The primary applications of energy storage batteries are large-scale energy storage or electricity storage, which can meet the needs of grid integration for the large-scale development of new energy sources, the energy storage functionality requirements for the development of smart grids, and the energy storage functionality requirements for the development of distributed generation or microgrids. The Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, is one of the earliest institutions in China to conduct research on energy storage technology systems.
"Our team has now formed a complete independent technology system from materials to battery integration. We have developed low-cost separator technology, bipolar plate technology, and solution preparation and evaluation technology that can be used for engineering and industrialization. We are currently striving to carry out in-depth cooperation and interaction with the industry," Yan Chuanwei, a researcher in the Applied Electrochemical Technology Research Group of the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told a reporter from my country Science Daily.
Current Status of Energy Storage Batteries
Regarding the requirements for energy storage batteries, Yan Chuanwei pointed out: First, they must be economical. Only by achieving low cost can commercial development and widespread application be realized. This is the core issue for the development of any new technology. Second, they must be safe. Because an energy storage system is composed of many individual batteries, if the batteries are flammable or explosive, it will lead to great danger. Third, they must be reliable. The batteries and the energy storage system they constitute must be durable and have a low failure rate.
Yan Chuanwei's team has been working on vanadium batteries and discovered that their electrolyte is water-based, unlike some batteries that use flammable organic solvents, thus making them safer. Vanadium batteries can be deeply charged and discharged and have strong resistance to overcharging and over-discharging. The power and capacity of vanadium batteries are independent of each other, making them easy to combine and apply flexibly. Vanadium batteries have good cycle performance and long lifespan. Vanadium batteries are suitable for building large-scale energy storage systems and are relatively easy to manage.
The research team concluded that, compared with other batteries, vanadium batteries have greater potential for technological improvement and more room for reducing the cost per unit power stack, thus possessing potential advantages in terms of economics.
A few years ago, Yan Chuanwei's team also started research on solution physical chemistry, which has now become a highlight of the research group's differentiated development strategy and will also become a factor in their continued competitiveness.
"my country's research level on energy storage batteries is on par with that of developed countries, and is even more advanced in terms of fundamentals," said Yan Chuanwei. "From a technological research and development perspective, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, and the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are among the earliest institutions in China to carry out research and have persisted in continuous, in-depth, and systematic studies."
In the energy storage battery industry, Yan Chuanwei cited Sumitomo Electric Industries, Dalian Rongke, and Beijing Puneng as examples. These companies not only excel in battery stack structure technology but have also undertaken numerous large-scale demonstration and even commercial projects, placing them at the forefront internationally in industrialization exploration. This highlighted the gap between their current capabilities and the industry's current situation.
Seeking a breakthrough in industrialization
As a research team, Yan Chuanwei realized that his team was lagging behind in terms of industrialization, and therefore the team must strengthen its cooperation with industry. "This is essential for the industrialization of new technologies, and also essential for supporting technological research and development."
The industrialization of technology is a comprehensive operation to realize the value of innovators and their scientific achievements. It is a systematic project involving investment, business operations, and technological product development, requiring a high degree of organization and leadership. Yan Chuanwei stated, "We researchers are not the leading class in industrial innovation and development; industrialization must be led and dominated by companies."
Focusing on social needs and user requirements, and taking problem-solving as the guiding principle, is what Yan Chuanwei's team has always adhered to.
In the field of corrosion protection, the team conducts integrated innovation, that is, integrates existing corrosion theories and all available modern technological achievements to solve corrosion bottleneck problems for users and strives to become a reliable supporter and collaborator for the innovative development of equipment in a certain field. In the field of energy storage batteries, the team works closely with the industry to reduce battery costs and improve reliability.
In Yan Chuanwei's view, the industrialization of technological innovation can be achieved through the following models: "garage entrepreneurship," where scientists or technological innovators become entrepreneurs; technology as equity investment, cooperating with capital and established entrepreneurs based on modern corporate systems/rules; and joining a company-led innovation system, which is fundamentally different from the current "street-side" random service, where one does their job according to their responsibilities and produces definite results.
He believes that the first approach is suitable for freelancers; the second approach is reasonable in principle, but it must be a formal and cautious operation at the legal entity level; and the third approach is more suitable for our development situation.
"Whether we enter the industrialization development channel now, enter the industrialization development system in the future, or never enter it deeply, we must have the awareness of industrial development and the awareness of serving society," Yan Chuanwei pointed out. "Our scientific research cannot be for our own amusement; it must have a clear purpose, be based on evidence, and provide results to society."
"In today's society, innovation is driven by the market, and only in this way can a virtuous cycle be achieved. The essence of the market is exchange. We must exchange things of value so that scientists can do science and continue to do it, getting better and better."
Culture is the soul of a team
Yan Chuanwei has another requirement for his research team: culture is the soul.
He believes that culture is the sum of a team's values, encompassing tangible and intangible norms that members collectively follow. It guides everyone to conduct research consciously and automatically (and over time, naturally), and represents the shared habitual actions of all members in their thinking and behavior. Culture also acts as a "glue" that unites the group, giving it shared characteristics; otherwise, the team would lack sustainable competitiveness and development potential.
"Of course, what we have done is still very rudimentary, and it is far from a systematic cultural development. However, we have our own cultural elements to promote."
Yan Chuanwei required the team to determine or define the development direction and strategy, so that everyone would understand the team's goals and significance, the prospects and development space, and the strategies adopted and their basis.
This team promotes a sense of responsibility, discourages inaction, and encourages making mistakes; it focuses on problem-solving and encourages tackling tough challenges; it emphasizes that "doing" means getting things done, not just completing tasks; and it adheres to the principle of unconditionally and thoroughly solving problems for users.
