Fuel cells are the alternative power source just over the horizon. We’re waiting for the day we can recharge our mobile phones with a quick methanol or hydrogen top-off.
Fortunately, Samsung is thinking along the same lines. While others are working to bring methanol-powered fuel cells to the cellphone market, Samsung is going one better and developing a water-powered fuel cell for mobile phones. It seems that fuel cell patent isn’t going to waste in Samsung’s labs.
Fuel cells work by harnessing the energy stored in hydrogen bonds when a water or hydrocarbons like methanol are broken down into hydrogen gas and byproducts. By exposing the water to metal, Samsung says that they can liberate energy stored in those H-O bonds and use it to power the cellphone in your pocket. The fuel cell churns out hydrogen gas and a single tank of water can run for about 5 days of average cellphone use.
“When the handset is turned on, metal and water in the phone react to produce hydrogen gas,” says Oh Yong-soo, vice president of Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ research center. “The gas is then supplied to the fuel cell where it reacts with oxygen in the air to generate power.”
The R&D gurus at Samsung are aiming to get their water-to-hydrogen fuel cell off the ground by 2010. Imagine recharging your mobile phone by topping off your fuel cell with a few drops of bottled water. 2010 can’t come soon enough!