Research Update: Fuel cell beats power-density benchmarks

UltraCell Corp claims that its cells, using a reformed-methanol technology, provide significantly more power density than the conventional "direct-methanol" approach and twice the power density of lithium batteries. Key to the improvement is a microreformer, which the company says generates fuel-cell-ready hydrogen from a highly concentrated methanol solution. The approach requires no water reservoir, cleanup, distinct internal reformer, or water-management system. UltraCell has shipped 32-oz prototypes to the military. Those devices deliver 45W continuous power and 20W average output over 24 hours. For more, go to www.ultracellpower.com.