JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #61 - November/December 2010 - 31

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Prepreg materials investigated as a storage battery for future cars
Carbon nanotubes

Advanced Composites Group’s materials are being investigated for use as a power storage medium that could revolutionize car design and manufacturing. The company is engaged in a €3.4 million project with scientists to develop a new composite material which could revolutionize car design and manufacturing.
About Imperial College London

FEATURE “Automotive”

Application

nnounced at the beginning of February 2010 by the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, the project is aimed at developing cars which will be powered by their own bodywork. Researchers from Imperial College London and their European partners, including Volvo Car Corporation and ACG, are developing a prototype material which will be lightweight and strong enough to be used for car body parts and also discharge sufficient electrical energy to power a car. With assistance from ACG, they are also planning to investigate the most effective method for manufacturing the composite material at an industrial level. 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.

For the first stage of the project, the scientists are planning to further develop ACG’s 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. This should increase the surface area of the material, and also improve its capacity to store more energy.

The project co-ordinator, Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, says: “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

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. More information: www.advanced-composites.co.uk www.imperial.ac.uk

No61 November - December 2010 / jec composites magazine

The 3-year European Union-funded project includes researchers from the Departments The team improve the material’s mechanical properties by growing carbon nanotubes on the surface of the carbon fibres of Chemistry, Aeronautics and Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College London. In addition to ACG, European academic and industrial partners include Swerea SICOMP INASCO Hella, , Chalmers, Nanocyl, Volvo Car Corporation, Bundesanstalt Fur Materialforschung undprufung, ETC Battery and Fuel Cells Sweden. 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 are at the first stage of this project and there is a long way to go, but we think our composite material shows real promise.”

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #61 - November/December 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #61 - November/December 2010
