Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 28 Development of Gaseous Batteries

"Mr. Chen! Please follow me!" Engineer Li led the way, taking the two to the battery laboratory on the fourth floor.

The enclosed battery laboratory on the fourth floor of Yuantu New Energy.

After confirming the quantity of materials and the status of equipment in the battery laboratory, Chen Mo signed the battery laboratory checklist.

Mr. Li left his phone number and then departed.

As Zhao Tiezhu followed Chen Mo into the changing room for protective equipment, he deliberately bumped into him with his shoulder.

"Brother Chen, did you see that? When President Xu was flipping through our files just now, he didn't even lift his eyelids, like he was looking at some cheap Chinese medicine advertisement on a telephone pole!"

Instead of changing into his protective suit, he plopped down in a swivel chair, spun around rapidly with his toes pushing off the ground, the hem of his blue overalls billowing out in an arc.

"Does he think we're just here to make a show of things?"

Chen Mo took two sets of protective gear from the disinfection cabinet and tossed a cap to Zhao Tiezhu.

"Haha! When did you switch careers to become a detective? Why are you worrying about other people's business? Just focus on doing your own thing!"

"That's called knowing yourself and your enemy, and you'll win every battle!" Zhao Tiezhu grabbed his swivel chair to steady himself. "The security guard at the gate said that this company used to pay salaries in the middle of the month, but now it's delayed until the end of the month. He even said they'd pay next month!"

He suddenly lowered his voice: "I just smelled cigarette smoke on this Mr. Xu! I offered him cigarettes a few days ago, but he didn't smoke at all!"

Zhao Tiezhu believes that if a non-smoker suddenly starts smoking, it's either because he's feeling stifled or because he's short of money.

Judging from Mr. Xu's handsome appearance, he should have no shortage of women around him if he wanted to, so he must be struggling financially.

Chen Mo didn't think as deeply as Zhao Tiezhu. He raised an eyebrow, tugged at the tightness of his 3M protective goggles, and clapped his hands together: "So?"

"Hey! Brother Chen! You just don't understand!" Zhao Tiezhu jumped up, grabbing his hair cap. "We could totally negotiate a 'friendship price' with him! For example..."

He counted on his fingers: "They'll cover the material consumption, and we'll give them an 80% discount on the rent. We can even help them dispose of some of their stockpiled electrolyte raw materials, so that they don't have to pay for waste disposal if their company goes bankrupt!"

"Stop! Stop! Stop!"

Chen Mo raised his hand, pressed down on his head, and pushed him toward the disinfection cabinet in the changing room.

"You're getting more and more out of control. We're here to rent a lab for research and development, not to haggle over prices at the market."

"If you offend someone over such a small amount of money, believe me, they might shut down the lab's power tomorrow?"

Zhao Tiezhu chuckled, shrinking his neck, "Brother Chen, what you're saying... I'm just trying to save you money! Besides..."

He suddenly took the protective suit and moved closer to Chen Mo.

"Since you're not short of this little bit of money, Brother Chen, why not give me eighteen months' bonus in advance? Consider it a good omen for Orange 1's future huge sales!"

"Ha! Why don't you just say you'll work eighteen months of extra hours in advance?" Chen Mo kicked his butt: "Get the hell out of here and put on your protective boots. If you keep talking nonsense, believe me, I'll make you guard the reactor all night."

Zhao Tiezhu pulled up the two buttons on the collar of his protective suit in front of the mirror. The full-length mirror in the changing room reflected the two fully armed figures.

"Let's go!" Chen Mo walked ahead. "Today, we'll first build the electrolyte synthesis environment model!"

Zhao Tiezhu said he didn't know anything about it, and Chen Mo told him to just follow orders and do some errands for him.

The two entered a separate explosion-proof operating room, where a high-pressure reactor was located.

A week was enough time for Chen Mo to refer to the gaseous lithium battery production plan provided by the system in his mind, and through technical verification, he handcrafted several physical prototypes in the laboratory.

On the first day, Chen Mo needed to use supercritical carbon dioxide to simulate the synthesis environment of gaseous electrolytes. He first established a control model of the gaseous electrolyte synthesis environment on the computer in the laboratory.

Once the model is established, the actual environment for the synthesis of gaseous electrolytes can be precisely controlled by computer.

Although the system provides optimal parameters for the gaseous electrolyte molecular dynamics model, Chen Mo knows that these optimal parameters are only for reference due to differences in environment and equipment in the actual model.

While it would be ideal to achieve the requirements of the optimal production process, in reality, you will definitely use whatever environment and equipment you have available.

To use the optimal production process provided by the system, Chen Mo would have to set up a level 3 cleanroom according to the process requirements, purchase the necessary equipment for the production chain, and train skilled workers.

The initial costs would be astronomical; Orange Technology simply can't handle that right now.

