Newlaunches.com, July 31, 2006
At the at Tokyo International Forum Hitachi showcased the pocket sized Fuel Cell recharger for portable devices like mobile phones, PMP, MP3 players etc. The prototype is designed for mobile devices that can be recharged via the USB interface. The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) includes four units of power generation cells. The foldable main body can be spread into the shape of a left angle bracket (<) upon power generation. With the main body spread open, the four surfaces of the chassis work as the air electrodes for each of the power generation cells. The fuel cell is equipped with a control circuit and a capacitor that can store electricity before charging the mobile devices.
Instead of using a detachable fuel catridge, Hitachi has adopted the so-called satellite structure in which methanol is injected into the fuel cell body. The fuel cell measures 90 x 90 x 20 mm and has enough power to recharge a mobile phone once.
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