Researchers have created a novel carbon fiber battery that has the potential to completely transform electric aircraft. According to a study team from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, this incredibly lightweight and robust battery has the energy density to power electric aircraft.
Dubbed the world’s strongest battery, this innovative material is sturdy enough to serve as a load-bearing structure. This feature allows it to be integrated into vehicle designs, reducing weight and increasing range. According to Richa Chaudhary, the lead researcher, the battery is “as stiff as aluminium and energy-dense enough to be used commercially.” Chaudhary compares the battery’s multifunctional capabilities to a human skeleton, which supports various functions simultaneously.
This battery design could have far-reaching applications, potentially halving the weight of laptops or making mobile phones as thin as credit cards. It could even increase the range of electric cars by 70%. While using carbon fibres for batteries was first attempted in 2018, the energy density wasn’t sufficient for commercial use. The new battery has an energy density of 30 Wh/kg, about a quarter of a typical lithium-ion battery. However, the design’s ability to serve as both the vehicle’s structure and its power source reduces the need for additional materials, saving space and weight.
Professor Leif Asp, a co-researcher, noted that the new battery is the best of its kind and has already attracted interest from the automotive and aerospace sectors. He envisions the technology could lead to thinner, lighter laptops and mobile phones, as well as electric planes powered by structural batteries.
The research, titled “Unveiling the Multifunctional Carbon Fibre Structural Battery,” was published in Advanced Materials on Tuesday, detailing the promise of massless energy storage for transforming transportation.