From the Green Car Congress comes word of a new prototype multifunctional structural composite material composed of carbon fibers and a polymer that can store and discharge electrical energy but at the same time serves as a structural component in an automobile. 

Researchers from Imperial College London working with Volvo Car Corp. and other interested parties in Europe, believe this material could be used in hybrid electric vehicles where some, or perhaps even all of the batteries could be eliminated, making the vehicles lighter and more energy efficient.  The $4.7 million project is focused on further development of the material that could be used to produce the metal wheel well of a Volvo to reduce the number of batteries needed to power the electric motor.  They also think they can cut vehicle weight by as much as 15%, which would improve the range of a future hybrid vehicle. 

In a paper presented at the Materials Research Society Symposium in 2005, South et al. provided three examples of multifunctional power-generating and energy-storing materials: structural lithium-ion batteries, structural proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, and structural capacitors.  These systems were deliberately designed, the researchers wrote, so that material elements participating in power or energy processes are also carrying significant structural loads, a necessary condition for achieving mass savings through multifunctional design.

"Polymer composites have now reached a level of maturity at which such adventurous and novel material configurations can be developed," notes Dr. Emile Greenhalgh.  "The laminated architecture of fiber composites mirrors the configuration of many current electrical storage devices. In fact, carbon fiber (CF) composites are attractive as they are commonly used as both electrodes and high performance structural reinforcements; usually, the forms of carbon are different, but there is an opportunity to unify these roles with appropriate tailoring of both the matrix and the reinforcement."

It's believed that this latest composite material under development by the Imperial College team could be charged by plugging a hybrid into a household power supply, although other sources of power supply are being investigated, regenerative braking, for example. 

Right now, the researchers are attempting to further develop the composite material so that it has the capability to store more energy.  Using carbon nanotubes on the surface of the carbon fibers, the team believes this is possible.  Also under investigation is an economical method for producing the carbon fiber composite. 

The patented technology is being examined for other applications as well.  Researchers believe the technology could be used to produce a cell phone sans the typical battery that would be about the size of a credit card.