A few days ago we discussed about Toshiba’s recently unveiled direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Now they finally announced the release of the much anticipated direct methane fuel-cell changer which we have been expecting for a while.
The market release of the Dynario fuel-cell for portable electronic devices, will be on 29th of October when the first deliveries will start. Dynario will be first sold in Japan for a price of $328 and the first batch will consist of 3000 units.
The market is in a continuously search of a battery pack, which will be able to power portable electronic devices for a longer period of time and with shorter charging times. Toshibas’ Dynario Charger is the perfect solution. The charger is able to provide instant fueling to the battery, and it’s working on a mix of methanol and ambient oxygen. The chemical reaction between the two in the fuel cell produces electricity. It seems that Toshiba is very motivated to introduce this technology on the market as it has some programs for downsizing already and for improvement in the practical use. With the size of a palm, the Dynario is able to charge through a USB cable, 2 mobile phones on a single methanol injection which is almost instant (about 20 seconds).
Toshiba will roll also the fuel cartridges, with a 50ml volume each, and the cost for 5 such cartridges is about $34. They were developed together with Toyo Seikan Kaisha Ltd., one of Japan’s leading packaging container companies. Still, $34 is a high price to pay when you have lead batteries as an alternative, but considering its size, it’s an advantage.
