IBM and Sanyo Electric have unveiled initial plans to develop a fuel cell system for use in IBM ThinkPad notebooks.

The two companies have jointly developed a basic design of a prototype micro direct methanol fuel cell system that could supply up to eight hours of power per cartridge on ThinkPad models.

The prototype will build on recent developments by Sanyo which increase the longevity of notebook batteries. The system was designed to be compatible with most current ThinkPad models.

An auxiliary bay, IBM's ultrabay slim battery, to supplement peak power consumption for business applications is also included in the fuel cell system.

"This is quite a new concept that utilizes both micro fuel cells and rechargeable batteries," said Mitsuru Homma, group executive of Sanyo's Power Solutions Group.

"This hybrid system could enable the user to efficiently operate IBM's ThinkPad notebooks for a longer time compared to systems with only a fuel cell, while also providing the convenience of an AC cordless environment," he added.

ThinkPad notebooks using the fuel cell system would be able to run intensive business applications such as multimedia, graphics and computation programs, while performing tasks such as security updates and scheduled maintenance without draining PC battery power.

The companies believe that these capabilities could provide added stability for increased productivity, access to information and customer service.