New fuel cell tech based on methane
By Michael W. Jones
There is some exciting new technology available in the fuel cell arena and it is based on one of the most abundant chemicals available in nature: methane.
Fortunately for its users, this is not the sort of methane that we normally think of when we hear the word; it has nothing to do with cows. Rather, the methane being used for these fuel cells is the abundant, clean-burning variety, which is completely odorless. There is not a single cow in sight, or within olfactory range.
Smart Fuel Cell (SFC), a company based in Germany, has introduced a “wearable” fuel cell that uses direct methanol fuel cell technology. Their technology does away with the heavy mechanical components that are usually associated with generation of electrical power. The new fuel cell is based on an award-winning “unipolar stack” technology. It is called the Jenny 600S and it is capable of delivering 25 watts of power for up to 20 hours at a time.
The company’s fuel cells took the highest award at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Wearable Power Competition, which was held last October. SFC was up against stiff competition from a number of other larger competitors. The unipolar stack is not the only way to generate portable energy: companies like UtraCell and Jadoo Power also offer a range of portable fuel cell options to military customers, according to a CNET story.
The SFC product uses replaceable liquid methanol fuel cartridges. It is worn in a soldier’s vest, from which it is able to instantly awaken from standby mode to automatically recharge batteries when new charges are required. The unit works silently in any position, according to the company. SFC also says that the unit can be left in an automatic mode to instantly provide power to equipment as necessary in the field. The company says that the new device could reduce the weight of the batteries that soldiers must carry on certain missions by up to 70 percent, a lifesaver for a soldier.
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February 23rd, 2009
Dear Michael,
Thanks for your interest in our Jenny, we loved your blog entry. However, there was a mix-up of cows and alcohol… ;-)
Our fuel cells use methanol, not methane. Methane is a gas which, yes, is produced in the intestines of cows. Methanol, however, is an alcohol, which is also called wood spirit or wood alcohol. Most people know methanol best from their cars – it is THE antifreeze agent in windshield washer fluid and it is also a commonly used solvent and cleaning agent. It is still mainly produced from natural gas, but increasingly also from second-generation biomass (bio garbage) or even household refuse, so it is a renewable resource, which is an additional reason why people should use our fuel cells even more ;-) Did you know that in operation they produce only water steam and carbon dioxide in the same amounts as in the breath of a child. Some of our mobile units already operate in Australia – in motor homes. Hope that info helps, best regards from snow covered Bavaria in Germany, Ulrike from SFC.