A Physically-Based Equivalent Circuit Model for the Impedance of a LiFePO₄/Graphite 26650 Cylindrical Cell

In this work an Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) is developed and used to model impedance spectra measured on a commercial 26650 LiFePO4/Graphite cylindrical cell. The ECM is based on measurements and modeling of impedance spectra recorded separately on cathode (LiFePO4) and anode (Graphite) samples, harvested from the commercial cell.

Modeling of the single-electrode impedance spectra provided information about the electronic and ionic resistance in the porous composite electrodes, as well as the solid state diffusion. Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of anode and cathode samples was used to make 3-D maps of the electrode microstructures and to obtain microstructural data for the ECM.

The complementary analysis was crucial for the resolution of the single electrode impedance parameters and the proposal and validation of a new equivalent circuit used to model the full commercial battery impedance.