A pore-scale smoothed particle hydrodynamics model for lithium-ion batteries

A mesoscopic pore-scale model of multi-disciplinary processes coupled with electrochemical reactions in lithium-ion batteries is established via a relatively novel numerical method-smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. This model is based on mesoscopic treatment to the electrode (including separator) micro-pore structures and solves a group of inter-coupled SPH equations, including charge (ion in electrolyte phase and electron in solid phase), species (Li+ in electrolyte phase and lithium in solid active materials), and energy conservation equations. Model parameters, e.g. the physicochemical properties are location-dependent, directly associated with the local component of the medium. The electrochemical reactions are prescribed to occur exactly at the interface of solid active materials and electrolyte. Simulations to isothermal discharge processes of a battery of 2-dimensional idealized micro-pore structure in electrodes and separator preliminarily corroborate the reasonability and capability of the developed SPH model.