MTI Micro fuel cells to power Intermec mobile iAs

By John Walko
iApplianceWeb
(01/23/03, 01:28:05 PM EDT)

Everett, Wash.- Intermec Technologies Corp. has teamed with Albany, NY-based MTI MicroFuel Cells to develop methanol based micro fuel cell systems for Intermec rugged handheld mobile computers and peripherals.

MTI Micro and Intermec will integrate MTI Micro's proprietary direct methanol micro fuel cell power system into future Intermec mobile computing equipment. Intermec plans to launch its first product using the battery technology in 2004. As part of the agreement, the companies also plan to explore other product opportunities.

Direct methanol micro fuel cells create power through the chemical reaction of methanol fuel in the presence of a catalyst. MTI Micro has pioneered the technology and is developing proprietary integrated micro fuel cell power systems for mobile applications that can be re-powered instantly and last for significantly longer periods than existing systems.

"Our approach is to build strong partnerships with recognized technology leaders in their respective markets, and Intermec is a pioneer in mobile data collection solutions for industries around the world," said Dr. William Acker, MTI Micro president and chief executive officer. "This partnership with Intermec achieves a key business development milestone for MTI Micro. It begins to move our DMFC power systems into high-growth commercial markets and is consistent with our multigenerational product plan."

MTI MicroFuel Cells , a subsidiary of Mechanical Technology Inc has been working on a proprietary direct methanol micro fuel cell power system for several years and has significant intellectual property for the technology. It has received government awards and developed strategic partnerships to help accelerate commercialization.

Last August, the company unveiled a prototype fuel cell that's small enough to ride piggyback on a cell phone, while offering greater charging potential than a lithium ion battery. The technology, said to be manufacturable because it employs no pumps or water recirculation techniques, could be in production as early as 2004, the company said at the time.

MTI's 90-cubic-centimeter device, reportedly the smallest direct-methanol fuel cell available, represents another in a succession of fuel cell advances during the past 18 months.

Scientists at Motorola Labs (Tempe, Ariz.) demonstrated at the end of 2001 a prototype of a miniature ceramic-based direct-methanol fuel cell, a type that converts methanol fuel directly to electricity. In April 2002, Manhattan Scientifics Inc. (Los Alamos, N.M.) unveiled a micro fuel cell that reportedly offers six to nine times the energy density of lithium ion batteries. And the following month, Medis Technologies Inc. (New York) announced that its engineers had operated a tiny laboratory fuel cell at 0.5 volt and 10,000 mA-hours continuously for 24 hours. Casio, Toshiba and Samsung have also announced fuel cell breakthroughs in the past 12 months.

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