Cycle life testing and modeling of graphite/LiCoO2 cells under different state of charge ranges

Lithium-ion batteries are used for energy storage in a wide array of applications, and do not always undergo full charge and discharge cycling. This study quantifies the effect of partial charge-discharge cycling on Li-ion battery capacity loss by means of cycling tests conducted on graphite/LiCoO2 pouch cells under different state of charge (SOC) ranges and discharge currents. The results are used to develop a model of capacity fade for batteries under full or partial cycling conditions. This study demonstrates that all of the variables studied including mean SOC, change in SOC (ΔSOC) and discharge rate have a significant impact on capacity loss rate during the cycling operation. This study is useful in identifying the SOC ranges with slow degradation rates.