Realising Structural Battery Composites
Abstract
The proposed research by Chalmers, KTH, and Imperial College London (ICL) aims at the development and demonstration of a multifunctional material that can simultaneously store electrical energy and carry mechanical loads. They have coined this material as structural battery composite. Structural batteries will allow radical weight savings for any electrically powered structural system, from mobile phones to aircraft. Over the last decade, the three universities have performed research to realize structural battery composites. Current structural battery composites have demonstrated an energy density of 24 Wh kg-1 at a Young's modulus of 25 GPa. In the proposed project they seek to develop and demonstrate a second-generation laminated structural battery composite with an energy density of 100 Wh kg-1 and an in-plane modulus (isotropic) of 40 GPa. This is slightly lower than traditional Li-ion batteries and composites but combined into a multifunctional material provides significant mass savings. The structural battery composite is made from carbon fiber reinforced electrodes in a structural electrolyte matrix material. Neat carbon fibers are used as the structural negative electrode, exploiting their high mechanical properties, excellent lithium insertion capacity and high electrical conductivity. Lithium iron phosphate coated carbon fibers will be used as the structural positive electrode. The electrodes are to be separated by an ultra-thin fibrous separator.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Source ID
- FA86552117040XX0
Entities
People
- Emile S Greenhalgh
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Imperial College London
- United States Air Force