Modelling the current-dependent voltage behaviour of LFP batteries

This thesis investigates how a deliberately compact, TLM-inspired electrical model can reproduce the rate-dependent blurring of voltage plateaus in an LFP–graphite cell, while keeping complexity compatible with embedded applications. The focus is on moderate C-rates, where electrolyte and charge-tra...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Gil Fernández, David
Tipo de recurso: tesis de maestría
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/449901
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/449901
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Lithium ion batteries
Electric batteries -- Mathematical models
Energy storage
Bateries d'ió liti
Bateries elèctriques -- Models matemàtics
Energia -- Emmagatzematge
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Energies
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria elèctrica
Descripción
Sumario:This thesis investigates how a deliberately compact, TLM-inspired electrical model can reproduce the rate-dependent blurring of voltage plateaus in an LFP–graphite cell, while keeping complexity compatible with embedded applications. The focus is on moderate C-rates, where electrolyte and charge-transfer polarisation dominate over solid diffusion, and on preserving graphite staging features under load. First, an anode-side submodel is constructed using a multi-branch transmission-line architecture. Four parallel branches, each with its own coulomb counter, pseudo-OCP source and Butler–Volmer element, share an ionic rail whose resistance is initially estimated from geometry, porosity and electrolyte conductivity. With this physics-based configuration, the model preserves the staging sequence in both lithiation and delithiation. Lithiation RMSE remains within the range of 4−11 mV up to C/3, whereas delithiation exhibits larger asymmetries. A single scalar optimisation of the effective ionic resistance, anchored at C/3 lithiation with a combined voltage and DVA cost, reduces lithiation RMSE to below about 9 mV across C/25–C/3 and improves the representation of rate-induced plateau broadening. The optimised anode model is then combined with a positive-electrode half-cell LUT. A Dubarry-style alignment using LRini and OF Sini defines a full-cell pOCV at C/25. A lumped series resistance Rfull-cell is subsequently identified by multi-rate fitting. This reduces charge RMSE to 8–13 mV and discharge RMSE to about 20 mV over C/25–C/3, while preserving plateau shapes and SoC transitions. Finally, the static maps are embedded in a dynamic ECM with one ohmic resistor and two R–C branches. The model is validated under a realistic load current profile that exceeds the nominal C/3 range and includes frequent current reversals. Under these conditions, the ECM attains a global RMSE of 14.2 mV and captures the timing of voltage peaks and valleys with reasonable fidelity. The analysis identifies the main limitations—coarse parameter grids, operation outside the calibrated C-rate window and simplified hysteresis—and outlines a path towards battery models that remain physically informed yet deployable for diagnostics and control.