2012.06.05 New fuel cell in line for European award

Thomas Ruyant is a French competitive sailor, with many races and several international victories under his belt. He needs a very light, long- lasting energy source on his yacht. He relies on a type of methanol-powered fuel cell to power all his navigational electronics, and in harsh conditions.

These lighter fuel cells are produced in a laboratory in Munich, Germany. They are designed to power, over several months, small electronic devices, like for example small home appliances or gadgets for travel or leisure, and are 80 per cent lighter than conventional batteries.

Behind the invention of these lighter fuel cells is German chemical and mechanical engineer Manfred Stefener. He and his team have created a very compact and portable fuel cell battery.

The idea that Manfred Stefener had in the 1990s was basically to replace hydrogen, the traditional fuel cells power source, with methanol. Methanol is an alcohol used, for example, in antifreeze and windshield-wiper fluid. Four times denser than hydrogen, it requires less storage space and therefore reduces battery weight. Stefener’s team successfully managed to miniaturize...........

Read the complete article on Euronews website.