Applicability assessment of equivalent circuit-thermal coupling models on LiFePO4 batteries operated under wide-temperature and high-rate pulse discharge conditions

In military scenario, high-power lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are frequently used under wide-temperature and high-rate pulse discharge conditions. An accurate electro-thermal coupling model (ETCM) is crucial for the safe operations. Equivalent circuit-thermal coupling model (ECTCM), which combines equivalent circuit model (ECM) and lumped thermal model, is the most widely used type of ETCM in applications. However, the applicability of ECTCM under wide-temperature and high-rate pulse discharge conditions is not clear. To assess the applicability of ECTCM under these special conditions, this study establishes six typical ECTCMs and accurately identify their corresponding model parameters. Then, these models are tested under high-rate pulse discharge conditions from −40 °C to 50 °C. The results indicate that ECTCMs are effective for pulse discharge at ambient and high temperatures, but not suitable for low-temperature conditions below 0 °C. When the temperature is below 0 °C, the pulse discharge voltage of the batteries can not be accurately simulated by ECTCMs. This work provides guidance for electro-thermal coupling modeling under high-rate pulse discharge conditions, and also points out the direction for the development of high-precision ETCM capable of handling wide-temperature and high-rate pulse discharge in the future.