Micropower Heats Up: Propane fuel cell packs a lot of punch

Portable electronics such as laptops and MP3 players could soon run on miniature fuel cells that consume propane, the same fuel used in gas barbecues. In search of longer-lasting alternatives to conventional batteries, a team of researchers has developed just such a device.

“A propane-driven fuel cell could be the same size as a lithium battery but last 10 times longer,” says Paul Ronney of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.