Current collector design strategies: The route to realising scale-up of structural power composites
File(s)Current collector.pdf (3.98 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Multifunctional structural power composites, which combine mechanical load-bearing and electrochemical energy storage, will transform electric vehicle design. This work focuses on structural supercapacitors, based on carbon aerogel-modified carbon fibre electrodes with copper current collectors. In common with many structural power embodiments, scale-up of these devices is currently limited by large internal resistances and the mass associated with current collection. There is a trade-off between the overall resistive power loss and the additional mass for the current collector material. However, in these devices, mechanical integrity is provided by the structural electrodes, allowing a range of collector designs to be considered. Using finite element simulations, these current collection strategies are explored quantitatively across a range of design space variables. The key conductivity parameters were measured experimentally, using the best existing materials, to inform direct current conduction simulations of the electrode/current collector assembly. For the present device configuration, the performance trade-off is governed by the area of the current collector. The most effective near-term strategy for power loss mitigation lies in reducing the contact resistance; however, improvements can also be obtained by modifying the collector geometry. The findings of this paper can be generalised to other structural power composites and monofunctional energy storage devices, which are relevant in many mass-sensitive electrochemical applications.
Date Issued
2023-05-03
Date Acceptance
2023-02-28
Citation
Composites Science and Technology, 2023, 236, pp.1-9
ISSN
0266-3538
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Composites Science and Technology
Volume
236
Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000955164400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
Computational modelling
Electrical properties
ENERGY
HYBRID
LOSSES
Materials Science
Materials Science, Composites
Multifunctional composites
RESISTANCE
Science & Technology
Technology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 109978
Date Publish Online
2023-03-04