Wang Chaoyang (L2) works in extreme cold weather with his team members. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]
The smooth operation of new energy vehicles serving at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games was due to the efforts of Wang Chaoyang, an expert in getting batteries to work in extremely low temperatures.
"I was thrilled. It is the greatest hope for scientists and engineers like me to see our technology being used and changing people's lives," said Wang, a member of the US National Academy of Inventors who was born in Rui'an city of Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province and graduated from Rui'an Middle School in 1980.
It took Wang and his team more than 10 years to figure out how to get electric vehicles to run in extreme cold weather, as EVs usually cannot be charged, discharged or even started in such conditions.
Wang's team discovered the potential of nickel foil, which can work as a "warm paste" when embedded within the lithium battery and help heat it to a suitable operating temperature in a short amount of time.
Wang's technology stands out as it does not require any changes in the manufacturing technique or materials used for lithium batteries. But the success did not come easily - Wang tried several hundred kinds of materials before finding something that worked.
"I was grateful for everyone's dedication to the technology and I hope that it will be put on the market as soon as possible," Wang added.
