Taiwan startup Antig Technology has caught a lot of eyes at this year’s CeBIT by showcasing a “component-like” direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) module for notebook PCs. Now it’s still a prototype, but the company anticipates early adoption of its technology to begin over the next two years. Full mass-production is forecast for 2008-2009.
Founded in 2003, Antig is a pure design and engineering company without its own manufacturing facilities. Based on Antig’s patented technology, the component-like DMFC module for mobile PCs fits into a standard notebook optical drive bay, measures 190x128x30mm and weighs 435g, the company said. The prototype uses a methanol volume concentration of 10-15% to produce power output of 10W. According to Antig, the device has a sandwich structure with printed circuit boards similar to those used by the electronics industry.
As long as 10W isn’t enough to power typical today’s notebook, an additional power source is currently necessary, Antig representatives said. Another prototype, a 3W module to power mobile phones, MP3 players, PDAs and other handheld devices, is still too big for this sort of portable equipment. Miniaturization and efficiency improvements are the main goals of Antig’s current research, according to the. The company indicated that it has already had talks about technology implementation with some Taiwan notebook makers, but it is still too early to announce any results of these talks.
Antig anticipates applications for its DMFC modules can range from small- and medium-size portables (such as audio players, digital cameras and notebooks) to video projectors, wireless base stations, and portable and residential electric generators.
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Source:
Digitimes
