As a highly versatile natural energy carrier that also happens to be the most plentiful element in the universe, hydrogen has been used to power everything from cars on the road to NASA space shuttles – but could it also be the key towards squeezing more battery life out of our laptops and mobile devices in the not-too-distant future?
If recent developments from British power technology firm Intelligent Energy are any indication, we just might be able to carry our devices – including impossibly slim iPhones – for days at a time without needing a charge.
For their patented hydrogen-powered fuel cell (‘battery’) design, the team of engineers and scientists at Intelligent Energy developed a technology that allows the battery to create its own electricity by combining oxygen and hydrogen together, at the expense of a small amount of heat and water vapor waste.
While many users would be willing to use a phone that was slightly larger than today’s slim phones in order to go for days at a time without the need for a charge, the firm has managed to squeeze the latest iteration of their battery prototype into today’s existing smartphone sizes including the iPhone. Additionally, the once-a-week charging is able to be done via the headphone socket – meaning that there would be no need for existing users to have to invest in a new system of cables and charging peripherals.
Intelligent Energy is also the same firm behind the Upp hydrogen micro generator and reusable fuel cartridge designed for emergencies and everyday extra power needs announced earlier this year:
https://youtu.be/rpwTNjMi4Io
Find out more about the firm’s hydrogen fuel cell technology by heading over to Intelligent Energy.
(Images via iFixit)
