The research team, headed by Professor Zhu Kongjun of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, has unveiled a groundbreaking carbon fiber structural supercapacitor. This innovation holds the promise of enabling drones to incorporate their 'fuselage as a battery', thereby addressing the longstanding challenge of striking a balance between endurance and payload capacity. The team's significant findings have been published in the esteemed journal Advanced Materials.

At present, the fuselages of most drones are constructed from aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite materials, a choice driven by the need to minimize weight. Nevertheless, traditional battery systems have emerged as a bottleneck in further weight reduction efforts, compelling manufacturers to grapple with the trade-off between extending flight time and increasing payload capacity.

Drawing inspiration from the concept of 'integrated structural energy storage', Professor Zhu Kongjun spearheaded the research and development initiative. Zhou Heng, a master's student from the 2023 cohort, played a pivotal role by successfully crafting a prototype that met the stringent criteria after undergoing nearly a hundred experimental trials.

This innovative supercapacitor boasts a storage capacity that is expected to multiply several times over. Moreover, it exhibits superior performance under pressure, along with notable damage resistance and the flexibility to be combined in various configurations.

For further details on the research paper, please visit: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202514323.