Understanding the effects of diffusion coefficient and exchange current density on the electrochemical model of lithium-ion batteries

The diffusion coefficient and exchange current density are the two dominant parameters that determine the electrochemical characteristics of the electrochemical battery model. Nevertheless, both parameter values are generally adopted from well-known literature or experimental data measured under limited conditions and are sometimes overfitted to match actual electrochemical behaviors without full consideration. Herein, the diffusion coefficients and exchange current densities of a LiNi_0·4Mn_0·3Co_0·3O₂/Li cell are measured and applied to the electrochemical model (based on Newman's model) using four different electrochemical methods: galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT), potentiostatic intermittent titration technique (PITT), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Without any fitting, the model adopting the diffusion coefficient and exchange current density measured from PITT and EIS, respectively, simulates the actual voltage–capacity profiles well. Thus, this case study provides a valuable opportunity to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each measurement method in obtaining key experimental parameters for electrochemical battery models.