Setting the Material Properties

Define the material properties for each continuum.

To set the material properties:

Set the anode active material and current collector to graphite and copper, respectively.

  1. Right-click the Anode AM Physics > Models > Solid > Al node and select Replace with.
  2. In the Replace Material dialog, activate C (Graphite) and then click OK.
  3. Repeat the process for the Anode Collector Physics continuum, but replace the material with Cu (Copper).

Set the material properties for the cathode active material.

  1. Expand the Continua > Cathode AM Physics > Models > Solid node.
  2. Rename the Al node to LiMn2O4.
  3. Select the LiMn2O4 > Material Properties > Electrical Conductivity > Constant node and set Value to 0.01 S/m.

    The Lithium/Salt Diffusivity for LiMn2O4 is similar to the value for aluminum: therefore, the default value is fine. The other material properties are not important for the accuracy of this tutorial and are left unaltered.

    The cathode collector remains as aluminum.

You treat the electrolyte as a mixture of LiPF6 salt in an equal mixture of ethylene carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate.

Set the material properties for the electrical conductivity, Li+/salt diffusivity, and transference number using a material table. The simulation file contains this table. Each material property is interpolated using two independent variables: temperature, and salt concentration.

  1. Rename Continua > Electrolyte Physics > Models > Liquid > H2O to LiPF6.
  2. Select the LiPF6 > Material Properties > Electrical Conductivity node and set Method to Tabular.
  3. Select the Electrical Conductivity > Table node and set Input table to electrolyteLiPF6.
  4. Select the Table > Interpolated node and set Column title to Spec.Cond.
  5. Right-click the Table > Variables node and select New.
  6. Select the Variables > Variable 1 node and set Scalar Function to Temperature.

    The Variable 1 node is automatically renamed to Temperature.

  7. Set Column title to Temp.
  8. Create one more variable, then set the Scalar Function to Lithium/Salt Concentration, and the Column Title to c2—the salt concentration in the liquid phase.

Set the tabular material property for the Lithium/Salt Diffusivity and Lithium Cation Transference Number material properties.

  1. Repeat the previous steps to set the tabular material property for the Lithium/Salt Diffusivity and Cation Transference Number material properties.

    The input table for both properties is also electrolyteLiPF6, and the first independent variable is Temperature.

    Note the following differences:

    • For Lithium/Salt Diffusivity, set Column title of the Interpolated node to Diff.Coef.

    • For Cation Transference Number, set Column title of the Interpolated node to t+.

    The remaining material properties remain at their default values.