Comparison of Capacity Fade for the Constant Current and WLTC Drive Cycle Discharge Modes for Commercial LiFeYPO₄ Cells Used in xEV Vehicles

In this paper, capacity fade of LiFeYPO₄/graphite commercial cells during 116 cycles under different temperatures is studied. The cells were discharged in two modes, during Drive Cycle (DrC) discharge cycles the cell was discharged with current waveform calculated for example battery electric vehicle (BEV) under WLTC 3b drive cycle conditions, whereas during Constant Current (CC) discharge cycles the cell was discharged with a constant current of the same root mean square of the current, as the WLTC 3b current waveform and with the same depth of discharge. All the cells were charged in constant current/constant voltage mode. Two fresh cells were used for each discharge mode at 25 °C and as the results were similar, only one cell per discharge mode was used at the other temperatures 5 °C and 45 °C. Furthermore, simulation P2D model of calendar and cycle life was calibrated based on experimental data. SoC floating was observed during cycling for both discharge modes, accompanied with slight increase in end discharge voltage and growth of energy efficiency. Concluding the results for 25 °C, not waveform character, but the amount of electric charge in combination with calendar aging has the most effect on the cycle life, which is also proved by the simulation. For 5 °C, the capacity fade is milder for DrC discharge cycles, but simulation results do not prove that, which would demand further investigation. The results for 45 °C are apparently dependent on a higher amount of discharged and charged electric charge and influenced by calendar life, simulated capacity fade corresponds quite well to the experiment. The best State of Health (SoH) simulation results are for temperature 45 °C, RMSE is 0.10% SoH, for the other temperatures RMSE is 0.20 and 0.93% SoH for 25 and 5 °C, respectively.