Future Phones and Carbon Fiber Batteries
Cars and planes could soon be built using the world’s strongest batteries, thanks to a breakthrough from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.
Researchers have introduced a new type of structural battery that could reduce a laptop’s weight by 50%, make mobile phones as thin as a credit card, or increase an electric vehicle’s range by up to 70% on a single charge. These structural batteries not only store energy but also support structural loads, thanks to stiff, strong carbon fibers that store electrical energy chemically. When vehicles, planes, ships, or computers are built from materials that function both as batteries and structural components, weight and energy consumption are significantly reduced.
For vehicles, which require strong designs to meet safety standards, the new battery’s stiffness has increased from 25 to 70 gigapascals (GPa), allowing it to carry loads as well as aluminum but with less weight. “Investing in light, energy-efficient vehicles is a matter of course if we are to economize 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.”
The researchers aimed to make the technology commercially viable, leading to the creation of Chalmers Venture company Sinonus. They have received significant interest from the automotive and aerospace industries. However, transitioning from lab-scale production to large-scale manufacturing will require substantial investment. “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,” added Professor Asp.