Powerful Energy Source for the New Age

Promising Micro Fuel Cell Developed by Enerage

Taipei, Taiwan. June 1, 2004 -- Enerage, Inc., a California's micro fuel cell developer, has presented the prototype of unique portable fuel cells for notebook and cellular phone at Computex 2004. The new innovation promotes fuel cell as an alternative power source to rechargeable batteries for portable consumer electronic devices, for instance, notebook computers, digital camcorders, digital cameras, PDAs, and cellular phones.

According to Dr. Wu, CEO and the chief scientist of Enerage Inc., the fuel cell can power the notebook computer for about 15 times the energy density of regular Li-ion batteries and continuously operate the computer for more than 10 hours. Furthermore, the product adopts the same electrodes as those in Li-ion batteries, allowing it to connect to portable devices just like a rechargeable battery. Unlike the Li-ion or other conventional batteries, Enerage's fuel cell only requires the replacement of the fuel cartridge when recharging, which only takes two to three seconds, without even interrupting the electric current flow.

Dr. Wu graduated from the National Taiwan University Chemistry Department and earned his Ph.D. degree in the same major at the California Institute of Technology, who later became a faculty at this renowned institute.

Unlike other Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) designs, Enerage's new PEM is equipped with superior materials that costs about 10% of others'. Meanwhile, it minimizes fuel cross over of membrane electrode assembly. Taking advantage of nanotechnology, the team has also applied the solid state PEM and nanometer sized electro catalyst.

Enerage Inc., the U.S. incorporation will aim at practically bringing down the size and cost of micro fuel cells, along with the best fuel concentration from the safety point of view, and on overcoming all obstacles of mass production; the company plans to start small-scale production during later half of this year and mass production within the next two years.