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中文Journalists learned from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences on the 10th that the research team led by Academician Chen Zhongwei has completed field tests of ultra-low temperature lithium batteries in Mohe, Heilongjiang Province. This marks that China’s self-developed battery technology is now capable of supporting various devices with “plug-and-play” functionality in extreme cold conditions, solving the energy supply challenge for batteries in severely cold regions.
According to Associate Professor Zhang Meng, deputy leader of the team in charge of low-temperature battery technology, the team’s independently developed ultra-low temperature battery technology and supporting AI-powered battery management system address key industry challenges—such as sharp activity decline, drastically reduced endurance, and even complete failure of traditional lithium batteries in low temperatures—through innovative designs of low-temperature resistant electrolytes, development of quasi-solid-state functional separators, and the integration of advanced AI-based battery management algorithms.
The DICP team led by Academician Chen Zhongwei completed field tests of the ultra-low temperature lithium batteries in Mohe, Heilongjiang Province. (Photo provided by the research team)
It is reported that, during the tests in an extreme cold environment of minus 34 degrees Celsius, the lithium batteries—without any external insulation measures—retained over 85% of usable capacity after being left idle for more than eight hours, and successfully powered an industrial-grade drone during long-endurance flights and multiple mission simulations.
Zhang Meng stated that this achievement is expected to resolve the long-standing issue of batteries being “afraid of the cold” in polar and subarctic regions, bringing “warm energy” to application scenarios such as forest fire prevention, power grid inspection, and emergency communications in high-cold conditions both in China and globally. The widespread adoption of this technology will strategically enhance China’s energy autonomy and the reliability of technological equipment in extreme cold environments, and also provide Chinese solutions for other regions of the world facing similar challenges.
According to the team, the ultra-low temperature battery technology and AI-based power management system can be widely applied not only in 3C electronics, but also ensure that outdoor operational devices such as logistics drones, inspection drones, and specialized robots can operate without limitations during cold seasons and in low-temperature regions.
