydrogen is packaged so that it is safe to handle.Upp smart stores energy in a metal hydride compound which is contained in a cartridge that engages the fuel cell with magnets. Each cartridge is good for about 5 refills a smartphone and once exhausted must be returned to exchange for a new station.The fuel cell, which is already on sale in Apple stores in the UK, costs £ 149 ($ 228) and each cartridge is £ 6 ($ 9). One downside: its heavy. Fuel cells and cartridges weigh 620 grams (1.3 pounds), and it's not something you want to achieve in your bag all the time.The Jaq myFC prototype Sweden draws hydrogen from a disposable cartridge which contains salts and water. It will cost around € 75 ($ 81) and disposable cartridges will be about one euro each. Each will provide a couple of loads for a phone.The myFC appears more attractive package and is less expensive, but its proven technology. It will not be on sale before the end of 2015, so have to see if it lives up to promises.And speaking of living up to promises, about 10 years ago, several major electronics companies were developing fuel cells that run on methanol. The promise was the same: load at the request of gadgets no matter where you were.Toshiba has even put one on sale in Japan in 2009, but went nowhere. Getting people to buy them, and providing methanol, wasnt as easy as loading a phone with some AA batteries, or waiting until an outlet was available.These same challenges remain today. Ten years later, the new technology and lower prices could make them more attractive fuel cells, but they'll really catch on also appears uncertain.