Fuel Cells for PCs: Closer or Come On?

A Japanese company is heralding its new fuel cell technology, claiming that it might be ready for mobile PCs within the next two years. Industry analysts, however, point to several major hurdles for the technology, which has already been heralded several times before.

Materials and Energy Research Institute Tokyo (Merit) claims that its borohydride fuel cell technology is smaller, smarter and cheaper than other fuel cell approaches, making it a likely candidate to power PCs in a matter of a few years.

But observers such as Gartner (NYSE: IT) Vice President Martin Reynolds are skeptical of the technology, which faces obstacles including: difficulty of providing adequate power for today's hungry computers, contamination of fickle fuel chemicals and components, and the availability of fill-ups.

"This is always next year," Reynolds told TechNewsWorld. "It's been next year for the last five years."

Smaller, Cheaper

Merit announced that its Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell (DBFC), an alternative to other fuel cells that rely on methanol fuel, could be available for computers for less than US$100 in less than two years.

The Japanese company said its borohydride-based, watery solution had addressed the fuel storage issues that are paramount for fuel cells.

"The method of using borohydride instead of gaseous hydrogen has many advantages," Merit said on its Web site. "First of all, the storage problem has been solved. For mobile applications, no special devices such as dangerous, high-pressure cylinders or an energy-consuming apparatus which chills down to liquid hydrogen state are needed."

Merit said its borohydride fuel is safe, operates at low temperatures, contains a high H-capacity of hydrogen and is "as easy to handle as gasoline." The company also said the DBFC solution delivers better performance and yet is cheaper than other fuel cells.

"The borohydride complex ion makes it possible," the company said. "It releases eight electrons instead of just four for the electricity production. This fact leads to higher overall performance of our DBFC."

Challenges Ahead

Gartner's Reynolds, however, indicated there are still several issues that remain for the practical application of fuel cells in PCs. He said the biggest challenge is the rate at which energy can be used from a fuel cell, which might not be able to power a typical computing session.

Fuel cells also face the issue of sensitivity, leaving the chemicals and components involved in the technology prone to contamination or failure. Reynolds also said fuel cells might leave users unable to refill or recharge power supplies as easily as today's technology, which requires only an electrical outlet.

"If we were all using fuel cells today, we would all be looking forward to the invention of the battery," Reynolds said. "It's interesting technology, but it's one of those things where the interest is far greater than the practical usefulness of it."

Reynolds said the one place where the issues around fuel cells might be overcome is the military, which has led the way with other computing innovations in the past.

Computer Like a Phone

IDC analyst Alan Promisel agreed that current fuel cell technology is limited, but he told TechNewsWorld that all of the major PC makers are researching new ways to power PCs with fuel cells.

The concept is to be able "to unplug your computer, use it all day and not worry about charging it until you got home at night," Promisel said. "The major inhibitors are cost and size, which right now is no good for the thin and light form factor."

Promisel said while there are prototypes of fuel cells for PCs, true deployment of the technology is at least a few years away.

The analyst added that while the cost to make fuel cells might be coming down, there is no standardization or agreement on how to integrate the technology into today's PC market.