A United Nations committee meeting next week will decide
whether to allow cartridges containing methanol on commercial
aircraft. A positive decision is vital to the commercial success of
a new breed of long-life fuel cells in portable PCs.
Because they can power a laptop PC for between five and 20
hours, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) would be particularly
useful for passengers on long-haul flights. But passengers are
currently forbidden to take cartridges containing methanol - which
is flammable - on aircraft as a carry-on item.
The rule is one factor that decided NEC to move back the
commercialisation schedule for its first DMFC-powered laptop from
this year to 2007.
Jean Abouchaar, director of the International Air Transport
Association (IATA), said a UN committee was due to meet from 29
November to 7 December in Geneva to decide on whether passengers
should be allowed to bring methanol cartridges onto aircraft.
If the committee agrees, it will set in motion a series of
required rule changes by the International Civil Aviation
Organization that should see methanol cartridges allowed on
aircraft from 1 January 2007. Otherwise, the process could be
stalled for a further two years, according to Abouchaar.
"The UN does not issue mandatory regulations, but its
recommendation means that transportation authorities can go ahead,"
he said.
The meeting could also help determine the fuel cell
commercialisation plans of Fujitsu, Hitachi, Samsung and Toshiba,
all of which are developing DMFCs.
Toshiba and Hitachi have said they think a mass market for DMFCs
will emerge when PC users can carry methanol cartridges onto
planes.
"We don't think the IATA is against methanol," said Toshiba
spokeswoman Midori Suzuki. "It's just that it will take some time
to go through the bureaucratic process."
ABI Research analyst Atakan Ozbek said that because many
companies had not adequately considered legal regulations and the
time taken to implement changes, they might have fuel cells ready
for the market before the law changed.
"Regulators appear to be aware of the urgency of the matter.
Everyone realizes the importance of classifying it as soon as
possible," Abouchaar said.
DMFCs generate electrical power by mixing methanol with air and
water.
Paul Kallender writes for IDG News Service. Grant Gross also
contributed to this story.