Chen Mo began directing Zhao Tiezhu to help him move the carbon dioxide cylinders over, preparing to inject them into the high-pressure reactor.
Soon after, Chen Mo officially began using critical carbon dioxide to simulate the synthesis environment of gaseous electrolytes and obtain parameters for controlling the synthesis environment.

It takes at least 100 sets of parameters to build a reliable model.

A set of parameters can be obtained in about 5 minutes; the process is mechanical and monotonous. Zhao Tiezhu, who originally viewed scientific research as an infinitely "noble" matter with a sacred filter, gradually became numb to the mechanical process of injecting gas and pressurizing.

Chen Mo did not choose the networked data model of the laboratory computer, but instead used the offline data model of his second-hand laptop.

In the gaps of the high-pressure reactor, Chen Mo observed the corresponding values ​​of the peaks and troughs on the computer's reaction line graph, and began to manually input the calibrated parameter data model into his second-hand laptop.

Some abnormal peaks and troughs in the data indicate that the carbon dioxide has not reached the critical state, so they are invalid data. Chen Mo has to manually remove these interfering data.

As for Zhao Tiezhu, he couldn't do this delicate work, so he could only find a stool by the high-pressure reactor and mechanically repeat the gas injection and pressurization operations.

Meanwhile, Xu Mingyuan returned to his office on the third floor, tossed Chen Mo's document on gaseous lithium batteries onto his desk, and began making phone calls to find new investors.

It's important to know that China's support for new energy is overt, including not only subsidies.

Moreover, when international oil prices rise, the three major oil companies also raise their prices, but when international oil prices fall, the three major oil companies do not. Therefore, solid-state batteries are definitely a promising project.

"Hello! Mr. Shen! It's me! Xu Mingyuan, we met back at Bell Labs in North America! I'm back in China working on solid-state batteries."

It's a pity! Although Xu Mingyuan knows some investors, when asked, they all say they are interested in solid-state drives, and when asked to come and investigate, they say they don't have time in the short term.

The reason is simple: CATL, a long-established domestic giant in the lithium battery industry, is starting to spin off its power battery division and is about to establish CATL New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., which will specialize in power batteries for new energy vehicles.

Compared to Xu Mingyuan's seemingly precarious Yuantu New Energy Technology Company, these investors are clearly more interested in CATL New Energy Technology Company, which is backed by a giant and is currently in the process of preparation.

Venture capitalists also need to make money; they're not doing things that provide timely help.

Most importantly, Xu Mingyuan has never proven himself and currently has no solid-state battery technology that can be marketed. His company is also teetering on the brink of collapse and could go bankrupt at any time, so naturally no venture capitalists would be willing to lend a helping hand.

In the end, Xu Mingyuan failed to secure investment. In order to recover the shares held by his two partners and maintain the company's operation, it seems he will have to sell his house.

He leaned back in his office chair, looking up at the ceiling with a hint of frustration.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Engineer Li, wearing thick black-rimmed glasses, walked in. He nervously handed Xu Mingyuan a confirmation list of laboratory materials and equipment signed by Chen Mo, as well as a letter of resignation.

Xu Mingyuan's Adam's apple bobbed, but in the end he did not try to stop him.

"Engineer Li! Can you tell me where you've gone?"

Looking into Xu Mingyuan's sincere gaze, Engineer Li hesitated for a moment.

"Hu Jianning's power battery division next door is going to be spun off into a new company that makes power batteries, Mr. Xu! You know I have a wife and kids to support."

Better yet!

Xu Mingyuan knew that it was a giant in the domestic consumer electronics lithium battery market (mobile phones, tablets, home energy storage), and the undisputed leader in the domestic electronic lithium battery industry.

What he didn't know was that Ningde's lithium battery division, as well as its spun-off power battery division, had become the world's leading consumer lithium battery and power battery manufacturer.

"A new player with a powerful backer has entered the game!" Xu Mingyuan sighed bitterly.

Remembering how Li had stayed up day and night with him in the lab, even neglecting his daughter, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally patted Li on the shoulder.

"Engineer Li! I understand!" Xu Mingyuan smiled bitterly, "Actually, it's good to go to a big company like Ningde; it's stable."

Li opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Xu Mingyuan turned around and waved: "Let's go!" His voice echoed in the empty office.

"Give my regards to Ning's technical director, and tell him that the road ahead is still long, and he may not be guaranteed a win!"

In the end, Engineer Li remained silent and quietly left the office.

After a long while, Xu Mingyuan walked out of the company somewhat dejectedly, leaving the gaseous lithium battery information that Chen Mo had given him on his desk.

That evening, the battery laboratory of Yuantu New Energy Technology Company was still brightly lit.

To ensure that the synthesis environment model data of the key gaseous electrolyte was not leaked, Chen Mo did not leave the laboratory for a single moment, and Zhao Tiezhu brought back his meals from outside.

In addition, in order to expedite production and obtain the test report as soon as possible to apply for production licenses and patents.

Chen Mo doesn't plan to leave the battery lab for the next week; he'll be living and eating there.

(End of this chapter)