Structural Battery

A structural battery is a multifunctional material or structure that acts as an electrochemical energy storage device, a battery, while also carrying mechanical load as part of a vehicle or device structure, rather than being a separate, purely electrical component bolted onto a load-bearing frame. This dual role, serving simultaneously as a power source and a structural part, is particularly valuable where reducing weight matters most, such as in electric vehicles and unmanned aerial systems, since it lets a designer avoid carrying a conventional battery weight in addition to its structure own weight. Two main engineering approaches are pursued: embedding conventional battery cells directly within composite structural materials, and building laminated electrodes that integrate the energy storage function with the structural reinforcement itself.