Fuel Cells for Portable Applications
Back Bay Hilton, Boston
5-6 September 2002
The tremendous growth in unit sales of portable electronic devices coupled with an increasing burden on battery life as applications become ever more complex has created a serious concern amongst device manufacturers about power requirements.
The inherent higher energy density of small fuel cells in comparison to batteries would lead to both longer operational time and serve the power demands of next generation portable electronics. Unsurprisingly, this has led many device manufactures to seriously examine the technology potential of fuel cells.
Casio, HP, NEC and Motorola all have ambitious fuel cell programs and of course pure play fuel cell manufacturers like Medis, Mechanical Technology, Electric Fuel and Enable Fuel Cell are developing miniature fuel cell solutions to power portable electronics.
Whilst consumer applications such as cell phones, notebook computers, camcorders and cordless tools will be the obvious mass market application for DMFC (Direct Methanol fuel cells) at a power level up to 100W there should be an earlier market for PEM fuel cells in a niche sub-1kW market. The type of device that fits this class includes weather stations, signal units, APU's, gas sensors and security cameras. Companies involved in this area include: H-Power, Hydrogenics and the ubiquitous Ballard Power Systems.
In this conference we will examine through presentations, panel sessions and in depth workshops the business and technology case for DMFC and PEM fuel cells at a sub-1kW output level.
The event will cover the following areas:
- Technology to Application match up
- The challenges facing micro fuel cells in order for commercialisation to take place - Heat removal, system power requirements, efficiency, miniaturization, methanol cross over
- How to develop business models to maximise your company's position in an emerging market
- An evaluation of the current fuelling and storage options - Methanol, Aluminium, Zinc, metal hydrides, compressed hydrogen gas, carbon nanofibres
- The economics of the future value chain - the costing and availability of components
- The potential advantages of fuel cells over batteries - the application of a disruptive technology
- Case studies from leading manufacturers of portable electronics
- Safety and regulations - how does the FAA and Department of Transport view the use of micro fuel cells
- How does the financial world view the potential of micro and portable fuel cells
If you've got a story to tell, would like to request a particular topic or would simply like more information please complete the form below. We will publish the agenda in June.
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