Performance Metrics for Structural Composite Capacitiors

In previous efforts, structural composite capacitors were developed using off-the-shelf starting materials and conventional composites processing techniques [1]. Assuming a stiffness-driven design we showed that while these devices may not perform individual structural or energy storage functions as well as their conventional monofunctional counterparts, on a system level they perform these functions efficiently enough to save mass. In this work we examine the efficacy of these structural capacitors in saving mass for a strength-based design. We also consider the multifunctional performance assuming a stiffness-driven design in which the goal is to save overall system volume. Experiments and analysis show that the best-performing structural capacitors simultaneously reduce overall system mass and volume.