US Patent 12094654 Storing energy in carbon fiber-based electric vehicle body panels

Energized composites include vertically aligned graphene on carbon fibers (VGCF). The VGCF enhances surface area available for charge storage, acts as templates for depositing other charge storing materials and provides stability for a minimum of 100,000 discharge cycles. The final storage device is in the order of high strength carbon fiber matrix with active material, glass fiber separator with polymer electrolyte and another carbon fiber matrix with active material. To achieve higher voltage or current, devices can be connected in series or parallel, respectively. The whole structure is made into a structural component by infusing epoxy resin. An alternating pattern of energy storage devices allows for the epoxy resin to seep through the whole structure and strongly bind them to make a monolith multifunctional composite. The high strength energized composites can power any electrical devices including electric vehicles, portable electronics, and space vehicles without any tradeoff between energy and structural integrity.