On 12/9/02 8:07 AM, mike wilson wrote: > Boris wrote: >> They predict that in few years you would be able to run your >> laptop for 10 hours straight and all you'd need do to recharge it >> would be to replace a small container with some fluid that would be >> sold for few pennies everywhere... > > And 50 years ago, in the UK, they said that nuclear power would > be so cheap it would not be worth charging for it. That was > before an unknown number of people were engulfed in the > radioactive plume from the Sellafield fire in the late 1950's. > The idea of portable nuclear power supplies sank without trace. > As I am one of the "plumees", I trust you will forgive my > scepticism.
I'm not sure of the exact demonstration Boris mentions, but he refers to either gas-powered microturbine or fuel cell technology. In either case, the "fluid" is simply methanol or a similar fuel. Fuel cells have been around for some time but have been slow to reach the marketplace, IMO because there's little incentive for industries to change to a technology that has a very low consumable cost. It's also an expensive technical feat to productize these concepts. Fuel cells are relatively uncomplicated and environmentally friendly; nuclear power and chemical batteries are, of course, not. For more info, see: <http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3730> <http://www.fuelcells.org/> Or use google to search for "fuel cells". t
