IBM and Sanyo United To Build Laptop Fuel Cell Batteries

The personal computer division of IBM and Sanyo have collaborated with the aim of creating prototypes of computer batteries using the fuel cell technology for laptops and mobile computers. It is expected to give the battery backup time of around 8 hours using the replaceable methanol fuel cartridges.

Fuel Cell technology uses hydrogen and oxygen gas to generate electric current and is expected to become a major source of power for next generation of devices. Current generation of batteries takes a lot of time to recharge making it cumbersome to use them effectively. There are many tech giants currently involved in making similar solutions for electronic tools like Toshiba, NEC, Hitachi, and Fujitsu.

Both these companies addressed a briefing in Tokyo and showed off a prototype of a hybrid system, which combines the powers of refillable fuel cell technology with existing, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Sanyo speculates that it would take them a couple of years before they can resolve the basic problems with producing such batteries on a larger scale.

The prototype they displayed at the briefing plugs into the alternating current (AC) outlet at the back of the computer and generates 72 watts, weighs 2.2 kg without fuel and has a size of 270 mm by 282 mm by 16.54 mm.