Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Charger To Debut At CES
By John Laposky -- TWICE, 1/4/2012
Stockholm, Sweden - Swedish manufacturer MyFC is launching at International CES the PowerTrekk, a fuel-cell charger that uses plain tap water to charge mobile devices.
MyFC's PowerTrekk uses plain water added to a non-depleting renewable fuel pack to charge a portable device.The PowerTrekk features a planar passive fuel-cell design that converts hydrogen into electricity.
PowerTrekk is both a portable battery pack and fuel cell. The portable battery pack can be operated on its own as a ready source of power or storage buffer for the fuel cell. The fuel cell enables instant charging from a depleted battery state without needing a wall charge. A user simply inserts a fuel pack, called a PowerPukk, and adds water to the fuel tray. The portable device then connects to the PowerTrekk via a USB port with interchangeable tips.
One charge is equal to 4 watt hours, which is comparable to charging one smartphone battery, the company said.
"PowerTrekk gives your mobile phone power anywhere at any time", commented Björn Westerholm, CEO of MyFC. "From now on, you do not have to rely on having an electricity grid nearby."
MyFC specializes in the development of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, also known as a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. To operate, hydrogen must be supplied to the fuel cell, and the fuel cell must be exposed to the open air. The only byproduct from the fuel cell is a little water vapor.
MyFC's manufacturing technology uses foil materials and adhesives to form flexible proprietary FuelCellStickers, which can be efficiently produced in a roll-to-roll, high-volume manufacturing process, Westerholm said. The resulting FuelCellSticker assembly is relatively low in cost, and also application flexible. The FuelCellStickers form a flexible assembly less than 2.75mm thick.
"PowerTrekk has a competitive edge over traditional portable chargers. Fuel-cell power is generated immediately and charging is not impacted by weather or the position of the sun, as for solar panels. Compared with battery-powered travel chargers, PowerTrekk offers reliable charging as the fuel packs do not deplete as batteries do," said Westerholm.
MyFC will demonstrate the PowerTrekk in booth 72558 at PMA@CES, in Venetian Hall D, level 2. Pricing has not been announced.
The company will also be exhibiting its customizable Blade fuel-cell assembly designed for the OEM market. Application engineers will be on hand to discuss the integration of the Blades on to the front or back covers, lids, bottoms and sides of mobile devices.
Talkback
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The hydrogen is produced from a chemical reaction. The puck contain NaSi (Sodium Silicide), which is a safe way to store sodium, which is highly reactive. The sodium reacts with water to produce hydrogen. The reaction equation is 2Na + 2H2O -> 2H2 + 2NaOH. So, when the sodium in the puck is depleted, it must be replaced. The need for lots of energy when dissociating hydrogen from water is when electrolysis is used to remove the hydrogen.
Bill Barrett - 2012-6-1 10:02:07 EST -
All relevant questions. Hopefully this isn't a gimmick, because this is a pretty impressive idea. I hope all goes well and I guess we'll just find out. :)
Alison - 2012-5-1 19:36:16 EST -
To quote Heinlein, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch". The issue with hydrogen fuel cells has always been how do you get the hydrogen. Cracking it from water takes energy of some sort. How do these pucks work, how many charges are they good for, and how much does it cost per charge. I am 100% for alternative energy, but this does not smell right. Possibly just a gimmick.
Darrel Edson - 2012-5-1 10:02:51 EST
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