But will it cause my dell to burn?
Smart Nanobattery has indefinite shelf life, instant usage and it's green too
from Good Thinking (242 articles)
February 8, 2007 mPhase Technologies today announced that the Smart Nanobattery it is developing could be equipped with features that would allow it to be disposed of safely. The company has applied for patent protection for a set of design strategies to create batteries that use advanced chemistries but are still safe to dispose. The prototype batteries use various chemicals as electrolytes residing on top of nano structures in a dormant state and when triggered, cause an electrochemical reaction to produce a measurable voltage and current under a load. Some cells are reserved to create the neutralizing chemical reaction at the end of life. The Smart Nanobattery promises an energy source that can be packaged in various configurations, with shelf life lasting decades, yet still able to be activated almost instantaneously on demand.
"Protecting the environment is critical," said Ronald A. Durando, CEO of mPhase Technologies. "We are pleased to have developed a green strategy that can help minimize the impact of various chemistries on the environment."
The innovation is based on a breakthrough in micro fluidics research making possible dynamic control of surfaces when interacting with a liquid - a key enabler for making "Smart Batteries" a reality. Batteries based on this technology may deliver a new and unique component for system design across many fields, including defense, industrial and consumer electronics.
http://tinyurl.com/2cjpyd
Medis "24/7" Power Pack: A Disposable Fuel Cell by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02. 8.07 BUSINESS & POLITICS (news) Back in 2005, we posted on the Medis disposable fuel cell prototype, which was being tested for commercial applications. Medis now reports, on their website, that "1.5 million Medis "24/7" Power Packs per month will be in production in the second quarter of 2007." At the retail level, they state that consumers will find the device at "Best Buy and Circuit City, as well as Office Max and Office Depot," under the Kensington brand name. The 24/7 will offer 'mobile phones up to 30 hours talk time, and 60-80 hours use time for certain iPods.' Retail price will be in the $19.99 - $24.99 range. Medis states that although this is a direct liquid fuel cell (DLFC) that the fuel used is 'not methanol'. Several earlier media reports mentioned sodium boro-hydride as the liquid "fuel" (structural diagram of that molecule pictured above). Note, that in reviewing the Medis website, we were unable to determine exactly what the "fuel" or hydrogen source was: an odd situation given that they are going to have to report the hydrogen carrier via Material Safety Data Sheet if the device is to be sold in the US.The JT Baker on-line MSDS for sodium borohydride, offers this Emergency Overview DANGER! CORROSIVE. CAUSES BURNS TO ANY AREA OF CONTACT. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED, INHALED OR ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. FLAMMABLE SOLID. DANGEROUS WHEN WET.We notice also on the MSDS that the dry powder form of sodium borohydride reacts with water to evolve hydrogen and sodium hydroxide. Wetting a dry powder then could be one way for the pack to be 'activated'. Apparently the stability of an aqueous solution, and hence of the inorganic material's tendency to hold on to the loosely bound hydrogens, is increased at low pH. So there's another hint at how a "liquid" version could be activated: mix with mild acid. Other methods also are possible of course. The point is, we can't see widespread retail acceptance until the basics of risk management can be thoughtfully considered. For example, how will the transportation security inspector react when told by the gadget loaded passenger: "I don't really know what's in it Sir."==== UPDATE ===== Recycling of the spent "fuel" is hypothetically possible
and CNet just noticed bio-diesel..... how great for them:
Fast-food fat--future fuel for cars
Oren Rubin says you can help wean America off oil imports by going to Long John Silver's more often.
The deep fat fryers and waste oil containers of America house a large, untapped source of transportation fuel, says Rubin, business development general manager for BiOil, a biodiesel company based in Sausalito, Calif. Namely, billions of gallons of animal fat and waste vegetable oil that can be converted into domestically produced, cleaner-burning biodiesel, says Rubin, among others.
BiOil's plan--which will require sizable funding--is to build a national network of disposal centers, with help from biodiesel producer Pacific Biodiesel, based in Kahului, Hawaii, to collect a substantial portion of the 3.9 billion gallons of waste vegetable oil produced at fast-food eateries, refine it and then sell it to trucking companies and drivers.
"We rely on people to eat Chinese food, fast food, whatever," Rubin said.
http://tinyurl.com/28zktr
No comments:
Post a Comment