Apple is investigating the possibility of fuel cells for laptops to use, as is evident from published patent applications. In one of the applications, the fuel cell system both provide energy to and receive from the laptop.
The patent number 20110313589 and entitled “Fuel Cell System Coupled To A Portable Computing Device’ is the most interesting of the two published patent applications. This describes a method to both energy to the laptop to deliver as to receive the battery.
This allows the external fuel cell system smaller be performed, as this has no internal battery required. The fuel cell system has his own energy to the chemical processes. It is however possible to add an internal battery to build up in the fuel cell system.
In the patent application is that the system the laptop power supply may have a MagSafe connector. Also, it should be possible to use this connection bi-directional communication to take place for transfer of information about battery capacity and the remaining amount of fuel for the cells.
The fuel cell system is according to the patent application, a casing containing the actual fuel cells, a controllergedeelte with dc/dc-conversion and an optional built-in battery. In the housing a cartridge with fuel to be pushed.
According to Apple, can laptops with the fuel cell system, the “days if not weeks to continue running without water make-up’. Moreover, companies already been looking into the use of fuel cells for laptops to examine. So have Panasonic and Samsung, already have such solutions.
