Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Investigation on the Charge–Discharge Cycle Life Performance of Lithium-Ion Batteries

In this work, we employed an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis of commercial Li-ion Panasonic NCR18650B cells in order to monitor their cycle life performance and the influence of the C-rate on the charge/discharge processes. By applying a fast charge rate of 1.5 C, we investigated their speed degradation within three distinct discharge rates, namely, 0.5 C, 1 C, and 1.5 C. In our first approach, we assessed the dynamics of the lithium-ion transport processes, as well as their dependence on discharge rates, with the aim of understanding how their performance correlates with usage conditions. We observed that, as the discharge current increases while the number of cycles decreases, the ohmic resistance in the aged state reduces. Moreover, the charge transfer resistance is not affected by the discharge current, as the values are inversely proportional to the current rate, but mostly by the number of cycles. By performing a state of health analysis of Li-ion batteries with different C-rates until they were completely discharged, we offer a clear indication of how much of the battery’s lifetime available energy was consumed and how much was left, anticipating further issues or when the battery needed replacing. Starting at 60% state of health, the battery degradation has a steeper increase at 0.5 C and 1 C, respectively, while for a deep 1.5 C discharge, it only increases when the battery charge rate can no longer be sustained. Finally, the resonance frequency results highlight a fast increase toward the end of life for 0.5 C and 1 C, which is directly correlated with the above results, as a potentiostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy sequence was applied every fourth charge/discharge cycle. When applied at 1.5 C, the linear trend is much more pronounced, similar to the state of health results.