Design and manufacture of a structural battery aircraft demonstrator platform

Abstract

Structural batteries are multifunctional materials capable of storing energy while simultaneously carrying significant loads. Although substantial progress has been made in improving both mechanical and electrical performance at cell level, the technology remains underexplored at system level. This report investigates different cell architectures experimentally to create a purpose-designed structural battery cell for an aircraft demonstrator, and prepares a demonstrator platform consisting of custom designed and commercial mechanical and electrical components. This resulted in a flight-ready aircraft platform, ready for flight once the newest structural battery generation has been implemented in the system.