Battery in the body - will it work?

The battery as it is - everyone can see. This well-known saying, carried over to the automotive industry, will seem clear to all car users. After all, it is clear that a battery installed under the hood is used to start the vehicle. But will we see the same car battery in the future? Designers under the sign "iron" argue that this is not so obvious.

Where to find the battery? Everywhere!

Volvo engineers have developed technology that will allow you to store energy relatively easily without the need for a traditional battery that takes up less and less space. According to their idea, "batteries" will be built in - in the form of special panels (see photo), in various parts of the body, such as the hood, doors, tailgate or roof of the car. However, this is not about traditional solutions, but about a combination of carbon fiber and polymer resin. Thanks to the latter, it is possible to create a very perfect nanomaterial, which, in the greatest technological brevity, will allow the so-called. supercapacitors. Thanks to this technology, the aforementioned elements of the car will be able to store energy, which will then be used for various tasks. It is important that this material has the appropriate ductility and stiffness, which will be similar to the traditional design.

Primarily hybrids.

Supercapacitors based on carbon fiber and polymer resin should be used primarily in hybrid vehicles. Suffice it to say that in their case, traditional batteries can take up to 15 percent. the total weight of the car, so a lot is at stake. Another problem is the elimination of traditional batteries, the production and subsequent disposal of which entails significant environmental requirements, which means that their manufacturers spend significant financial resources. The energy stored in various parts of the body will be used primarily to start the hybrid car's electric motor and therefore start moving. In addition, it can perform various tasks. Among the latter, Volvo engineers note, in particular, the power of road lights, wipers or an audio system. Supercapacitors should be charged, as in the case of batteries currently in use, by recuperating energy from braking, as well as by simply plugging them into an AC outlet. According to the designers, energy charging will be much faster than in the case of a conventional battery.

Viable, but is it safe?

Thanks to the material used in the construction of supercapacitors, namely carbon fiber, they will last much longer than traditional batteries. No. If practical tests of a new technological solution for a car battery are confirmed by theoretical assumptions, then a modern battery located, for example, in the trunk lid, will be enough to replace the traditional battery used in cars today. Another issue is the safety of such supercapacitors. Their designers will have to unequivocally answer two main questions: how will innovative "batteries" affect travelers while driving, and what will happen to the accumulated energy in the event of an accident?

A bit of history (battery)

Early hybrid vehicles (including the Toyota Prius I) used nickel metal hydrogen (NiMH) batteries. These have been replaced in current models by more advanced lithium-ion batteries, offering higher voltage ratings and higher energy densities. These batteries are also characterized by a higher number of charge and discharge cycles and a significantly lower self-discharge rate than the previously used nickel-metal-hydrogen batteries.