Bangalore:A new patent application published by U.S patent and trademark office reveals Apple's plan on developing fuel cell powered Mac books.

Apple filed two patents entitled "Fuel cell system to power a portable computing device" and "Fuel cell system coupled to a portable computing device". The filing states"The problems in relying on non renewable energy sources for a long time had created an increasing awareness and desire on the part of consumers to promote and use renewable energy sources". As a result, electronic manufacturers are exploring various renewable energy resources to power their products.

Apple then came out with the idea of powering products with hydrogen fuel cells. According to Apple "using hydrogen fuel cells to power portable electronics will allow devices like Mac Book to operate for days or even weeks without refueling". The proposed fuel cell system will be having a fuel cell stack which converts fuel into electricity and a controller for controlling the operation of the fuel system.

Apple is using the Electronic Product Environment Assessment Tool (EPEAT) ratings for its products as a method of increasing the consumer awareness.

The idea of hydrogen powered fuel cells is not new. Automobile manufacturer Honda had developed a car which runs on same technology in the year 2008. But according to Apple there are many challenges in creating a fuel cell system that is small, portable and cost effective and the R& D team is working on the prototype.