U.S. DOT Approves Fuel Cell Cartridges

U.S. DOT Approves Fuel Cell Cartridges

Transport of methanol fuel cell cartridges and systems on passenger aircraft approved for carry-on baggage

MTI Micro’s Mobion Chip uses a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) in providing more power for portable electronic devices.
MTI MicroFuel Cells (MTI) and the Methanol Institute, the trade association of the global methanol industry, have announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a final ruling that will permit passengers and crew to carry methanol fuel cell cartridges and fuel cell systems designed for portable electronic devices on board airplanes in carry-on baggage.
MTI is the developer of the recently released Mobion® off-the-grid portable power solutions (read below) and a subsidiary of Mechanical Technology Inc. [NASDAQ: MKTY].
The effective date of the ruling is October 1, 2008, although voluntary compliance with the ruling may commence as of May 30, 2008. The final ruling prescribes regulations for transporting fuel cells containing methanol (Read PD&D's A Sizeable Difference regarding recent micro fuel cell developments). Passengers will be permitted to carry approved fuel cells and up to two spare fuel cell cartridges in their carry-on baggage.
The ruling harmonizes U.S. transportation regulations with global regulations adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that went into effect on January 1, 2007. The DOT now joins agencies from a number of countries around the world including: Canada, China, Japan and the U.K., which have already incorporated the passenger allowance into their national standards.
“This is an important step in the commercialization process of our Mobion® off-the-grid portable power solutions,” says Peng Lim, CEO of MTI. “We intend to commercialize our products in 2009 in accordance with the guidelines in the Department of Transportation ruling. This ruling supports our timeline for commercialization and validates our longstanding choice of methanol as a fuel.”
Inroads To Commercialization Commence In Atlanta
In related news, MTI unveiled its new embedded micro fuel cell prototype design for handheld global positioning system (GPS) devices at the 10th Annual International Small Fuel Cells Conference in Atlanta, GA.
MTI’s new Mobion® powered GPS prototype provides three times the energy as GPS devices powered by four disposable AA batteries, according to the company. On a model with a large full-color screen, the fuel cell design generates up to 60 hours of continuous power and provides weeks — instead of days — of typical usage.
The new Mobion® powered GPS prototype includes a USB interface that allows the prototype to also be used as an independent energy source for recharging mobile phones, digital cameras, portable media players and other handheld electronic devices. The prototype can also be immediately recharged by refilling it with methanol.
“MTI Micro is exploring the integration of our Mobion® platform with GPS devices as part of our strategy to bring micro fuel cell technology to a wide range of portable consumer electronic device market segments,” adds Lim
“Our Mobion® powered GPS prototype will provide handheld GPS users such as hikers and campers, travelers, boaters, pilots and other sports enthusiasts the peace of mind of much longer usage time, and will help them do away with the expense, bulk and environmental unfriendliness of conventional batteries.”
MTI’s new embedded micro fuel cell prototype design for GPS devices was the second prototype unveiled by the company in two months. In February, MTI announced a Mobion® powered camera-grip attachment for digital SLR cameras designed to provide twice as much energy as existing battery pack camera-grips of the same size.
MTI will continue to seek the ability to commercialize its Mobion® direct methanol fuel cell technology to bring the benefits of longer run-time and instantaneous recharging capabilities to consumers, while providing handheld device manufacturers with a new power supply platform that both enhances performance and creates new opportunities for increasing functionality by enabling a wider array of desired features to be incorporated into overall product design.