In the vigorous development of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, lithium batteries, as a key power source, are leading a profound power revolution, injecting strong impetus into the improvement of UAV performance and the expansion of application scenarios.
Most traditional drones use nickel-metal-hydride batteries and the like as power sources, but these batteries have many drawbacks such as low energy density, short endurance and long charging time, which seriously restrict the development of drones. The emergence of lithium batteries has completely changed this situation. Take the high specific energy and wide temperature range lithium-ion battery developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences as an example. It has been successfully adapted to the new industrial-grade composite wing unmanned aerial vehicle and performed outstandingly in the test flight. This battery has an energy density of up to 400 watt-hours per kilogram, increasing the endurance of the unmanned aerial vehicle by 20% to 40%. The energy density of the battery module reaches 340 watt-hours per kilogram, enabling it to operate stably in a wide temperature range from -40 ° C to + 60 ° C. During the test flight, the unmanned aerial vehicle successfully completed the test procedures such as takeoff, climb, high-speed cruise and landing, and accomplished the 3-hour flight test with high quality, comprehensively verifying the high-efficiency energy reserve capacity and operational stability of the lithium battery.
To achieve such high performance, the R&D team has made breakthroughs in multiple core technologies. Through the innovative design of high-nickel ternary cathode materials and the optimization of silicon-carbon composite anode materials, the specific capacity of the battery has been significantly enhanced. Optimize the capacity matching of the positive and negative electrodes to achieve higher energy storage efficiency; Introduce a specially formulated ultra-low temperature electrolyte to lower the freezing point and ensure the ion conduction performance and charge-discharge efficiency at minus 40 degrees Celsius. Develop new composite separators to enhance stability over a wide temperature range and battery safety. In addition, the advanced multi-layer composite strategy structure design and the optimization of thermal management and packaging processes have further enhanced the battery's energy density, cycle life and temperature adaptability.
In terms of market application, the successful application of high specific energy and wide temperature range lithium batteries has provided reliable power support for unmanned aerial vehicles in cold region operations, emergency rescue, patrol monitoring and other application scenarios. In cold region operations, the performance of traditional batteries drops significantly in low-temperature environments. However, lithium batteries, with their wide temperature range characteristics, can ensure the normal flight of unmanned aerial vehicles and perform tasks such as geographic mapping and environmental monitoring. In emergency rescue scenarios, drones need to respond quickly and have long endurance. The high energy density and long endurance of lithium batteries enable them to reach the accident site promptly to carry out tasks such as material delivery and disaster reconnaissance, thus buying precious time for rescue operations.
With the rise of the low-altitude economy, the market size of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been continuously expanding. The continuous innovation of lithium battery technology will further promote the development of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, enabling it to play a greater role in logistics distribution, agricultural plant protection, film and television shooting and other fields, and inject new vitality into the prosperity of the low-altitude economy.
