A new patent filed by Apple hints at the company's interest in a new technology that uses fuel cells to power its devices.
The patent, which Apple applied for in March and was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, is for a "fuel cell system to power a portable computing device." Specifically, the technology could be used for Apple's MacBooks, as the patent makes a reference to Apple's MagSafe connectors used in their laptops.
Battery life has always been a prickly issue for many electronics manufacturers. Although Apple's MacBooks can virtually last up to "a day" on their 10-hour battery life, the patent points to a technology that can extend the life of a MacBook to several days or even weeks with the use of fuel cells.
Fuel cells are an attractive alternative to lithium-ion batteries used in most devices because they pack in a lot more energy in a smaller package. By combining an oxidizing agent, usually oxygen, with a fuel, such as hydrogen, fuel cells can generate electricity while producing a small amount of heat and water vapor in the process. However, Apple's patent includes a number of potential fuels, such as sodium borohydride and water and lithium hydride and water, to name a few.
However, the system requires the use of disposable cartridges that will have to be removed and replenished once they run out of electricity, and doing so might be considered inconvenient for users who are used to just plugging in their MacBooks into an outlet at the end of the day. Moreover, the cartridges might take up considerable space, and considering Apple's preference for lighter and slimmer MacBooks, the use of fuel cells raises a question.
Still, this is not the first time Apple has turned to an alternative source of power for its devices. Just last week, a British firm called Intelligent Energy, rumored to be working closely with Apple, successfully outfitted an iPhone 6 prototype with its own patented fuel cell system that makes it last for an entire week. Except for a rear vent from which heat and vapor are allowed to escape, there are no changes to the iPhone's appearance. Also, the iPhone is refueled by inserting hydrogen through a repurposed headphone socket.
However, even Intelligent Energy's executives believe the technology it outfitted into the iPhone 6 is not yet ready to hit the market for at least another two years, or until its rumored Apple gives it the go signal to "get on with it."
