Sharp boosts fuel cell power density

Osaka, Japan-based Sharp (OTC: SHCAY) said it has achieved the world's highest power density for direct methanol fuel cells for mobile equipment.

The electronics maker said its new fuel cell had a power density of 0.3 watts per cubic centimeter, about seven times greater than previous technology from the company.

Sharp said the technology would enable efficient power generation from a small cell volume, and said it would promote further research and development for the practical application of fuel cells for mobile equipment such as PDAs, electronic dictionaries, and notebook computers.

The company said it developed a three-dimensional highly integrated stack structure for the new fuel cell through the use of thin cells made by microfabrication.

Sharp said the structure can be created by the alternate lamination of reed-shaped thin cells arranged in parallel at fixed intervals and reed-shaped, or porous, spacers, with the cells and spacers running perpendicular to each other like a grid.

The stack structure makes it possible to increase the cell surface area per unit volume, according to the company, and smoothly circulate the air that is one of the sources for power generation.

Sharp said it believes the cell volume could be further miniaturized, and that the creation of cells with the same volume but a longer lifespan than current lithium-ion batteries could be achieved.