NEXT time the lights go out in New York or London, a new breed of power generator could come to the rescue 鈥� at a price. These portable fuel cells run silently and produce only water vapour as exhaust. But the first ones to hit the market generate power for only a couple of hours and, confusingly, competing models run on different fuels.
Fuel cells work by combining oxygen with hydrogen and using the energy this liberates to generate an electric current. The oxygen comes from the air, but manufacturers have yet to agree on the best source of hydrogen. One option is to use pure hydrogen, which produces more power but is difficult to distribute to customers. Another is to use methanol, which is easier to distribute but must be broken down into hydrogen and carbon dioxide inside the generator before it can produce power.
Fuel cell manufacturers are battling for an emerging niche market for these devices. A portable fuel cell unveiled recently by Voller Energy, a manufacturer based in London, is the size of a briefcase, weighs around 10 kilograms and can generate power at a range of voltages. Voller is aiming it at people such as business travellers who need power in confined spaces where noise and fumes would rule out conventional petrol generators. The hydrogen refills don鈥檛 last long, however. Each is good for about five hours鈥� charging for a laptop or an hour powering a 100-watt light bulb.
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Methanol-powered generators can run for more than 20 times as long on a single refill, albeit while producing less power. The problem is that hydrogen is very bulky to store, says Jens Muller of Smart Fuel Cell in Munich, Germany, which produces a similar-sized device to Voller鈥檚 that runs on methanol.
These first portable fuel cells are expensive, however. Voller Energy鈥檚 model, for example, costs 拢3000. Each fuel canister is another 拢600 on top. But prices will fall as production ramps up, says Voller.