Significant improvement in multiple indicators
The invention of flow battery technology has been more than 20 years. With the continuous progress of technology, flow batteries have gradually emerged from the exploration and cultivation period and reached the stage of development and promotion. Unlike the commonly recognized batteries on the market, flow batteries have the characteristic of "modularity", which leads to flexible energy storage time and is very suitable for long-term energy storage; And the energy of the flow battery is stored in the aqueous electrolyte, which is non flammable, so its safety is extremely high. In addition, unlike lithium batteries which undergo material phase transition during charging and discharging, the reaction of flow batteries is inert, and the core materials inside the stack do not participate in this process, making their performance very stable.
Flow batteries are particularly suitable for large-scale long-term energy storage and have been widely used in power supply, power grid, and even industry and commerce, "said Zhang Cheng, CEO of Yifu Energy.
Taking the key component ion exchange membrane in a fuel cell as an example, typically a one megawatt fuel cell requires 600-800 square meters of ion exchange membrane. With the technology of Yifu Energy, only half of the amount is needed to achieve the original effect. Through our 'squeezing', the volume of the fuel cell stack has been reduced by about 45%, the cost has been reduced by about 40%, and the utilization rate of the electrolyte has also increased from 65% to around 80%, "said Zhang Cheng." We have made a rough estimate that if we can lower the installation cost, the market size will grow exponentially in the future
Intuitively speaking, the volume of the fuel cell stack produced by Yifu Energy is half that of products of the same scale, but their output power and energy efficiency are the same. "Our fuel cell stack can achieve a rated current density of 400mA/cm ². In constant current mode, it can achieve 80% energy efficiency, and in constant power mode, it can achieve 81% energy efficiency. However, traditional structure fuel cells can only achieve a rated current density of about 180mA/cm ², so the volume, weight, and cost are all significantly reduced
Enterprises gain market recognition
The development path of Yifu Energy has not been as smooth as imagined - industrializing laboratory products is the top priority for the company.
At first, we thought that from the laboratory to industrialization, it was necessary to make appropriate deductions to quickly and cost effectively launch products. However, reality soon hit us hard, "said Zhang Cheng. In a batch of shipped products, a single battery in a stack had an abnormality, which caused great concern to the team. Later on, we believed that product quality was the soul before pursuing speed and cost. Only by ensuring quality can we consider the issue of subtraction, which is a new lesson for us
Through this matter, we have tried our best to localize the industrial chain, facilitate communication with suppliers, hire relevant talents, and work together with everyone to adapt. Now we have adapted well and our combat effectiveness is constantly strengthening. In the laboratory stage, making prototypes was from 0 to 1. Now, what we need to do is from 1 to 100, and we cannot do without the support of talents and suppliers in this process
Nowadays, Yifu Energy is able to carve out a foothold in the energy storage market, constantly gaining support from investors and customers, thanks to its attention to detail and emphasis on technological research and development. Unlike traditional enterprises that focus on a specific direction, Yifu Energy's R&D team conducts research and development at a more comprehensive level.
Energy storage involves multiple fields, and our team has talents in chemistry, electrochemistry, materials, heat and mass transfer, fluids, electrical and other fields, covering the entire industry chain. The core members of the team have more than ten years of research and development experience, "Zhang Cheng said. Currently, Yifu Energy's technical personnel account for about 40%." As a 'newcomer' in this field, we have been selected as one of the top 30 liquid flow batteries by the industry this year, which is recognized by the industry. However, we still have shortcomings, and the scale and output of the project still need to be accelerated. We are about to complete a new round of financing, which will help us accelerate our development pace
Continuously exploring new tracks
In 2023, Zhang Cheng, who was determined to start his own business, visited multiple cities and ultimately decided to settle in Zhuhai. "We were moved by the sincerity of Xiangzhou District," he said.
We chose Xiangzhou because it is adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau, where we can access cutting-edge technology both domestically and internationally. The government also acts as a bridge for us, connecting us with many cooperative enterprises. The industrial chain in Xiangzhou District is also very complete, paving the way for the development of enterprises. On the other hand, it has an excellent business environment and development prospects, which can better attract and retain talents. Everyone feels a great sense of happiness
Our future development has two directions. Firstly, we will focus on tackling the issue of fuel cells. Currently, most companies in the industry produce complete systems, and we have a certain advantage in this niche field of fuel cells, which can turn our competitors into customers. Secondly, we will seek out some relatively niche and undeveloped tracks, and design products specifically for these areas. Conservatively estimated, the revenue next year will exceed 40 million yuan, and we will strive to exceed 100 million yuan the year after
