Liquid methanol, a wood alcohol, is also used in windshield wiper fluid. The fuel cells, which are still about three to five years away from the store shelves, could power a wireless phone for more than a month and keep a laptop running for 20 hours, Bill Ooms, director of Motorola's material, device, and energy research, said in a telephone interview. They would use small plastic canisters similar to those used for fountain pen ink. Consumers could easily check the methanol level to find out when to replace the fuel cell, which will likely cost as much as or less than traditional rechargeables, Ooms said. These fuel cells have an amazing ability to produce energy for longer periods of time while weighing far less than conventional batteries.
Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly to electrical energy.
The basic concept of a fuel cell originated in 1839, but practical applications came from NASA in the early days of space flight, Motorola said. These new miniature cells, each measuring about one inch square and less than one-tenth of an inch in thickness, use a reservoir of inexpensive methanol that, when combined with the oxygen in the air, produces electricity. The highly simplified and miniaturized design eliminates the need for air pumps, heat exchangers and other complex devices that previous fuel cells required and therefore disqualified them from successful use in small portable electronic products.