Apple is developing an external device power supply for smartphones, tablets and laptops, receiving electrical energy from hydrogen and its compounds. The company argued that such a source will allow iPhone and Mac work days and even weeks without refueling.
Design and operation of the battery is described in patent to "Portable hydrogen fuel cell". Fuel cell, according to the Apple, will be an external battery designed to recharge portable electronics. It comprises a cartridge "converts fuel into electrical energy" a control unit, an interface for transmitting power to the mobile device and a bidirectional communications link for exchanging information with a technical device. The device is capable of autonomous operation of the iPhone and iPad for "days and even weeks".
The fuel Apple proposes using liquid hydrogen and its compounds: a combination of sodium borohydride, sodium silicate, hydrate, lithium, magnesium hydride, lithium borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride with water.
"Lately, electronics manufacturers have been paying more attention to the development of renewable energy sources, including portable fuel cells. Fuel cells based on hydrogen have several advantages. They allow you to obtain a high energy density per unit volume, which allows for portable electronics work for days and even weeks without recharging element ", - explained the inventors.
At the same time, developers have recognized that to develop a sufficiently compact fuel cell that could be placed directly in the very portable electronic device - a rather difficult task to date.
According to Knews , this technology has long been used in the aerospace industry - to power the spacecraft. On the market as consumer electronics fuel cells began to enjoy increased attention due to the growth of energy consumption devices.
On the timing of commercialization of inventions in the Apple is not reported.