Influence of anode particle size distribution on internal short-circuit behaviour of lithium-ion battery

Non-uniform particle size distribution enhances a lithium-ion (Li-ion) cell performance by optimizing voltage and current profiles. The present study investigates the effect of non-uniform particle size distribution on the internal short-circuit (ISC) behaviour of a Li-ion cell. A pseudo-two-dimensional (P2D) model is employed to numerically analyse the impact of anode particle size distribution on the ISC characteristics of the cell. Furthermore, an interplay between C-rate and non-uniformity in anode particle size distribution is identified. It is revealed that the performance is found to be better in the case of non-uniform anode particle size distribution as compared to uniform particle distribution. Moreover, the decrease in anode particle size along the negative electrode results in the best performance among all the configurations of non-uniform distribution of particle configurations considered. A notable improvement in the ISC behaviour is found at higher C-rates for non-uniform anode particle size distributions.