Lilliputian Lpg Fuel Cell Challenging Batteries

American company Lilliputian Systems has said that it aims to replace heavy laptop and mobile phone chargers with a small fuel cell system that runs on butane cartridges. Its system can store five to ten times more energy than lithium ion batteries and recharging is as fast as swapping out the cartridge.

The company, which has been operating largely in secret for several years, has started showing its first product to potential customers and says that it plans to put it on the market by the middle of next year.

Fuel cells for portable electronics have been held up by technical challenges and questions about whether they would be allowed on aeroplanes. Lilliputian Systems said that, because it will sell the butane in sealed cartridges with identification chips, they will be allowed. The company plans to make its money on disposable cartridges. Each butane cartridge, which will be enough to recharge an iPhone up to 20 times, will sell for $1-3, with the fuel cell charger costing about $100. Ramani said that the company plans to eventually incorporate its fuel cells directly into mobile phones and other consumer electronics.

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