Next-gen Apple devices to use hydrogen fuel cells?

Will future generations of mobile devices from Apple Inc. run on hydrogen fuel cells that can last days or weeks on a single charge?

 

They just might, if two Apple patent applications the US Patent and Trademark Office recently published are any indication.

 

In US Patent Application 20110313589, Apple described as system "capable of both providing power to and receiving power from a rechargeable battery in a portable computing device," thus eliminating the need for a bulky and heavy battery, "which can significantly reduce the size, weight and cost of the fuel cell system."

 

Hydrogen fuel cells provide power to devices by converting oxygen and hydrogen.

 

Apple noted increased consumer awareness has prompted electronics manufacturers to develop renewable energy sources for their products.

 

"Hydrogen fuel cells have a number of advantages. Such fuel cells and associated fuels can potentially achieve high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, which can potentially enable continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refueling," it said.

 

Still, it admitted it is "extremely challenging" to design hydrogen fuel cell systems that are portable and cost-effective to be used with portable electronic devices.

 

A separate article on tech site Mashable said hydrogen fuel cells are not really a new technology, having been used to power some cars.

 

It added such cells have their own set of problems, particularly in terms of portability and cost-effectiveness.

 

"We’ll probably have to wait a while until fuel cell-powered iPhones and MacBooks hit the market, but a big breakthrough in battery technology is something we’ve been waiting for a long time, and it might change the face of the market forever," it said. — TJD, GMA News