Influence of calendering process on the structural mechanics and heat transfer characteristics of lithium-ion battery electrodes via DEM simulations

Abstract

Elucidating the intricate correlation between calendering, structure, and performance is crucial to comprehending the relationship between performance parameters and process steps of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Discrete element method (DEM) simulations were adopted in this work to calculate the interparticle force and stress tensor under incremental calendering process conditions, which revealed the effect of the anisotropy of complex contact force network on the anisotropy of heat transfer within porous electrode. The thermal conductivity of electrode was predicted using porosity to characterize the process–structure–performance correlation. The comprehensive influence of contact number and contact area between particles and current collector determines the magnitude of interfacial thermal resistance and interfacial heat transfer coefficient. For the first time, this work quantitatively analyzed the structural mechanics and heat transfer mechanism during calendering process of porous electrodes, and the results indicate a promising way to optimize and design battery electrode structures.