Sony’s palm-sized fuel-cell

Looks like MTI Micro have some big-name competition in the fuel-cell business.  Sony have unveiled their own hybrid fuel-cell system, and while the concept might be big, the prototype isn’t.  In fact, it measures just 5 x 3cm, but is still capable of pumping out up to 3W of power. 

Three Watts is enough to run a mobile phone for fourteen hours on just 10ml of methanol.  This power could either be used to directly run the mobile device, or to recharge its li-ion battery.  In their prototype, shown above, both the fuel-cell and the battery were combined, together with a control board.

Sony claim to be commercializing the fuel-cell, focusing on the mobile device market.  Unlike MTI Micro’s system, the Sony fuel-cell is ‘active’, with a pump to drive the methanol through.