Energy storage battery outer box design

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.

What are structural energy storage devices?

Structural energy storage devices can serve as various components in a system to enable more efficient designs, and their best solutions are system and application-specific. Therefore, it is important to first understand potential applications and corresponding required performance metrics.

How can energy storage devices reduce battery weight?

Along with increasing energy density, another strategy for reducing battery weight is to endow energy storage devices with multifunctionality – e.g., creating an energy storage device that is able to bear structural loads and act as a replacement for structural components such that the weight of the overall system is reduced.

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.

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.

Are EV batteries a 'battle for the box'?

The “battle for the box” has kicked off a new wave of creativity among engineers and materials scientists. Roughly 80% of current EVs have an aluminum battery enclosure, but engineers are quick to note that the field is wide open for alternatives, based on vehicle type, duty cycles, volumes, and cost.