SDI develops portable methanol battery

South Korean digital mobile product developer Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. said that it has developed highly efficient portable direct-methanol fuel cells for military use. The battery, Samsung SDI touted, has enhanced durability and can generate 54% more power than existing models. It can also provide 1,800 watts of electricity before needing to be recharged, equivalent to electricity that a soldier uses for three days in the field. According to company Spokesman Seo Hae-su, the batteries will undergo field tests before being made available for military use in 2010. “We expect talks to start for the provision of the cells to portable devices in U.S. military barracks in South Korea,” he said. The batteries will also be available for the public in the future, but the company still has to remodel it for use in laptops and other portable devices. (April 8, 2009)