New Energy Storage Battery Structure

What are structural batteries?

This type of batteries is commonly referred to as “structural batteries”. Two general methods have been explored to develop structural batteries: (1) integrating batteries with light and strong external reinforcements, and (2) introducing multifunctional materials as battery components to make energy storage devices themselves structurally robust.

Can structural batteries be used in structural energy storage?

Although not intentionally designed for structural batteries, some of them showed potential applications in structural energy storage.

How does a structural battery work?

The structural battery uses carbon fiber as a negative electrode, and a lithium iron phosphate-coated aluminum foil as the positive electrode. The carbon fiber acts as a host for the lithium and thus stores the energy.

How do batteries store energy?

Batteries and similar devices accept, store, and release electricity on demand. Batteries use chemistry, in the form of chemical potential, to store energy, just like many other everyday energy sources. For example, logs and oxygen both store energy in their chemical bonds until burning converts some of that chemical energy to heat.

Do structural batteries increase energy density?

However, the potential gain in energy density of externally reinforced structural batteries is limited by the additional mass of reinforcement and its mechanical properties, whereas integrated multifunctional structural components inside the battery ideally do not add extra weight to it.

Do structural battery composites store more energy than lithium-ion batteries?

Structural battery composites cannot store as much energy as lithium-ion batteries, but have several characteristics that make them highly attractive for use in vehicles and other applications. When the battery becomes part of the load bearing structure, the mass of the battery essentially ‘disappears’.