Multifunctional material. The developed battery concept is based on a composite material and has carbon fibre as both the positive and negative electrodes – where the positive electrode is coated with lithium iron phosphate. The carbon fibre used in the electrode material is multifunctional. In the anode it acts as a reinforcement, as well as an electrical collector and active material. In the cathode it acts as a reinforcement, current collector, and as a scaffolding for the lithium to build on. In the image, thin current connectors are attached to the electrodes. CREDIT: Chalmers University of Technology | Henrik Sandsjö
BatteriesAutomotiveEnergy

Heavy-Hitting Battery Enables Light, Energy-Efficient Vehicles

By Carolyn Mathas

A Chalmers University of Technology research team created a battery from a carbon fiber composite with aluminum stiffness characteristics and sufficient energy density for commercial use. They followed the basic concept of building with a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure. The team claims it is a world-leading advance in massless energy storage, where a structural battery could halve the weight of a laptop, make the mobile phone as thin as a credit card, or increase the driving range of an electric car by up to 70% on a single charge. They published “Unveiling the Multifunctional Carbon Fibre Structural Battery” in Advanced Materials.

The team has been at it for a while. A previous milestone, reached in 2021, produced a battery with an energy density of 24 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg)—20 percent capacity of a comparable lithium-ion battery. Currently, it’s at 30 Wh/kg. The battery is part of the construction and is also made of a lightweight material, reducing the vehicle’s weight.

To meet vehicle safety requirements, the team’s structural battery cell has significantly increased its stiffness, measured in gigapascal (GPa), from 25 to 70. The material carries loads comparably to aluminum but with a lower weight.

World’s strongest battery. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have succeeded in creating a battery made of carbon fibre composite that is as stiff as aluminium and energy-dense enough to be used commercially. When cars, planes, ships or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are radically reduced. World’s strongest battery. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have succeeded in creating a battery made of carbon fibre composite that is as stiff as aluminium and energy-dense enough to be used commercially. When cars, planes, ships or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are radically reduced.
CREDIT: Chalmers University of Technology | Henrik Sandsjö

The developed battery uses a composite material with carbon fiber as both the positive and negative electrodes, coating the positive electrode (the cathode) with lithium iron phosphate.

Here, the carbon fiber is multifunctional. In the anode, it’s a reinforcement, an electrical collector, and an active material. In the cathode, it acts as a reinforcement, a current collector, and a scaffolding for the lithium iron phosphate coating to build on. Lithium ions are transported between the battery terminals through a semi-solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one. The design contributes to increased safety in the battery cell through reduced fire risk.

Commercialization is still a way off, but this building philosophy of batteries as a part of the construction material of a product won’t just be beneficial for electric cars but also for drones, handheld tools, laptops, and mobile phones.

Carolyn Mathas 1201 posts 0 comments
You might also like More from author
Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.