Portable fuel cell power supply

A device for generating energy, comprising:

• a passive air breathing planar fuel cell having a cathode exposed to air;
• a fuel storage unit for containing a supply of hydrogen fuel occluded as a metal hydride or in graphite nanofibers;
• a regulating means disposed between and connected to the fuel cell and to the fuel storage unit, to regulate the amount of fuel emanating from the fuel storage unit into the fuel cell;
• and
• a housing having an internal volume no greater than 1000 cubic centimeters, for containing the fuel cell and the fuel storage unit and the regulating means therein.

A device for generating electricity, comprising:

• a planar fuel cell for electricity generation by catalytic combustion of gaseous hydrogen fuel with oxygen gas from ambient air, said fuel cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and a solid polymer electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode;
• a fuel tank for containing a supply of hydrogen fuel occluded as a metal hydride or in graphite nanofibers;
• a fuel delivery means disposed between and connected to the fuel tank and to the fuel supply, to regulate and deliver a sufficient amount of fuel from the fuel tank into the fuel cell;
• and
• the combined volume of the fuel cell and the fuel tank and the fuel delivery means is no greater than 1000 cubic centimeters.

A device for generating electricity, comprising:

• a planar fuel cell for electricity generation by catalytic combustion of gaseous hydrogen fuel with oxygen gas from ambient air, said fuel cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and a solid polymer electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode;
• a fuel tank for containing a supply of hydrogen fuel occluded as a metal hydride or in graphite nanofibers;
• a fuel delivery means disposed between and connected to the fuel tank and to the fuel supply, to regulate and deliver a sufficient amount of fuel from the fuel tank into the fuel cell;
• a power supply for use in starting the device;
• and
• the combined volume of the fuel cell and the fuel tank and the fuel delivery means is no greater than 1000 cubic centimeters.

A portable fuel cell power supply for use with handheld devices, comprising:

• a hydride storage canister for storing a supply of hydrogen as a metal hydride;
• a fuel delivery means, connected to the hydride storage canister;
• an air breathing planar fuel cell having a polymer electrolyte membrane, connected to the fuel delivery means, for converting the hydrogen to electricity;
• wherein the combined volume of the hydride storage canister, the fuel delivery means, and the air breathing planar fuel cell is less than 500 cubic centimeters;
• and
• wherein the portable power supply provides at least eighty watts of electric power.