An analytical model for the compressive and shear response of monolithic and hierarchical corrugated composite cores has been developed. The stiffness model considers the contribution in stiffness ...from the bending- and the shear deformations of the core members in addition to the stretching deformation. The strength model is based on the normal stress and shear stress distribution over each core member when subjected to a shear or compressive load condition. The strength model also accounts for initial imperfections. In part 1 of this series, the analytical model is described and the results are compared to finite element predictions. In part 2, the analytical model is compared to experimental results and the behaviour of the corrugated structures is investigated more thoroughly using failure mechanism maps.
Display omitted
•Carbon fibers are coated with LiFePO4 via spray coating method.•Spray coating is a practical way to make positive electrodes with carbon fibers.•Carbon fibers are successful ...candidates as current collectors.
This study presents the fabrication of LiFePO4 (LFP)-coated carbon fibers (CFs) as a positive electrode component for structural batteries, utilizing a spray coating technique. The successful coating of CFs through this method demonstrated their usefulness as efficient current collectors. The electrodes obtained using this method underwent electrochemical evaluations. Throughout the extended cycling tests at C/7, the maximum specific discharge capacity reached 146 mAh/g, maintaining a 77% capacity retention after 100 cycles. In rate performance assessments at the faster C-rate of 1.5C, the capacity measured 123 mAh/g, with a retention of 96%. The application of spray coating emerges as a promising technique for electrode production in structural batteries, showcasing its potential for optimizing performance in multifunctional energy storage systems.
Engineering materials that can store electrical energy in structural load paths can revolutionize lightweight design across transport modes. Stiff and strong batteries that use solid‐state ...electrolytes and resilient electrodes and separators are generally lacking. Herein, a structural battery composite with unprecedented multifunctional performance is demonstrated, featuring an energy density of 24 Wh kg−1 and an elastic modulus of 25 GPa and tensile strength exceeding 300 MPa. The structural battery is made from multifunctional constituents, where reinforcing carbon fibers (CFs) act as electrode and current collector. A structural electrolyte is used for load transfer and ion transport and a glass fiber fabric separates the CF electrode from an aluminum foil‐supported lithium–iron–phosphate positive electrode. Equipped with these materials, lighter electrical cars, aircraft, and consumer goods can be pursued.
Structural battery composites offer mass‐less energy storage for electrical vehicles and devices. Structural batteries are enabled by the recently discovered multifunctional properties of carbon fibers and the development of a structural electrolyte matrix material. The emergent multifunctional properties reach a level that allows lightweight vehicles and innovations across and beyond all transport modes.
The introduction of carbon fibre composites into the high volume automotive sector challenges the design process, since these components not only need to be light but also producible in a ...cost-efficient manner. One way forward is to introduce manufacturing constraints into the design process, but such constraints affect the freedom of design and opportunities to tailor material properties. This work examines the trade-offs between cost-effective design for manufacturing and the weight optimization of composite structures. This will be achieved by introducing restrictions to the number of plies allowed in structural optimization in order to simplify pre-operations and reduce overall manufacturing investments. Both integral and differential design solutions are considered. It was observed that differential solutions were always more cost and weight efficient than the integral solution, however too severe manufacturing constraints result in an expensive final part due to the additional weight.
Composite structures can lower the weight of an airliner significantly. The increased production cost, however, requires the application of cost-effective design strategies in which cost, weight and ...the desired laminate quality are taken into account. This paper proposes an optimization framework for composite aircraft structures that minimizes the direct operating cost on a part level. In addition to previous models, a non-destructive testing model is implemented that calculates design allowables of a laminate based on the ultrasonic scan parameters. In a case study, the effect of the laminate quality on the direct operating cost is discussed. It is investigated how the flaw size and therefore the scan pitch of a composite laminate can influence the optimal solution in terms of cost and weight; thus, the manufacturing cost, the non-destructive testing cost and the weight of a component can be balanced by optimizing the laminate quality in an early design phase.
A closed cell foam of polymetacrylimide (Rohacell) with three different densities is studied. The foam is tested quasistatically in tension, compression and shear. The tensile properties scale very ...well with the relative density of the foam, but the compression and shear properties do not scale the same way. It is believed to be due to cell edge and cell wall buckling being the dominated deformation mechanism in compression and shear for lower densities that does not occur for higher densities. Fatigue testing is then performed in tension, compression and shear. It is seen that for all load cases and densities, the fatigue life can be plotted using Basquin’s law. The results also show that the different failure mechanisms found in the static tests are the same in fatigue. This means that the fatigue life for different load types exhibit different failure mechanisms. This shows not only as a clear difference in the stress levels for fatigue failure, but also on the slope in the fatigue life relation.
This paper deals with analysis of foam core sandwich beams subject to static indentation and subsequent unloading (removal of load). Sandwich beams are assumed continuously supported by a rigid ...platen to eliminate global bending. An analytical model is presented assuming an elastic-perfectly plastic compressive behaviour of the foam core. An elastic part of indentation response is described using the Winkler foundation model. Upon removal of the load, an elastic unloading response of the foam core is assumed. Also, finite element (FE) analysis of static indentation and unloading of sandwich beams is performed using the FE code ABAQUS. The foam core is modelled using the
crushable foam material model. To obtain input data for the analytical model and to calibrate the crushable foam model in FE analysis, the response of the foam core is experimentally characterized in uniaxial compression, up to densification, with subsequent unloading and tension until tensile fracture. Both models can predict load–displacement response of sandwich beams under static indentation and a residual dent magnitude in the face sheet after unloading along with residual strain levels in the foam core at the unloaded equilibrium state. The analytical and FE analyses are experimentally verified through static indentation tests of composite sandwich beams with two different foam cores. The load–displacement response, size of a crushed core zone and the depth of a residual dent are measured in the testing. A digital speckle photography technique is also used in the indentation tests in order to measure the strain levels in the crushed core zone. The experimental results are in good agreement with the analytical and FE analyses.
In order to aid design of future structural battery components an analytical model is developed for modelling volume expansions in laminated structural batteries. Volume expansions are caused by ...lithium ion intercalation in carbon fibre electrodes. An extended version of Classical Lamination Plate Theory (CLPT) is used to allow analysis of unbalanced and unsymmetric lay-ups. The fibre intercalation expansions are treated analogously to a thermal problem, based on experimental data, with intercalation coefficients relating the fibre capacity linearly to its expansions. The model is validated using FEM and allows the study of the magnitude of interlaminar stresses and hence the risk of delamination damage due to the electrochemically induced expansions. It also enables global laminate deformations to be studied. This allows information about favourable lay-ups and fibre orientations that minimise deformations and the risk of delamination to be obtained. Favourable configurations for application to a solid state mechanical actuator are also given.
Structures that are capable of changing shape can increase efficiency in many applications, but are often heavy and maintenance intensive. To reduce the mass and mechanical complexity solid-state ...morphing materials are desirable but are typically nonstructural and problematic to control. Here we present an electrically controlled solid-state morphing composite material that is lightweight and has a stiffness higher than aluminum. It is capable of producing large deformations and holding them with no additional power, albeit at low rates. The material is manufactured from commercial carbon fibers and a structural battery electrolyte, and uses lithiumion insertion to produce shape changes at low voltages. A proof-ofconcept material in a cantilever setup is used to show morphing, and analytical modeling shows good correlation with experimental observations. The concept presented shows considerable promise and paves the way for stiff, solid-state morphing materials.
PDF
