What is the reason why low temperature batteries are not durable?

The reasons why low-temperature batteries are not durable can be mainly attributed to the following points:

The chemical reaction inside the battery slows down

The effect of temperature on chemical reactions: The chemical reactions inside the battery require a certain temperature to support them. When the temperature drops, the chemical reaction rate will slow down significantly, resulting in a decrease in the amount of electrical energy generated by the battery. For example, experiments have shown that in an environment below 0°C, the capacity of a general alkaline battery will decrease by about 20% to 40%.

Electrolyte changes: At low temperatures, the liquid electrolyte inside the battery becomes viscous, restricting the movement of electrons and ions inside the battery, thereby increasing the resistance of the battery. The increase in resistance will cause the battery’s energy density to decrease, releasing energy faster, but it will also reduce the battery’s discharge efficiency.

The activity of positive and negative electrode materials decreases

Material activity and temperature: In low temperature environments, the activity of the positive and negative electrode materials of the battery decreases, the diffusion movement ability of charged ions becomes poor, and it becomes difficult to cross the passivation film between the electrode and the electrolyte, resulting in a decrease in battery performance.

Capacity fading: The activity of the cathode material decreases at low temperatures, resulting in a decrease in the number of lithium ions that can move and bring discharge current, which is the fundamental reason for the decrease in capacity.

Electrolyte conductivity decreases

Changes in conductivity: Under low temperature conditions, the conductivity of the electrolyte will decrease, making it difficult for charged ions to shuttle within the battery, further affecting the discharge performance of the battery.

Increased battery internal resistance

The relationship between internal resistance and temperature: At low temperatures, the internal resistance of the battery will increase significantly. During the discharge process, a large amount of electric energy will be consumed in the internal resistance for heating, resulting in a decrease in Coulombic efficiency and a reduction in the effective use time of the battery.

solution

There are currently some technical solutions to the problem of battery durability in low temperature environments:

Battery preheating: preheating the battery in a low temperature environment to increase the operating temperature of the battery and restore its normal performance. The battery management system (BMS) on board an electric vehicle usually has a battery heating function, including external heating (such as air heating, liquid heating, etc.) and internal heating (such as AC heating).

Optimize charging strategy: In low temperature environments, appropriately extend the charging time, especially the trickle charging stage, to charge more power into the battery, reduce the discharge rate, and thus increase the driving range.

Choose a suitable charging environment: Avoid charging at too low a temperature. Choose a warm environment for charging, which will help improve charging efficiency and battery performance.

Battery insulation measures: Provide insulation measures for the battery, such as wrapping the battery with insulation materials to reduce heat loss from the battery in a low temperature environment.

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