Apple mahu bina notebook baru yang lebih kecil dan lebih ringan daripada peranti berkuasa bateri sekarang dengan beralih kepada sel-sel bahan api untuk memberi kuasa.
Prospek MacBooks dan alat-alat lain yang dikuasakan oleh sel bahan api yang dibangkitkan dalam sepasang permohonan paten Apple diterbitkan oleh U.S. Patent dan Trademark Office dan ditemui oleh AppleInsider minggu ini.
Apple kemudian membuat kes untuk menggunakan sel bahan api untuk alat-alat elektronik mudah alih kuasa, menyatakan bahawa bahan api hidrogen dan yang berkaitan boleh membenarkan peranti sedemikian untuk mengendalikan "selama beberapa hari atau beberapa minggu tanpa mengisi bahan bakar."
Tetapi syarikat itu juga menyatakan terdapat cabaran-cabaran dalam mewujudkan sistem sel bahan api hidrogen yang mudah alih dan kos-efektif itu.
Penyelesaian yang dibentangkan oleh Apple menerangkan sistem bahan api sel bahawa kedua-dua boleh memberikan kuasa dan menerima kuasa dari bateri yang boleh dicas semula yang terdapat dalam peranti seperti MacBook.
[Apple Insider]
Komputer guna bahan api? Hhmmmmmmm, jangan nanti jadi macam bom kawalan jauh sudah lah. Sekali petik, habis semua yang menggunakannya meletup! :)
Apple has filed two patents for fuel-cell battery systems for its MacBook laptops that could potentially enable users to go "weeks" without a re-charge.
Apple has filed two patents with the US Patent and Trademark Office that suggest the electronics giant is developing hydrogen fuel-cell batteries for its MacBook lines in an attempt to use more environmentally-friendly ways to power its creations. First uncovered by AppleInsider, the pair of patents (1, 2) explain that the batteries would not only be better for Mother Nature, but could also last “for days or even weeks” on a single charge.
“Our country’s continuing reliance on fossil fuels has forced our government to maintain complicated political and military relationships with unstable governments in the Middle East, and has also exposed our coastlines and our citizens to the associated hazards of offshore drilling,” states the two filings. “These problems have led to an increasing awareness and desire on the part of consumers to promote and use renewable energy sources.”
According to the filing, Apple is investigating a number of types of fuel cells. Hydrogen fuel-cells are the kind most often found in cars, but Apple points out in the filing that building a hydrogen fuel-cell system that can fit into a laptop is quite a challenge — though it’s a problem Apple is working to solve.
“As a consequence of this increased consumer awareness, electronics manufacturers have become very interested in developing renewable energy sources for their products, and they have been exploring a number of promising renewable energy sources such as hydrogen fuel cells,” states the filing. “Hydrogen fuel cells have a number of advantages. Such fuel cells and associated fuels can potentially achieve high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, which can potentially enable continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refueling. However, it is extremely challenging to design hydrogen fuel cell systems which are sufficiently portable and cost-effective to be used with portable electronic devices.”
As we all know too well, just because Apple is developing something doesn’t mean it will ever make it to market. But considering that consumers have begun to expect more environmentally-friendly gadgets, as the filing says, and that this new technology could also result in much longer battery life, it would be a shame if this dream never becomes a reality.
[Digital Trend]
Apple has plans to use hydrogen in batteries allowing iPhones and iPods to hold a charge for WEEKS
BalasPadamBatteries as you know them may become a thing of the past for your Apple products as the company hopes to use hydrogen cells to produce lighter batteries that could last for weeks.
The company is staying on the cutting edge as they have recently submitted applications for patents to create new energy sources for their products. The filings that the company submitted seem to have rather bold promises of allowing electronics to run for days or weeks without having to be recharged.
'Such fuel cells and associated fuels can potentially achieve high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, which can potentially enable continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refuelling,' the filings report.
Not only would their plan to use hydrogen fuel cells get rid of 'the need for a bulky and heavy battery' but it would also help the environment.
By switching from standard batteries which use toxic chemicals to hydrogen, the by-products of the new technology would only be water and electrical energy.
The idea of hydrogen fuel technology isn't new, but this is the clearest indication of exactly what the company intends to do to improve users experiences with the iPod or iPhone.
Apple Insider reported that the first round of patent applications on the subject came in October when they filed papers that mentioned 'lighter and more efficient hydrogen fuel cells'.
While the iPhone 4S was released after the death of legendary Apple founder Steve Jobs in October, a technological breakthrough like an entirely different battery would be a massive upswing for the company.
The new iPhone 5 is still on the imminent horizon, as initial predictions put its release date at sometime in late December.
[Mail Online]