Reducing weight and improving energy efficiency are two of the major challenges facing the aerospace industry as it moves toward more sustainable models. In this context, the RE-CELL project is developing a generation of supercapacitors and structural batteries based on recycled carbon fiber, capable of storing energy while becoming part of the aircraft’s own structure.
The initiative, coordinated by SOFITEC and involving AIMPLAS, the Plastic Technology Institute, and I2CON, proposes a paradigm shift in the design of aerospace components through the use of multifunctional materials that combine mechanical properties and energy storage capacity.
The electrification of transportation is key to reducing CO₂ emissions, but in aviation it faces significant limitations due to the weight of batteries and their energy density. RE-CELL addresses this challenge by developing structural composites capable of storing energy, enabling the elimination of independent energy systems and optimizing the aircraft’s total weight.
“The great challenge of electrification in aviation isn’t just storing more energy, but doing so without penalizing weight. Structural batteries enable precisely that: the component itself fulfills a dual structural and energetic function,” explains Esteban Castro, R&D engineer at SOFITEC. These solutions will initially be aimed at non-critical applications, such as cabin lighting systems, laying the groundwork for broader future integration.
One of the project’s distinguishing elements is the use of recycled carbon fiber as the basis for developing these new materials. This strategy not only helps reduce waste in high-composite sectors, but also enables progress toward a circular economy model in the aerospace industry.
Efficient and Sustainable Materials
“In RE-CELL we are not only seeking new materials that are more efficient, but also more sustainable. We are working to give carbon fiber a second life and turn it into a high-value resource within demanding aerospace applications,” notes Fernando Ramos, researcher in Sustainable and Future Mobility at AIMPLAS. To that end, the project is developing advanced recycling and fiber treatment processes, as well as their integration into polymer matrices capable of delivering both structural and electrochemical performance.
The project not only tackles the development of new materials, but also some of the major scientific challenges that have limited the real-world application of structural batteries, such as the development of functional solid electrolytes, the variability of recycled fibers, and the complexity of the coupled behavior between mechanical and electrochemical properties.
“One of the project’s main advances is addressing phenomena that until now were studied separately, such as ionic conduction and the mechanical behavior of the material. That integrated approach is key to moving toward real-world applications,” says Florin Ardelean, researcher in modeling and computational simulation at I2CON. To meet these challenges, the consortium combines materials design, multiphysics modeling, and experimental validation, bringing this technology closer to industrial application.
The project will culminate with the fabrication and validation of a full-scale demonstrator, integrated into a component linked to an aircraft’s landing gear. This step will allow evaluating the technology’s performance under representative conditions and advancing its industrialization. “Developing a real demonstrator is essential to validate not only the material, but also its processing and integration into aerospace industrial environments,” emphasizes Esteban Castro, SOFITEC’s R&D engineer.
