Impact of Tab Location on Large Format Lithium-Ion Pouch Cell Based on Fully Coupled Tree-Dimensional Electrochemical-Thermal Modeling

This paper presents extensive three-dimensional (3D) simulations of large LiFPO4 pouch cells. 3D simulations of the Li-ion battery behavior are highly nonlinear and computationally demanding. Coupling electrochemical modeling to thermal models represents an important step towards accurate simulation of the Li-ion battery. Non-uniform temperature, potential and current density through the battery induce non-uniform use of the active material and can have a negative impact on cell performance and lifetime. Different pouch cell designs, with different tab locations, have been investigated in term of performance, current density, potential and heat distributions. The model is first validated with experimental data at different current discharge rates. Afterwards, the electrochemical, thermal and electrical behaviors over each cell design under high discharge rate (4 It) are compared between configurations. It has been shown that the designs with symmetrical configurations show uniform potential and current density gradient, which minimize the ohmic heat and lead to more uniform active material utilization and temperature distributions across the cell surface.Introduction