Numerical and experimental study of electrochemical energy storage and load-bearing towards forward design of structural supercapacitors

Structural supercapacitors (SSCs), a key technology for lightweighting and extending the range of electric automotive vehicles and drones, can achieve energy storage and load-bearing simultaneously. However, the development of SSCs is hindered by the lack of solutions for customized design and manufacturing. In this work, we demonstrate the technical feasibility of customized design and manufacturing of SSCs by using finite element simulations. First, COMSOL, Digimat and Abaqus were used to create simulation models and evaluate their electrochemical performance and mechanical performance, respectively. Second, SSCs are fabricated on the basis of simulation models, and their electrochemical and mechanical performance is evaluated, with errors of 12.0 % for capacitance and 8.0 % for modulus between simulation and experiment values, confirming model’s reliability. Third, a customized structural supercapacitor is designed and fabricated. This device exhibited excellent electrochemical performance (areal specific capacitance of 46.50 mF cm −2 ) and mechanical performance (bending modulus of 7.25 GPa). This work not only demonstrates a high-performance structural supercapacitor but also provides a novel approach for the customized design and manufacturing of SSCs on the basis of specific customer requirements.