Now, charge your mobile phone with water

WASHINGTON: Researchers in Sweden have developed a new technique where
you can charge your devices anywhere without electricity, provided
there is a water source nearby. Just add a spoonful and get instant
power , anytime anywhere.
Handy for anyone who spends time away from electricity, the small,
lightweight PowerTrekk could power critical devices for warfighters
and aid workers deployed to remote areas of the world, Fox News
reported.
Developed by a team in Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology and
made by MyFC, it's the world's first water-activated charging device
that powers using fresh or salt water , the developers claimed. It can
extend battery life up to 3 watts.
So if you take an iPhone , the charge would be enough for between 25
and 100 per cent of its battery capacity. Any convenient water can be
harvested for power, from a kitchen faucet through to a puddle in the
jungle.
Solar charging can be affected by the weather and the position of the
sun, ofcourse, and not hugely helpful if your urgent power shortage
hits at night. Water charging isn't hindered by these external
factors. Even in a desert, a spoonful of water from your thermos can
give you power.
The new device leverages the team's more than 15 years of research on
micro fuel cell technology and small flat Proton Exchange Membrane
fuel cellsat the Department of Applied Electrochemistry at KTH.
To use the PowerTrekk charger, you fill-up water compartment with
about one tablespoon, close the lid and connect it to the electronic
device with a USB cable. It starts charging automatically as the water
inside interacts with a small disposable metal disc causing hydrogen
gas to be released.
When the gas combines with oxygen it converts chemical energy into
electrical energy. While in many ways fuel cells are similar to
batteries, they are different in that electrodes do not become
consumed making them finite.
Instead provided water and air is provided to the electrodes, these
fuel cells will run. Very green power, water vapor is the only
by-product.
Currently, Powertrekk works with devices like cell and smartphones,
digital cameras, iPods and GPS. The company is looking into developing
their fuel cells to function for larger devices like laptops.