Charging performance of precipitating lithium batteries based on reference electrodes

Abstract

The battery system is the critical component to supporting the next generation of advanced power grids. However, parasitic lithium plating reactions can be triggered by improper charging and discharging strategies, leading to a significant compromise of the charge-discharge performance of batteries. Centered on ternary lithium-ion batteries, the degradation of charge performance due to lithium plating is elucidated through the utilization of a reference electrode-based approach in this study, followed by the implementation of measures to regulate safe charging currents. Diverse temperature-dependent charge-discharge cycling experiments are initially designed to evaluate batteries under both low-temperature and high-temperature cycling. Subsequently, the calibration of safe charging curves is conducted using a reference electrode, and the negative electrode potential of batteries undergoing high-temperature cycling is analyzed. The occurrence of lithium plating in batteries subjected to high-temperature cycling is identified, resulting in an average charging current reduction of 61.7% compared to pristine cells. Furthermore, a comprehensive charge state-temperature-current contour map is established for batteries with lithium plating. A reduction of 69.84% in the charging current region above 200 A is demonstrated through comparative analysis with the contour map of pristine batteries. A quantitative metric for assessing the degradation of charge performance in batteries with lithium plating is provided by this study, underscoring the necessity of considering these factors in the comprehensive lifecycle management of lithium-ion batteries.

Keywords

• precipitating lithium battery
• reference electrode
• negative potential
• charge calibration
• charge performance
• contour map