New "Battery" Technology, Parts of a car’s bodywork could one day double up as its battery Options

[OS Perry]

For Immediate Release
Friday 5 February 2010

Parts of a car’s bodywork could one day double up as its battery, according to the scientists behind a new €3.4 million project announced today.

Researchers from Imperial College London and their European partners, including Volvo Car Corporation, are developing a prototype material which can store and discharge electrical energy and which is also strong and lightweight enough to be used for car parts.

Ultimately, they expect that this material could be used in hybrid petrol/electric vehicles to make them lighter, more compact and more energy efficient, enabling drivers to travel for longer distances before needing to recharge their cars.

In addition, the researchers believe the material, which has been patented by Imperial, could potentially be used for the casings of many everyday objects such as mobile phones and computers, so that they would not need a separate battery. This would make such devices smaller, more lightweight and more portable.

The project co-ordinator, Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, says:
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“We are really excited about the potential of this new technology. We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof, its bonnet or even the door, thanks to our new composite material. Even the Sat Nav could be powered by its own casing. The future applications for this material don’t stop there – you might have a mobile phone that is as thin as a credit card because it no longer needs a bulky battery, or a laptop that can draw energy from its casing so it can run for a longer time without recharging. We’re at the first stage of this project and there is a long way to go, but we think our composite material shows real promise.”

In the new project, the scientists are planning to develop the composite material so that it can be used to replace the metal flooring in the car boot, called the wheel well, which holds the spare wheel. Volvo is investigating the possibility of fitting this wheel well component into prototype cars for testing purposes.

The team says replacing a metal wheel well with a composite one could enable Volvo to reduce the number of batteries needed to power the electric motor. They believe this could lead to a 15 per cent reduction in the car’s overall weight, which should significantly improve the range of future hybrid cars.

Current hybrid cars consist of an internal combustion engine, which is used when the driver accelerates the car, and an electric motor powered by batteries, which turns on when the car is cruising. The cars need a large number of batteries to power the electric motor, which makes the vehicle heavier, meaning that the car uses up more energy and the batteries need regular recharging at short intervals.

The researchers say that the composite material that they are developing, which is made of carbon fibres and a polymer resin, will store and discharge large amounts of energy much more quickly than conventional batteries. In addition, the material does not use chemical processes, making it quicker to recharge than conventional batteries. Furthermore, this recharging process causes little degradation in the composite material, because it does not involve a chemical reaction, whereas conventional batteries degrade over time.

The material could be charged by plugging a hybrid car into household power supply. The researchers are also exploring other alternatives for charging it such as recycling energy created when a car brakes.

For the first stage of the project, the scientists are planning to further develop their composite material so that it can store more energy. The team will improve the material’s mechanical properties by growing carbon nanotubes on the surface of the carbon fibres, which should also increase the surface area of the material, which would improve its capacity to store more energy.

They are also planning to investigate the most effective method for manufacturing the composite material at an industrial level.

The 3-year European Union funded project includes researchers from the Departments of Chemistry, Aeronautics and Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College London. European academic and industrial partners include Swerea SICOMP, INASCO Hella, Chalmers, Advanced Composites Group, Nanocyl, Volvo Car Corporation, Bundesanstalt Fur Material forschung undprufung, ETC Battery and Fuel Cells Sweden.

- Ends -
For further information please contact:
Colin Smith
Press Officer
Imperial College London
Email: cd.smith@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 594 6712
Out of hours duty press officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248

1. About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve health in the UK and globally, tackle climate change and develop clean and sustainable sources of energy.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

[OS Capt Smeegs]

It is going to take decades for anything other than oil to become mainstream. It is nice to see them pushing forward with new tech's, but the sad reality is that oil is here, and when it runs out, I seriously hope I am not alive. I probably won't be anyways, but you never know.

[OS Tampa]

There are multiple views but the consensus says we have reached "peak oil", the time where oil is as plentiful as it can possibly be. We are on the downside of oil production from here on out. Again, data changes all the time but last I read, oil will be completley gone (accouning for future consumption) around 2050. Even if that is off, it is not that far away.

[OS Squall]

There are multiple views but the consensus says we have reached "peak oil", the time where oil is as plentiful as it can possibly be. We are on the downside of oil production from here on out. Again, data changes all the time but last I read, oil will be completley gone (accouning for future consumption) around 2050. Even if that is off, it is not that far away.

Looks like I have about 40 more years to live before I off myself!

[OS Capt Smeegs]

Your figures must not include the 200 year supply from the Alberta Tar sands, nor the recent discovery of billions of barrels in Canada's arctic. I would assume your data is slanted from the american view point. The Saudi oil is calculated at approximately 25 years while Venezuela is around 50 years of supply. Considering that the USA buys 70% of its' oil out of Fort McMurray, it would be completely wise to give forecasts of Saudi oil running out while sitting on an elephant size reserve that very few south of the 49th even know about.

Don't worry my american amigo's.. Your "hat" won't let you slip into chaos until we are all well and gone... well maybe absy will still be here!

Now, having enough clean water to get that oil out of the oil sands, well, that may well be gone in 40 years!!! Unfortunately, it is the dirtiest oil of them all..but that's ok, because you fill up 3000 miles away and all the pollution stays here for me to breath in.. Thanks!