To meet sustainability objectives in the transport sector, natural fiber (NF) and recycled carbon fiber (RCF) have been developed, although they have been typically limited to low to medium performance components. This work has considered the effect of interlayer hybridization of woven NF and non-woven RCF with woven virgin carbon fibers (VCF) on the mechanical and damping performance of hybrid laminates, produced using double bag vacuum infusion (DBVI). The mean damping ratio of the pure laminates showed a trend of NF>RCF>VCF, which was inversely proportional to their modulus. The tensile, flexural and damping properties of hybrid laminates were dominated by the outermost ply. The VCF-RCF and VCF-NF hybrid laminates showed a comparatively greater mean damping ratio. The results of this work demonstrate a method for the uptake of alternative materials with a minimal impact on the mechanical properties and improved damping performance.

Strain rate sensitivity has been widely recognized as a significant feature of the dynamic mechanical properties of lithium-ion cells, which are important for their accurate representation in automotive crash simulations. This research sought to improve the precision with which dynamic mechanical properties can be determined from drop tower impact testing through the use of a diaphragm to minimize transient shock loads and to constrain off-axis motion of the indenter, specialized impact absorbers to reduce noise, and observation of displacement with a high speed camera. Inert pouch cells showed strain rate sensitivity in an increased stiffness during impact tests that was consistent with the poromechanical interaction of the porous structure of the jellyroll with the liquid electrolyte. The impact behaviour of the inert pouch cells was similar to that of an Expanded Polypropylene foam (EPP), with the exception that the inert pouch cells did not show hysteretic recovery under the weight of the indenter. This suggests that the dynamic mechanical behaviour of the inert pouch cells is analogous to a highly damped foam.

The inspection of the quality of welds in battery packs plays an important role in ensuring safety during the manufacturing and operation of energy-storage devices in automotive vehicles during service. This research investigated the novel application of laser Doppler vibrometry, a widely used non-destructive optical technique for modal analysis, to the post-weld evaluation of micro-TIG-welded interconnections in lithium-ion supercells. The experimental modal analysis showed features in the modal models of the supercells that were unique to their welding conditions. The comparisons between the supercells showed an absence of linear correlations between the modal parameters and the welding current, as well as differences in the welding parameters obtained from the negative and positive terminals of the cylindrical cells. These findings suggested that the modal parameters of the supercells were more strongly influenced by the rigidity of the structural materials than by the localized compliance of the welded interconnections. While this investigation demonstrated a method for using laser Doppler vibrometry to distinguish between different welding conditions in lithium-ion supercells at a structural level, further development is needed to identify the weld quality of individual interconnections.