Simulation of Discharge of a Lithium Oxygen Battery

Abstract

Advantages of lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) battery over Li-ion battery are numerous. It has a comparatively higher theoretical specific capacity and achieves excellent kinetics without breaking of O-O bonds with comparatively cheaper catalysts required. The solutions are put forth and causes of the challenges faced while using Li-O2 batteries are investigated taking into account four different aspects namely, limitations in oxygen transport, pore blocking due to insolubility of Li2O2 deposition in the electrolyte, degradation of electrolyte and leakage in the battery which leads to a low cycle efficiency. The deposition morphology is modelled and its theoretical dependence on a geometrical factor ‘p’ is established. The degradation of electrolyte and accumulation of side products (mainly Li2Co3) which result in a decrement of the cathode porosity over time during cycling is extensively studied. These problems will be made available to be computationally investigated and compared with the available experimental results by plotting simulations to bring out suitable conditions for developing a battery model with higher specific capacity and optimized geometry than the current existing models.