Toshiba is pretty pleased with its new battery technology that runs on liquid methenol. As The Register describes it:
The fuel cell's refillable 7cc tank contains enough concentrated methanol - it's in a 99.5 per cent solution - to provide 2.5 times the operational duration of the regular battery...
There is a fundamental flaw in the concept of methanol batteries: I am willing to bet airlines won't allow the flamable fluid on-board, just as cigar lighers are banned. That would apply to the electronic gagets using the liquid fuel, as well as the refill bottles of methanol.
This overlooking reminds me of the hype accorded fuel-cell technology for automobiles: until recently, no one wondered where all that hydrogen was going to come from (it turns out it takes more energy to separate H from H20 than is created from recombining them to run the cars), and how was going to fund the H distribution centers.
The problem no one has addressed yet: the exhaust consists just of water vapour. How will our environment be affected by millions and millions of automobiles exhausting water vapour? I foresee a cloud cover like that of Venus.
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