SCIENTISTS have built
the smallest petrol engine, tiny enough to power a WATCH. The mini-motor, which
runs for two years on a single squirt of lighter fuel, is set to revolutionize
world technology. It produces 700 times more energy than a conventional battery
despite being less than a centimeter long not even half an inch. It could be
used to operate laptops and mobile phones for months doing away with the need
for recharging. Experts believe it could be phasing out batteries in such item within
just six months.
The engine, minute
enough to be balanced on a fingertip, has been produced by engineers at the
University of Birmingham, UK . Dr. Y Kyle Jiang, lead investigator from the
Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: "We are looking at an
industrial revolution happening in peoples' pockets.. "The breakthrough is
an enormous step forward. "Devices which need re- charging or new
batteries are a problem but in six years will be a thing of the past."
Other applications for
the engine could include medical and military uses, such as running heart
pacemakers or mini reconnaissance robots. At present, charging an ordinary
battery to deliver one unit of energy involves putting 2,000 units into it. The
little engine, because energy is produced locally, is far more effective.
