LONDON — Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has co-developed with NTT DoCoMo a prototype high-capacity micro fuel cell and a prototype external recharger for FOMA handsets, the company said.

For the prototype micro fuel cell device, the concentration of the methanol fuel used was raised from 30 percent, the concentration used for the companies' previous fuel cells, to a concentration of over 99 percent. This enables the prototype device to charge up to three FOMA handset batteries with just 18 cubic centimeters of methanol.

The fuel cell prototype is to be exhibited at the DoCoMo booth at Wireless Japan 2005 to be held from July 13 to 15, and at the Environment corner at Fujitsu Forum 2005 from July 14 to 15, both in Tokyo.

In comparison with conventional lithium-ion batteries, micro fuel cells offer a theoretical ten-fold performance improvement and storage of energy at practical levels three times greater. In addition, since micro fuel cells can use methanol derived from biomass resources, there is anticipation that they will help reduce burden on the environment.

Since micro fuel cells that employ methanol produce energy through the reaction between methanol and oxygen present in the air, power capacity can be increased by raising the concentration of the methanol solution.

Using new technology to reduce the "methanol crossover effect" a cradle-type passive micro fuel cell has achieved an output average of approximately 1 watt with methanol fuel of over 99 percent concentration, Fujitsu claimed.