Massachusetts Firm To Launch Late 2009 Rechargeable Fuel Cell

December 1, 2008 8:30 a.m. EST

Boston, MA (AHN) - A technology company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts will roll out next year portable fuel cell batteries which could be charged through a USB port. The charger will be the size of a cigarette pack and will use butane to power an iPod, Blackberry, GPS device or a digital camera.

The pioneering technology was made possible after Lilliputian Systems came up middle of this year with a portable battery recharger which costs less to charge and may see the end of one-time use batteries which fill up landfills.

According to Kenneth Lazarus, chief executive of Lilliputian, the fuel cell will be powerful enough to run a laptop for days. The device is expected to cost less at $2 for 25 charges versus $5 for a single charge for traditional flashlight batteries.

The company has raised so far $40 million from venture capitalists to mass produce the fuel cell, which could be manufactured by even a 20-year old semiconductor factory common in Asia.

Hindrance to the fuel cell's shipment and utilization while on board aircraft has also been lifted following the approval of its use on commercial planes by the International Civil Aviation Organization and an amendment by the U.S. Department of Transportation regulation on hazardous materials which permits cells containing methanol, butane and formic acid to be carried on aircraft. Methanol and butane are flammable, while formic acid is corrosive.

The system works by allowing a small amount of fuel to flow into a tiny chip to generate electricity without combustion. According to Mouli Ramani, Lilliputian vice president of business development, the company will likely sell the rechargeable fuel cell system for $100 to $150, while the refill cartridge will have a $1 to $3 tag price.