Search Results

The paper presents a simulation approach to Li-Ion batteries based on geometrically resolved electrodes. This means that solid particles and the space occupied by electrolyte are not overlapping but are represented by contiguous, arbitrarily shaped volumes. The solid-electrolyte interface is explicitly resolved and thus allows detailed modeling of electro-chemical processes that are essential for studying performance of the battery cell. Finite volume method is used to solve the equations governing the mass and thermal energy conservation in solid and electrolyte, as well as the distribution of electric potential. The solution domain is discretized in contiguous control volumes of arbitrary polyhedral shape, with conformal interface between solid and fluid regions. Butler-Volmer equation is used to describe the kinetics of solid-electrolyte interface.

With the increasing focus on the use of lithium ion batteries for traction applications the ability to simulate electrochemical and thermal performance of such batteries is of great interest. This paper details a multi-length scale approach which is used to simulate a single lithium ion pouch cell and compare against some previously published experimental work. This approach is then extended and used as a building block to a much more complex simulation using multiple cells within a battery pack. This technology also simulates the cooling system performance and the inherent coupled behavior of the battery's operation and its thermal environment.