Effective thermo-electro-mechanical modeling framework of lithium-ion batteries based on a representative volume element approach

Abstract Investigation of the multiphysics behaviors of lithium-ion batteries upon mechanical abusive loading becomes a heated topic around the world, and the corresponding modeling methodology is in pressing need. Different from previous modeling methodologies, this paper develops an effective modeling framework based on the representative volume element concept to describe the thermo-mechanical behaviors of lithium-ion batteries. The mesoscale (electrode level) representative volume element model and the macroscale (cell level) homogenous battery model are established and validated by experiments. The two levels are coupled through the homogenization of the mechanical material properties and the calculation of the element power density–strain curve. The internal short circuit behavior can also be well predicted by this model. In addition, the model can predict accurate thermo-electro-mechanical coupled behaviors at a much lower calculation time cost. The proposed new thermo-mechanical modeling methodology in this paper can provide a powerful modeling tool and useful guidance to the design, evaluation, and monitor of the safety behaviors of LIBs.