Description: A small hydrogen fuel cell charges and iPhone
Link: http://www.treehugger.com/culture/powertrekk-hydrogen-fuel-cell-charges-iphones-etc.html?campaign=th_rss
Summary:
This light weight hydrogen fuel cell is able to charge you digital cameras, phones, GPS, or any other electronic that can be charged with a USB cord. With this charger you just take off the top and unscrew the lid so you are able to add water. Unlike the solar chargers you dont need to wait hours for it to just collect the sunlight, you can just and water and it will start charging your device. It is good for charging your devices during a power outage, or for somebody that is visiting a remote place where they can be far from an electrical outlet. This is does not produce any harmful emissions.
Opinion:
I think that this is a good idea. This invention can charge our phones, which we use all of the time, and not harm the environment. It can only charge small handheld devices, but it is a good start. In class we are learning about fossil fuels and how they give off harmful emissions. So we are looking for alternative energies that don't give off harmful emissions and this doesn't so it is a good place to start with alternative energies.
Questions:
How does this device create energy with the water?
How much would something like this cost?
Would a lot of these devises use up our limited water supply? or would the water vapors make it back into the air and condense then eventually come back in some form of precipitation?
Opinion/Reflection: This is a very cool device. It gives us an easy way to charge our electronics while not harming the environment at all. Since this is such a small and easy change/purchase (unlike getting solar panels on our roofs or something), I bet a lot people will be interested in this invention--especially people who want to save the environment. I hope this invention gets lots of publicity soon, so that everyone will be aware about how easy it could be to make a change.
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1) Will we have to keep adding new water? If so, when and how frequently?
2) How much water does this device need to charge something?
3) Is this invention expensive to make/distribute?
opinion/reflection:
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a very cool and useful device. It gives us a new way to charge our little everyday devices. All of the things we use to charge our devices now are bad for the environment and emit harmful toxins into our air. With this water thing I think that it will take pollution out of the air if a lot of people change over to using this. I think that this should become more known so everyone can use this.
Questions:
1) Will this save money if we use this instead of our regular power source.
2) How long will this charge something for?
3) Will it be possible to make something like this to charge bigger items?
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI think this invention could be very useful. It saves money and although it pretty expensive, it is a cool little toy to have. I see this more as something you would take to charge your phone on like a camping trip than on a regular basis. None the less, it is a step in the right direction towards a greener planet.
Expansion:
This article lists a few environmentally friendly cell phones.
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/green-phones-whos-got-em/
Questions:
1. How much more environmentally friendly is this compared to a regular phone charger?
2. How much would this cost in America?
3. Does it make your phone hold a charge better or worse than a regular phone charger?