Multifunctional energy storage composite structures with embedded lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

This work proposes and analyzes a structurally-integrated lithium-ion battery concept. The multifunctional energy storage composite (MESC) structures developed here encapsulate lithium-ion battery materials inside high-strength carbon-fiber composites and use interlocking polymer rivets to stabilize the electrode layer stack mechanically. These rivets enable load transfer between battery layers, allowing them to store electrical energy while also contributing to the structural load carrying performance, without any modifications to the battery chemistry. The design rationale, fabrication processes, and experimental mechano-electrical characterization of first-generation MESCs are discussed. Experimental results indicate that the MESCs offer electrochemical performance comparable to standard lithium-ion cells, despite the disruptive design change. The mechanical performance of MESCs is assessed via quasi-static three-point bending tests, with results showing significantly improved mechanical stiffness

Energy Storage Structural Composites with Integrated Lithium‐Ion Batteries: A Review

“…Ladpli et al. [ 6 ] replaced conventional battery packing with a CFRP laminate and used interlocking polymer rivets to mechanically reinforce the electrode layer stack. The integrated battery was surrounded by a polymer frame and was sandwiched between CFRP facesheets ( Figure ).…”

“…Further weight reduction can be achieved by combining composite materials (for high mechanical properties) with lithium‐ion batteries (for generation and storage of electrical energy), with potential applications in automotive, [ 1 ] aircraft, [ 2 ] spacecraft, [ 3,4 ] marine, [ 5 ] and sports equipment. [ 6 ] A new generation of high capacity lithium‐ion batteries is rapidly gaining popularity in a variety of industries, including automotive. These batteries can provide the energy storage capacity required to power a range of mild hybrid, plug‐in hybrid and full electric vehicles; [ 7,8 ] they have been chosen in recent researches as the main type of rechargeable batteries for structural integration.…”

Bioinspired, Tree‐Root‐Like Interfacial Designs for Structural Batteries with Enhanced Mechanical Properties

“…In three-point bending experiments, the cell without the tree-root-like interfacial adhesion shows a low bending force of 0.72 N cm −1 at a deflection of 1 mm (Figure 3a), which corresponds to an effective E f of only 281 MPa, consistent with simulations and literature reports. [30] The dependence of bending performance on the cell thickness was also studied (Figure S3, Supporting Information). After the treeroot-like adhesion is applied, the bending force is increased by 11.5 times to 9.0 N cm −1 at the same deflection, and the corresponding effective E f is as high as 3.1 GPa.…”

“…To address this challenge, Chang and co-workers developed a clever concept of using polymer "rivets" to interlock different layers to avoid their relative sliding, which enhances the flexural modulus to 1.5 GPa, similar to polypropylene. [30] However, the overall energy density of these batteries is reduced by ≈40% due to the introduction of those electrochemically inert parts and necessary redundancy in the margin of anode and separator to avoid shorting. This strategy also increases manufacturing challenges as it requires extra cutting and alignment of electrodes.…”

Polymer reinforced carbon fiber interfaces for high energy density structural lithium-ion batteries

“…This is likely the reason why early studies in structural batteries simply encapsulated packaged lithium-ion battery pouch cells into the composite layup process. [24][25][26][27] However, it is notable that this approach results in no gravimetric advantage for the system compared to simply just externally connecting the battery, and can result in a mechanical disadvantage for the composite at the battery packaging/epoxy interface. With this said, only recently have approaches been demonstrated for direct integration of battery materials into structural composites, but these approaches so far have demonstrated negligibly low energy density relative to the total mass of combined active and composite materials with moderate cycling stability [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] or moderate energy density and low cycling stability.…”