Apple Has Idea for Fuel Cell Battery That Would Last Weeks

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scuba dave

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I wonder how much a loan to buy 1 of these batteries would cost me... ;P But no, seriously, if this could be realized, awesome.. if not bummer. I just hope it isn't a troll patent.. It looks a little too detailed to be that though..
 

scuba dave

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[citation][nom]otacon72[/nom]Hydrogen is highly flammable... think Hindenburg.[/citation]

Exactly. However, as it is the smallest atom there is.. It makes one of the lightest, and most energy dense fuels possible to use (as far as "burning" fuels goes). That's why hydrogen is used in most space shuttle programs.
 

crom

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Hydrogen is more likely to leak out of the system, since its much lighter than air, vs exploding. It needs to meet the right ratio mix with air to go boom and there would need to be a lot of it. Also it wasn't just Apple who had the exploding batteries, almost every PC manufacturer had the same issue since almost all of them were made by the same Japanese company.
 

Goldengoose

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Prejudice against apple aside - if they could pull this off this could be the next big step in mobile phones.

Everytime we get a new updated phone with more powerful hardware, the question on everyones mind is battery life. Compared to the rest of the phone, the battery is very outdated and we have needed a break through in this area for a long time.
 

cyprod

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I've always thought putting fuel cells on laptops would be a great idea, but since the fuels are usually some form of flammable material, either to begin with, or transformed into such, would they be allowed on airplanes. I have to imagine it wouldn't be difficult to capture the hydrogen and oxygen produced by a fuel cell rather than letting it continue through and re-combine to produce electricity.
 

dxwarlock

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No thanks, time extended battery aside.
Just what I always wanted..a phone I had to put fuel in to keep it running.
at airport, battery dying? no simple plug and charge for you! you now have to go find fuel for your phone. or by the iFuel accessory for $400 that refuels your phone on the go!
 

freggo

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"hydrogen fuel-cell batteries"; oh, the humanity... :)

But seriously, Mercedes and BMW are tinkering with hydrogen fuel cells for some 20 years.
NASA is using them in some of their vehicles too.
Not to sound as if I am 'Apple bashing'; but exactly what is 'new' in Apple's concept besides
to make it smaller.
Ah yes, and putting fuel cells in parallel is hardly anything new because, for example, every car battery does that to get you 6 or 12 Volts!
 

amk-aka-Phantom

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1) Hydrogen FUEL CELLS don't explode. Back to chemistry class with all of you... different concept here.

2) Old news, read about that somewhere else more than a week ago

3) Great idea from Apple for once! Too bad they will patent-troll everyone who tries to use it. Because using this tech, which is being used for years in electric cars, in laptops is oh-so-innovative...

4) And too bad that most people actually have no use for such a long battery besides Angry Birds. The article punchline is spot-on.
 

freggo

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[citation][nom]memadmax[/nom]Doesn't hydrogen explode?[/citation]

Hydrogen 'burns'. An explosion is basically just a rapid burn in an enclosed space.
Incidentally, several components in your phone or PC explode nicely too.

Ever seen what some types of capacitors do if used with reverse polarity ?

 

mcd023

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so what are they doing differently that would improve the battery life that much? it sounds like they're mainly consolidating components that would maybe allow for an extra cell or two? or am I totally wrong on this?
 

rawful

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While I don't think this is anything original, and I do not think I like Apple being the one to "invent" these as it will give them complete control over the use of them in phones and laptops... At least they are patenting something very useful this time and spending their resources in a worthwhile endeavor.
 

freggo

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[citation][nom]cyprod[/nom]I have to imagine it wouldn't be difficult to capture the hydrogen and oxygen produced by a fuel cell rather than letting it continue through and re-combine to produce electricity.[/citation]

A fuel cell does not produce hydrogen and oxygen that needs to be captured.
It 'burns' (flameless) hydrogen and as chemistry teaches us the result is H2O... water.

You may have steam coming out of your cell phone, nicely melting your ear wax :)


 

Dandalf

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[citation][nom]Goldengoose[/nom]Prejudice against apple aside - if they could pull this off this could be the next big step in mobile phones. Everytime we get a new updated phone with more powerful hardware, the question on everyones mind is battery life. Compared to the rest of the phone, the battery is very outdated and we have needed a break through in this area for a long time.[/citation]

Unfortunately now Apple has patented this technology, it will not move mobile phone technology forwards. In fact it will lock it in the present, as if you want this type of battery you would only be able to get it if you purchased an iPhone.
 

fandroid

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[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]3) Another great idea of someone else that apple is taking credit for as usual! [/citation]

Fixed
 

nhat11

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[citation][nom]memadmax[/nom]Doesn't hydrogen explode?[/citation]


Why did someone down vote his question? It was just a question, not a statement. I guess people rather hear misinform facts that sounds reasonable to their ears than questions being answered with facts.
 

ap3x

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[citation][nom]otacon72[/nom]With Apple's track record of exploding batteries a hydrogen fuel cell explosion is not exactly a comforting thought.[/citation]
Care to name Dell, Sony, Toshiba and everyone else in that?
 
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