Embedded Structural Batteries in Aircraft Fuselage Walls
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft fuselage design is limited by the weight and volume of batteries needed for electrical energy, and there is a need for cost-efficient cooling mechanisms for these batteries during operation.
Innovation Solution
Embedding structural batteries within the fuselage walls, which provide both structural support and energy storage, and using ambient airflow for convective cooling to reduce the need for additional batteries and enhance weight and volume efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If separate batteries are added to the aircraft fuselage for electrical energy storage, then the energy capacity increases, but the weight and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the battery structure with the fuselage skin into a single integrated component. The battery electrodes are formed as integral parts of the fuselage skin layers, eliminating the need for separate battery housings and structural components. This merging of functions directly reduces the overall weight while maintaining both energy storage and structural support capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuselage skin is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the aircraft while also serving as the battery structure for energy storage. The skin layers contain electrodes that function both as structural elements and as energy storage components, achieving multi-functionality that reduces the need for additional separate components.
2Use of energy by moving object
If separate batteries are added to the aircraft fuselage for electrical energy storage, then the energy capacity increases, but the volume occupied increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery structure is merged with the fuselage skin, allowing the same physical space to serve dual purposes. The skin panels that form the outer shell of the fuselage also contain the battery electrodes, eliminating the need for separate battery compartments and reducing the overall volume required for energy storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuselage skin performs the dual function of providing external protection and structural support while simultaneously housing the battery electrodes for energy storage. This multi-functionality allows the aircraft to carry more energy capacity without increasing the overall volume of the fuselage.
3Temperature
If additional cooling mechanisms are added to cool the batteries during operation, then the thermal management improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fuselage skin structure itself provides the cooling function for the battery electrodes through its inherent design. The skin panels are configured to allow ambient airflow to pass over them, and the battery electrodes are positioned within the skin structure to be directly cooled by this airflow. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate active cooling systems while maintaining effective thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuselage skin serves multiple functions including structural support, aerodynamic protection, and thermal management of the battery electrodes. By integrating the cooling function into the skin structure itself, the system avoids adding separate cooling mechanisms, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining effective temperature control during battery operation.
4Strength
If the fuselage skin is made thicker to provide structural support, then the structural strength increases, but the weight and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fuselage skin is constructed as a composite structure with multiple layers, including outer skin panels and inner skin panels with different material properties. The battery electrodes are integrated within these composite layers, allowing the structure to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio. The composite construction enables the skin to provide adequate structural support without requiring excessive thickness that would increase weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery electrode structure is merged with the fuselage skin layers, allowing the same material and structural elements to provide both structural support and energy storage functions. This integration eliminates the need for additional structural material that would be required if batteries were added as separate components, thereby maintaining strength while controlling weight.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach eliminates the need for separate batteries, increases weight and volume efficiency, and enables cost-effective rapid cooling of embedded batteries during flight.
Implementation Method 1
Structural batteries are multifunctional devices that carry mechanical loads while also storing electrical energy. Structural batteries may be fabricated from sheets and/or plies of carbon fiber and/or carbon composite material that are separated by voltaic piles and/or laced with lithium ions.
Implementation Method 2
In some examples, the embedded structural batteries may be conductively cooled.
Implementation Method 3
using ambient airflow for convective cooling to reduce the need for additional batteries and enhance weight and volume efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Aircraft fuselage apparatus having embedded structural batteries are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a fuselage having a wall. The wall has an outer surface, an inner surface, and a structural battery embedded in the wall between the outer surface and the inner surface.