Structural Batteries  Breakthrough in Research: World's Strongest Battery

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Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a carbon fiber composite battery that combines the stiffness of aluminum with sufficient energy density for potential commercial use. This breakthrough could pave the way for structural batteries that integrate energy storage directly into the material of vehicles and devices, making them lighter and more efficient.

A groundbreaking development in "massless energy storage" is emerging from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Researchers have created the world’s strongest structural battery, which serves as both an energy source and a load-bearing material. This innovation has the potential to significantly reduce the weight of cars, planes, and electronics, radically improving energy efficiency. For example, it could reduce laptop weight by half, create ultra-thin mobile phones, and extend the driving range of electric cars by up to 70% on a single charge, marking a major leap forward in sustainable technology. 

We 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. Just like a human skeleton, the battery has several functions at the same time.

Chalmers researcher Richa Chaudhary, the first author of a scientific article recently published in Advanced Materials

Research on structural batteries has been going on for many years at Chalmers, and in some stages also together with researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. When Professor Leif Asp and colleagues published their first results in 2018 on how stiff, strong carbon fibres could store electrical energy chemically, the advance attracted massive attention. The news that carbon fibre can function as electrodes in lithium-ion batteries was widely spread and the achievement was ranked as one of the year's ten biggest breakthroughs by the prestigious Physics World.

Lower weight requires less energy

Since then, the research group has further developed its concept to increase both stiffness and energy density. The previous milestone was reached in 2021 when the battery had an energy density of 24 watt-hours per kilogramme (Wh/kg), which means roughly 20 percent capacity of a comparable lithium-ion battery. Now it's up to 30 Wh/kg. While this is still lower than today's batteries, the conditions are quite different. When the battery is part of the construction and can also be made of a lightweight material, the overall weight of the vehicle is greatly reduced. Then not nearly as much energy is required to run an electric car, for example."
Investing in light and energy-efficient vehicles is a matter of course if we are to economise on energy and think about future generations. We have made calculations on electric cars that show that they could drive for up to 70 percent longer than today if they had competitive structural batteries," says research leader Leif Asp, who is a professor at the Department of Industrial and Materials Science at Chalmers.

In terms of multifunctional properties, the new battery is twice as good as its predecessor—and is actually the best ever made in the world.

Leif Asp, professor at the Department of Industrial and Materials Science at Chalmers

In vehicle design, safety is paramount, requiring materials that are both strong and lightweight. The structural battery cell developed by the Chalmers research team excels in this area, having significantly increased its stiffness, measured by the elastic modulus, from 25 to 70 gigapascal (GPa). This allows the material to support loads similar to aluminum but at a reduced weight.
Leif Asp, who has been studying structural batteries since 2007, highlights this breakthrough: "In terms of multifunctional properties, the new battery is twice as good as its predecessor—and is actually the best ever made in the world."

Several steps towards commercialisation

From the start, the goal was to achieve a performance that makes it possible to commercialise the technology. In parallel with the fact that the research is now continuing, the link to the market has been strengthened – through the newly started Chalmers Venture company Sinonus AB, based in Borås, Sweden.
However, there is still a lot of engineering work to be done before the battery cells have taken the step from lab manufacturing on a small scale to being produced on a large scale for our technology gadgets or vehicles."

One can imagine that credit card-thin mobile phones or laptops that weigh half as much as today, are the closest in time. It could also be that components such as electronics in cars or planes are powered by structural batteries. It will require large investments to meet the transport industry's challenging energy needs, but this is also where the technology could make the most difference," says Leif Asp, who has noticed a great deal of interest from the automotive and aerospace industries. 

About Chalmers University of Technology

Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society. (kib)

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