Degradation of Lithium-Ion Batteries in Aerospace

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries are the technology of choice for a broad range of applications due to their performance and long-term stability. The performance and durability of lithium-ion batteries is heavily impacted by various degradation mechanisms. These include the growth of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) [1] and the deposition of metallic lithium on the surface of the negative electrode, referred to as lithium plating [2]. Long-term SEI growth is the biggest contributor to capacity fade in lithium-ion batteries. Lithium plating, which occurs in low temperature or high current charging, can result in capacity fade or even thermal runaway. In our group we develop multiphysical models and perform simulations for various types of batteries. In order to describe the internal processes of Li-ion batteries, we derive thermodynamic consistent transport theories [3]. Based on these, our group has developed models for long-term SEI growth [4], [5] and for lithium plating in 3D electrode microstructures [6]. Finally, we analyze the processes taking place in Li-ion batteries and observe them during battery operation. Here, we discuss performance and lifetime for the batteries of in-orbit satellite REIMEI [7].