Sounds Like science-fiction? If you thought hydrogen fuel cells were only for running big machines, cars or buses think again. Intelligent Energy, a British firm, has a designed a prototype hydrogen fuel cell that’s able to keep an iPhone operational for a week.
Their hydrogen fuel cell and a mini exhaust pipe to vent waste generated in the process runs alongside a traditional battery combining hydrogen and oxygen to create power. This can prove a major breakthrough for most smartphones.
The major problem that most smartphone users face now-a-days is the frustrating long time it takes to charge up their phones. Moreover, with numerous power hungry apps draining the battery, people need to charge their phones more than once within a single day.
This new prototype battery would obviously solve the power issue most smartphones face now-a-days. The patented design is so thin that it would fit it to the existing chassis without alterations and retaining the rechargeable battery, so people won’t have to buy a new phone to avail this amazing product. Apart from the small vents the company has installed into the backside to release the water vapour produced as a by-product, you will not be able to tell the difference. The cells pumps hydrogen gas in through a modified headphone jack, so you won’t have to plug in the device either.
This would make smartphones greener too. Lithium batteries are harmful to the environment and has a tendency to catch fire. These hydrogen cells would only produce an imperceptible amount of water vapour and heat as by product. Moreover, hydrogen is a green alternative to the traditional method of charging your smartphones. This will lead to greener mobiles and green communication.
The cells designed is only a prototype and it is years away from being released in the market. It is believed that Intelligent Energy has been working closely with Apple in order to develop the battery technology though Apple hasn’t yet confirmed whether it will use hydrogen powered cells in the future. For its commercial launch, Intelligent Energy would provide a disposable cartridge that would slot into the bottom of future smartphones.
The cartridges would contain enough hydrogen to power your smartphone for a week enabling green communication and unlike a bus you don’t have to buy a ticket…