| Direct
Methanol Fuel Cells ("DMFCs") (Including
fuel cells that run directly on various liquid fuels without
having to first convert those fuels into hydrogen gas. Fuels
other than methanol include other alcohols. borohydrides and
formic acid. Many "micro" fuel cells use this kind
of technology.) |
Best
Applications:
personal electronics: primary power or battery charging for
cell phones, laptops, PDAs, cameras, MP3 players, etc.
Advantages over batteries: higher energy density, grid independence,
instant "recharging".
Advantages over other fuel cells: high energy
density liquid fuels with no reformer needed, near room temperature
operation.
Markets: Military (battlefield networking), Consumer
(grid independence), Industrial/Enterprise (remote data access,
inventory tracking). |
Antig
Taipei |
"Antig stacks are designed to
be used with methanol . . . Each cell is part of what is called
a MEA (membrane electrode assembly). . . catalyst separates
each element from the methanol and water, breaking the hydrogen
into positive and negative ions." PEM-DMFC. |
CMR Fuel
Cells
UK |
UK developer of fuel cell stacks for portable and
small stationary power generation applications. DMFC.
>
"In a conventional stack, the plates account for around
90% of the volume and weight, one third of material costs and
up to half of the possible cell area" "at the stack
level, CMR eliminates bipolar flow-field plates" "a
mixture of fuel and oxidant flows through a fully porous anode-electrolyte-cathode
assembly"
> IPO Dec. 2005; London
(AIM):CMF |
| Direct Methanol
Fuel Cell Corp (DMFCC) |
"rights to ... patents on the [DMFC] technology
... invented at [JPL and USC]" including "the fundamental
patent for using methanol dissolved in water as the fuel with
a solid polymer membrane electrolyte"
> Subsidiary
of VIASPACE, Inc. (OTCBB:VSPC) |
| DTI
Energy, Inc. |
"has acquired the master license for the exclusive worldwide
rights" to DMFC technology developed by JPL/USC
> 8/3/99 Ballard Acquires Rights Through DTI Energy
> http://www.dmfclicense.com/
| http://www.dtienergy.com/ |
| Energy
Related Devices Inc. (ERD) |
"The Micro Fuel Cell™ from Energy
Related Devices is fueled by methanol or ethanol and is constructed
with multiple layers of thin films."
> Chief Scientist Robert Hockaday
> Fuel cell research research contractor to Manhattan Scientifics
|
| Energy Visions,
Inc. |
"EVI has expertise and proprietary technology
in the areas of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (“DMFC"), Lithium
Ion, Nickel Zinc and Zinc Carbon Bromine secondary battery systems
as well as a broad based knowledge of other battery technologies
and Fuel cell systems."
> OTC:EGYV
|
| Gas
Technology Institute |
"Ongoing fuel cell research at GTI has made
advances in materials and components for fuel cells and electrochemical
devices based on direct methanol fuel cell stacks (DMFC). These
advances have the potential to greatly reduce the cost of several
DMFC components, simplify designs, and improve performance of
direct methanol fuel cells." February 2003 |
| Giner |
GES
Delivers 50W Direct Methanol Fuel Cell System
(20 x 13 x 7 inches) and a weight of 6 kilograms (13 pounds).
|
| Hitachi |
"Battery
Business: Hitachi is pressing ahead with the development
of various batteries such as lithium-ion batteries for automotive
use and fuel cells for mobile devices. . . These new battery
and fuel cell products are projected to generate sales of 6
billion yen in fiscal 2005 . . ."
> 12/11/03 Hitachi
squeezes fuel cell into PDA The electronics giant is teaming
up with a maker of disposable cigarette lighters to make methanol
fuel cartridges for handheld computers ZDNet UK
> 3/7/03 NEC,
Hitachi prep notebook fuel cells The Register |
| Independent
Power Technologies |
"Unlike conventional PEMFC or AFC, our DLFC generator
can be powered directly by widely available and inexpensive
fuels such as methanol or ethanol without any reforming . .
