Structural pOweR CompositEs foR futurE civil aiRcraft (SORCERER) Group

SORCERER will develop revolutionary lightweight electrical energy storing composite materials for future electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. Building on previous research, novel lightweight supercapacitor composites, structural battery and structural energy generating composite materials will be developed for aeronautical application and demonstrated on the systems level. Systems level demonstrators will range from table-top systems for structural batteries and energy harvesting materials to aircraft components for structural supercapacitors.

The SORCERER consortium consist of the world leading research groups on structural power composites. The team has an outstanding scientific track record in research covering all aspects of structural power composites development and manufacture including: multifunctional matrices (solid polymer electrolyte) and carbon fibres (i.e. constituents); separator materials and designs; structural electrodes; connectivity and power management and materials modelling and design.

In SORCERER, we will build on these experiences to adapt current structural power composites solutions for aeronautical applications, as well as to develop new materials and devices specifically for aircraft. By the end of the project, each technology, i.e. structural supercapacitor, battery and power generation device, will have matured and raised at least one step on the TRL scale. In particular, the developed devices will be demonstrated on the systems level. For all structural battery and power generation composite materials, this project will be the world’s first demonstration on that level of complexity

SORCERER is funding by EU Horizon 2020 Programme (H2020-EU.3.4.5.1. #738085) which is part of the Clean Sky2 Funding Scheme (CS2-RIA - Research and Innovation action).

Chalmers

The Chalmers Group research into structurally integrated energy storage focusing on; multifunctional materials implementation, efficient design methodologies, damage tolerance modelling, structural analysis, design and certification methods. The research in lightweight composites materials and structures aims to increase analysis capability to allow increased virtual testing, and hence reduce cost related to physical testing.

The Chalmers Group is grateful to the US Airforce via its European Office of Aerospace Research and Development (EOARD): Damage Tolerance and Durability of Structural Power Composites (FA9550-17-1-0338 and FA9550-17-1-0244) for additional funding.

Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers Projects: SORCERER
Chalmers Projects: Damage Tolerance and Durability of Structural Power Composites
Chalmers - Airbus Collaboration on Multifunctional Materials

The Chalmers Group led by Leif E Asp, Patrik Johansson, and Peter Linde. The group consists of Fredrik Larsson, Kenneth Runesson, Fang Liu, Torbjörn Thiringer, Johanna Xu, Ralf Jänicke, David Carlstedt, Shanghong Duan, Marcus Johansen, Vinh Tu, and Zeyang Geng.

IMDEA

IMDEA’s researchers have carried out work on the fabrication and study of structural power composites since 2013. The team from IMDEA Materials and IMDEA Energy Institutes combines expertise in nanomaterials synthesis, laminated composite fabrication and simulation, fire retardancy, electrochemical energy storage processes and multi-scale characterisation. Through partnership with companies from the transport sector, the team addresses challenges such as scale-up, performance in service, fire safety and analysis of weight reductions.

Amongst the different routes to produce structural composites, IMDEA has pioneered the use of energy-storing interleaves comprising nanostructured electrodes and fire-safe polymer electrolytes, integrated in laminated composites using patterns that maximise interlaminar properties and energy density. Through use of carbon nanotube fibre current collectors, metallic foils are eliminated from power composites, drastically improving fatigue properties and electrochemical stability.

The IMDEA Multifunctional Nanocomposites Group is grateful to the European Research Council: Structural Energy Harvesting Composite Materials (STEM 678565), ERC starting grant (STEM 705365), and Comunidad de Madrid for additional funding.

IMDEA Materials
IMDEA Energy
IMDEA Multifunctional Nanocomposites Group
IMDEA Projects: SORCERER

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IMDEA team working on structural power composites led by Juan José Vilatela. The group consists of Rebeca Marcilla, Jesús Palma, Federico Sket, Carlos González, De-Yi Wang, Vinodkumar Etacheri, Maciej Haranczyk, Srdjan Milenkovic, Jon Molina, Anastasiia Mikhalchan, Moumita Rana, Afshin Pendashteh, Juan Pedro Fernández, Yunfu Ou, Abdulmalik Yusuf, Nagaraj Patil, and Venkata Sai Avvaru.

Imperial College London

The ICL Structural Power Composites Group is developing new materials which store energy and carry load. The primary focus of the group's research and development is into structural supercapacitors; from investigating suitable materials including the synthesis of electrodes/scaffolds and electrolytes, to scalable manufacturing/architectures and modelling to produce world leading components.

The ICL Structural Power Composites Group is grateful to the UK Research and Innovation: Beyond Structural - Multifunctional Composites that Store Electrical Energy (EP/P007465/1), The Future Composites Manufacturing Hub (EP/P006701/1) and the US Airforce via its European Office of Aerospace Research and Development (EOARD): FA9550-17-1-0251 for additional funding.

Imperial College London
ICL Composites Centre
ICL Structural Power Composites Group

ICL Structural Power Composites Group led by Emile S Greenhalgh, Milo SP Shaffer, and Anthony RJ Kucernak. The group consists of Vito Tagarielli, Koon-Yang Lee, Ajit Panesar, Sang N Nguyen, Evgeny A Senokos, Guocheng Qi, David B Anthony, Francesca Pernice (photo not included), Maria Valkova, Kalpana Balaskandan, Seyedalireza Razavi and Chanhui Lee. Former members include Habtom Desta Asfaw, Kaan Bilge, and Guohui Zhang (photos not included).

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

The KTH group is investigating how to improve structural batteries through the study of each cell’s components, from electrolytes, electrodes and separators, to encapsulation. Current studies include the evaluation and modelling of the total multifunctional material properties over conventional monofunctional materials, and the energy generation potential of multifunctional materials.

The KTH Group is grateful to the Swedish Energy Agency: Structural Batteries for Efficient Vehicles (P37712-1); Swedish Research Council: Exploring Piezo-electrochemical Effects on Carbon Fibres (2014-04577) and Multi-functional Carbon Composite Materials (2017-03898), and the US Airforce via its European Office of Aerospace Research and Development (EOARD): Damage Tolerance and Durability of Structural Power Composites (FA9550-17-1-0244) for additional funding.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

KTH Group led by Dan Zenkert, Göran Lindbergh, and Mats KG Johansson. The group consists of Johan Hagberg, Niklas Ihrner, Wilhelm Johannisson, Karl Bouton, Ross Harnden, Kevin Peuvot, Lynn Maria Schneider, Yasemin Duygu Yücel, Martina Cattaruzza, and Samuel Emilsson.

Collaborators

SORCERER also collaborates with academics from other institutes including Dmitry Ivanov from University of Bristol, and Natasha Shirshova from Durham University. Their research interests includes innovative manufacturing methods and bi-phasic structural electrolytes for increased mechanical and electrical properties, respectively.

University of Bristol

Durham University

Collaborators Dmitry Ivanov from the University of Bristol, and Natasha Shirshova and former member Wen Dong (Victor) Quan (photo not included) from the Durham University.

SORCERER