Ni/Zn Cell Simulations on a Continuum Scale

Kurzfassung

The shift to renewable energy and increasing electricity demand requires the development of low-cost, reliable and sustainable energy storage solutions. Nickel-zinc (Ni/Zn) batteries offer competitive specific energy and power densities while relying on largely low-cost resources with the benefit of being environmentally friendly and non-flammable [1,2]. However, crucial re-search topics as the zinc shape change at the Zn anode, proton intercalation processes at the Ni cathode and gas formation leading to cell dry-out are still incompletely understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we have developed a physics-based 3D+1D continuum model incorporating thermodynamic principles and volume averaging techniques and based on an existing Li-ion battery framework [3]. This allows to observe the redistribution of chemical species and phases during operation (e.g. zinc) [4]. Simulation results based on experimental validation provide insights for a better understanding of the Ni/Zn cell, which can help to enhance performance and to extend cycle life. Acknowledgements: This project has received funding from the EU's Horizon 2020 research and inno-vation programme under grant agreement No 963576 (LoLaBat – Long Lasting Batteries). Keywords: nickel-zinc, physical modelling, charge/discharge simulation, zinc shape change References: 1. McBreen, J. Journal of Power Sources 1994, 51 (1-2), 37–44. DOI: 10.1016/0378-7753(94)01954-1 2. Reddy, T. B. Linden's Handbook of Batteries, 4th ed.; McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, 2011 3. Latz, A.; Zausch, J. Journal of Power Sources 2011, 196 (6), 3296–3302. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpow-sour.2010.11.088 4. Schmitt, T.; Arlt, T.; Manke, I.; Latz, A.; Horstmann, B. Journal of Power Sources 2019, 432, 119–132. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.126649