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NAU scientists develop innovative technology combining structural support with power storage

Posted by Heather Tate on March 31, 2018

Sample of multifunctional material

What if an electric car could be run off the power stored in its door panels? What if a jet could be powered by energy stored in its fuselage?

Researchers at Northern Arizona University have invented a unique multi­functional material that is capable of storing power while providing structural support for high-performance systems operating in a wide range of environments specific to the aerospace, automotive and renewable energy industries. Constantin Ciocanel, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Cindy Browder, associate professor of chemis­try, have worked together for more than seven years to develop this innovative technology, which recently was awarded patents from the European Union and Australia. (U.S. patents are pending.)

The multifunctional material’s design combines elements of composite materials with a power storage mechanism specific to super­capacitors. Made of carbon fiber layers bonded with a solid polymer resin capable of conduct­ing electricity, the multifunctional material can be molded without compromising strength or durability. A complementary technology inte­grates the mechanical strength properties of a honeycomb design with the lightweight char­acteristic of carbon fiber electrodes, resulting in a material that simultaneously exhibits both electrical energy/power storage capability and mechanical strength.

High-performance composite materials have been used widely in industrial applica­tions for decades. Examples include making stronger, lighter aircraft and spacecraft compo­nents. More recently, researchers have begun to integrate other properties into composites, including sensing, actuation, computation and communication. Ciocanel’s brainchild was the idea of embedding the property of power storage into such composites.

Associate Professors Constantin Ciocanel and Cindy Browder

The idea was triggered, Ciocanel says, “by the realization that we are surrounded by many structures with large surface areas. Building walls, solar panels and wind turbine blades, for example, all play a structural role. I wondered whether a structural material could be made that would still provide the mechanical strength required by these structures while simultane­ously storing electricity, by taking advantage of the inherent large surface areas that are a key ingredient for power storage in supercapaci­tor-like systems.”

The potential for bringing this technology to market is exciting. According to the Energy Storage Association, the global energy storage market is growing exponentially, with an annual installation size of more than 40 gigawatts (GW) by 2022 – from an initial base of only 0.34 GW installed in 2012 and 2013.

Ciocanel and Browder are now seeking an industrial partner who can make the technol­ogy scalable to accommodate its potential for growth. “We think that this technology would be very attractive to companies like Tesla, Boeing, GM, BMW and Raytheon,” says Browder. “There’s growing interest in this field.”

While the researchers are busy developing prototypes of the multifunctional material for a variety of industrial applications, they’re also continuing to improve and diversify the technol­ogy. Recently, Ciocanel and Browder have been joined by colleague Gerrick Lindberg, an NAU assistant professor of chemistry who is applying computational physical chemistry methods to help understand the ion transport that is respon­sible for the resin’s conductivity. This work is enabling the team to change the formulation that renders the resin more affordable and eco­logically sustainable.

For more information about licensing NAU’s structural supercapacitor technology, contact NAU Innovations, Northern Arizona University’s technology transfer unit, at NAUinnovations@nau.edu, or call 928-523-4620.

 


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Kerry Bennett | Office of the Vice President for Research
(928) 523-5556 | kerry.bennett@nau.edu

 

Filed Under: College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences, College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NAU Innovations

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