Solid Electrolyte Based Structural Supercapacitors

Abstract

Supercapacitors, also called electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs), are attracting significant attention because of their fast charge/discharge capability, long cycle lives and are potentially applied for the electrical vehicles, airplanes as well as satellites. Aiming at light weight structure design, the concept of structural supercapacitors is introduced. These devices are multifunctional composites storing (and delivering) electrical energy whilst carrying mechanical loads simultaneously. To realize the structural supercapacitors, solid state electrolytes are utilized because which could usually avoid safety issues. Additionally, the devices are free from coarse container, which is important for the light weight structures. Li1.4Al0.4Ti1.6(PO4)3 (LATP) solid electrolyte is used for the present work, due to its high ionic conductivity at ambient temperature, stability against ambient atmosphere and convenience of producing. The multifunctional properties of the embedded composites were characterized by electrical measurements, mechanical tests and coupling tests. To further enlarge the capacitance and meantime reduce resistance of the device, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as electrode active materials were introduced into the LATP pellet.