An accelerated calendar and cycle life study of Li-ion cells

The accelerated calendar and cycle life of lithium-ion cells was studied. Useful cell life was strongly affected by temperature, time, state-of-charge (SOC) and change in state-of-charge (ΔSOC). In calendar life experiments, useful cell life was strongly affected by temperature and time. Temperature accelerated cell performance degradation. The rates of area specific impedance (ASI) increase and power fade followed simple laws based on a power of time and Arrhenius kinetics. The data have been modeled using these two concepts and the calculated data agree well with the experimental values. The calendar life ASI increase and power fade data follow (time)1/2 kinetics. This behavior may be due to solid electrolyte interface layer growth. From the cycle life experiments, the ASI increase data follow (time)1/2 kinetics also, but there is an apparent change in overall power fade mechanism when going from 3 to 6% ΔSOC. Here, the power of time drops to below 1/2, which indicates that the power fade mechanism is more complex than layer growth.