Authors: Raphael Schoof, Johannes Niermann, Alexander Dyck, Thomas Böhlke, Willy Dörfler

Published on: October 09, 2023

Impact Score: 7.6

Arxiv code: Arxiv:2310.05440

Summary

• What is new: A new thermodynamically consistent continuum model for understanding the deformation behavior of amorphous silicon when alloyed with lithium for use in lithium-ion batteries.
• Why this is important: Amorphous silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries undergo large deformations due to alloying with lithium, leading to volume changes up to 300%.
• What the research proposes: Formulated two plasticity theories integrated with modern numerical techniques and automatic differentiation to model and alleviate the stresses due to volume changes.
• Results: Demonstrated more heterogeneous concentration distribution and changes to tensile tangential Cauchy stresses at the particle surface, along with the efficiency of the applied methods over multiple charging cycles, offering insights into long-term battery performance.

Technical Details

Technological frameworks used: Thermodynamically consistent continuum model, higher-order finite element methods, space and time adaptive solution algorithms, automatic differentiation.

Models used: Rate-independent theory with linear isotropic hardening, rate-dependent plasticity theory.

Data used: Empirical data on amorphous silicon and lithium alloy’s deformation and stress responses.

Potential Impact

Battery manufacturers, electric vehicle companies, and energy storage solutions could benefit from the insights, potentially disrupting current lithium-ion battery technologies and markets.

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