Accelerated testing of lithium-ion batteries

Understanding how lithium-ion batteries degrade over time and with use in different applications is crucial for designing better energy storage systems and accelerating the transition to net-zero. Typically, new battery designs are tested in a laboratory environment to study how their performance degrades prior to commercialisation. However, as battery lifetimes improves with new designs, these tests take longer, meaning commercialisation needs to either be delayed or released without testing to end of life. This project seeks to develop physically informed accelerated test protocols for lithium-ion batteries based on real world conditions. Numerical models will be combined with experimental degradation testing to optimise battery test protocols and provide a statistical link between accelerated testing lifetime and predicted lifetime in real world applications. The project will use electric vehicles as a target application, but it is anticipated this technique will be applicable to all applications where lithium-ion batteries are used for energy storage.