FAQS about Focus on portable mobile power supply

Who makes portable power units?

Japanese and Korean companies are the most involved in portable power units for electronic devices, and have recently launched a series of products that are mainly based on direct methanol-fuelled PEFC; large-scale commercialization of these devices is planned in the coming years.

Can a supercapacitor be used as a rechargeable power source?

For moderate energy demands in portable electronics, supercapacitors are suitable as rechargeable stand-alone power sources. In conjunction with rechargeable batteries in uninterruptible power supplies, supercapacitors can handle short interruptions and can extend battery life.

What are the advantages of PEFC-based power systems?

For military applications, another advantage of PEFC-based power systems is that they could be easily masked against thermal sensors, while other generation systems operate at higher temperatures and emit much waste heat. Here, cost is not a problem; fuel storage and supply logistics are the main limiting factors.

What is a portable FC?

We take into account the second definition to distinguish vehicles for transportation from other vehicles. To power this range of products, portable FCs are being developed in a wide range of outputs, ranging from less than 5 W up to 500 kW.

Can methanol fuel cells be used as a power supply?

Mainly fuel cells operating on methanol are currently tested for the purpose of man- portable power supply by the different armies. The French and US armies, however, are also considering hydrogen-fed proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems.

What is a portable charge system (FC)?

Two broad definitions of portable FCs exist in the literature. The first definition includes FCs that are built into – or charge – products that are designed to be moved, excluding vehicles.