. intend to design 3-10 kW high performance DLFC generators
suitable for low cost manufacturing on an industrial scale"
> Moscow |
| INI Power Systems |
"INI’s direct methanol laminar flow fuel cell (LFFC)
takes advantage of the parallel laminar flow properties of liquids
within micro-fluidic channels which allows ions to migrate freely
via diffusion while limiting turbulent mixing—eliminating
methanol crossover and the need for a traditional polymer electrolyte
membrane design." |
| LG Chem |
9/28/05 LG
Chem Plans to Commercialize Portable Fuel Cell
>
"LG Chem, considering both size and performance, is the
leading chemical company in Korea. It is the mother company
of LG Group." |
| Manhattan Scientifics |
micro fuel cells for personal electronics
>Energy
Related Devices Inc. (ERD) research contractor to MHTX -
Chief Scientist Robert Hockaday
> OTC:MHTX
|
|
| Mechanical
Technology, Inc. |
Parent of MTI Micro Fuel Cells (see entry below)
> 1/4/01 Mechanical
Technology Launches Micro Fuel Cell Initiative
>
NASDAQ:
MKTY |
| Medis
Technologies, Inc. |
> Direct borohydride alkaline fuel cells for
cell phones, laptops, military. Chief Fuel Cell Scientist Gennadi
Finkelshtain
> Product available at MyTreo.net;
fuelcellstore.com
> 9/20/07 
Review:
Medis 24/7 Fuel Cell AviationReviews.com
> 8/2/07 H2FC
Special Report: Visit to Medis High Volume Production
Facility in Galway, Ireland
> 6/28/07
Medis
High Volume Production Line in Operation
> 6/28/07
Medis Production Facility Operated by Celestica; Galway, Ireleand
> 10/06 Medis Fuel
Cell Power Pack compared to Energizer "Energi To Go"
and AA alkaline batteries
> 5/14/06 H2FC
Special Report: Visit to Medis Facilities in Israel
NASDAQ:MDTL
|
|
MERIT Ltd.
Tokyo
Defunct |
Materials & Energy Research Institute Tokyo,
Ltd.
> direct borohydride fuel cells |
| Motorola |
> 10/1/2001 Motorola
Researchers Report Progress in Miniaturizing Fuel Cell Power
Source for Consumer Electronic Devices
> 9/29/04 Carbon
Nanotechnologies, Motorola and Johnson Matthey Awarded Grant
for Micro-Fuel Cells Research & Development
> NYSE:MOT
|
|
| MTI
Micro Fuel Cells, Inc. |
PEM-DMFCs for cell phones, laptops
> CTO
Shimshon Gottesfeld, former director of fuel cell research at
Los Alamos
> 3/15/07 MTI
Micro Abandons Military Market, lays off 20% of Workforce
> subsidiary of Mechanical
Technologies, Inc.
> NASDAQ:
MKTY |
|
| Neah Power Systems,
Inc. |
"silicon architecture that is expected to address the
traditional challenges associated with micro fuel cells"
> 5/2008 Neah
Power Investor Presentation 
> OTCBB:NPWS
|
| NEC |
"NEC uses Carbon Nanotubes to Develop a Tiny Fuel
Cell for Mobile Applications"
> 6/30/03 NEC
Develops Fuel Cell-Run PC; To Market From 2004 "The
prototype included 300 cubic centimeters of 10%-concentration
methanol in a single cartridge - enough to allow the PC to
run for about five hours." additional details Dow
Jones
|
| NuVant Systems |
CTO Dr. Eugene Smotkin |
Oorja
Protonics  |
"direct methanol fuel cells that provide
battery charging for forklifts, pallet loaders, automated guided
vehicles and other material handling equipment" |
| PolyFuel |
"We have developed a new family of hydrocarbon membranes
that exhibit performance characteristics never before simultaneously
achieved with any other fuel cell membrane material. PolyFuel’s
innovative hydrocarbon membrane technology is either under test
at or been selected by virtually every one of the world’s
leading portable and automotive fuel cell system developers."
>6/2/03 Polyfuel
Enters Market with Methanol-Based Fuel Cell Semiconductor
Innovation Letter |
| Samsung
|
4/6/04 Samsung
presents new 10 hour Fuel Cell Notebook New fuel cell could
allow a notebook computer to run for 10 hours |
| SFC Smart Fuel Cell |
"'Active Crossover Control' by SFC allows to utilize
crossover when it is beneficial, and to almost eliminate it
when it is not desired."
> SFC
A50 Operating Manual
> EFOY/SFC
Product Spec Sheet
> "Reality
Checks to Commonly Heard Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Myths"
> Test
and Evaluation of the Smart Fuel Cell C20-Mp Direct Methanol
Hybrid Fuel Cell System as a Soldier Power Source Command
and Control Directorate, Army Power Division, Environmental
Systems and Fuel Cell Branch, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics
Research, Development and Engineering Center |
Tekion
Solutions, Inc.
Burnaby, BC |
"Our first commercially available fuel cell
technology will be our direct formic acid fuel cell using Formira
as it’s fuel. Formira is our brand name for a specialized
formic acid."
> 11/8/05 Motorola
Ventures Invests in Tekion |
| Toshiba |
6/24/04 Toshiba
Announces World's Smallest Direct Methanol Fuel Cell With
Energy Output of 100 Milliwatts
10/3/03 Toshiba
Announces World's Smallest Direct Methanol Fuel Cell with
Energy Output of 1 Watt to be used for Portable Devices
"Toshiba expects to commercialize DMFC for handheld products
within 2005, while DMFC for portable PCs is targeted for launch
within 2004." |
| |
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