MTI MicroFuel
Cells Inc., the developer of Mobion® off-the-grid portable power solutions
and a subsidiary of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, today announced that
its third generation Mobion® Chip has improved power performance by approximately
25% as compared to the previous generation unveiled last June. In laboratory
testing, the Mobion® Chip demonstrated power of over 62 mW/cm2 while producing
more than 1800 Watt Hours Per Kilogram (Wh/kg) of energy from the direct methanol
fuel feed.
MOBION® CHIPS
In addition to the ongoing power performance improvements, the third generation
Mobion® Chip is approximately 25% smaller than the prior generation was
in June 2007 and over 50% smaller than the initial generation at the beginning
of 2007.
“Our third generation Mobion® Chip is a significant step forward
in our commercialization efforts and is expected to generate interest among
OEMs who are looking for increasingly efficient, innovative solutions to power
their consumer electronics applications,” said Peng Lim, Chairman and
CEO of MTI. “We believe these results demonstrate our technological leadership
and enhance our ability to deliver an alternative power source to OEMs.”
MTI Micro plans to target applications within the consumer market, including
handheld communication devices and other power-hungry portable electronics applications,
that can benefit from Mobion’s® extended run-time, cord-free rechargeable
power.
“The combination of significant size reductions and improvements in power
performance and efficiency are critical in our quest to bring Mobion® inside
portable electronic devices. We believe these important accomplishments support
our vision for the future of embedded fuel cell applications,” said Jim
Prueitt, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for MTI Micro.
The Mobion® Chip is based on 100% methanol, passive water management, and
direct methanol fuel cell technology, and represents a number of scientific
breakthroughs that the Company believes will ultimately enable it to power portable
devices longer than lithium-ion batteries, while allowing for instant, cord-free
re-charging. By incorporating a power module with fluid conditioning, the Mobion®
Chip is designed to run in a wide range of environmental conditions, in temperatures
from 0C to 40C and at any humidity level, which correspond to industry standards
and have been adopted by many OEMs. In addition, MTI Micro’s Mobion®
technology is protected by a patent portfolio that includes over 90 U.S. patent
applications.