Battery modeling terms and PyBaMM sign conventions: anode/cathode, lithiation, capacity, current direction, stoichiometry, and SOC
Battery modeling terminology varies significantly across contexts. This page defines how terms are used throughout this guide, along with our chosen conventions where multiple standards exist.
Following the PyBaMM convention, positive current corresponds to discharge and negative current corresponds to charge.The discharge capacity is given by:qdchg(t)=Q0+∫I(t)dtwhere Q0 is the starting capacity (equal to 0 if the cell is at 100% SOC and Qcell if the cell is at 0% SOC).The charging capacity is defined as:qchg(t)=−qdchg(t)
Lower case q indicates a quantity that varies during operation, while capital Q represents a scalar property of the electrodes or cell.
For a single electrode, we say that the electrode is “charged” when its lithiation/stoichiometry/capacity increases.The instantaneous capacity of the electrode is defined by qelec(t). The mathematical definition depends on whether the electrode is the anode or cathode of a full cell (see below), but in general qelec equals qchg (or qdchg) plus an offset.We can express this in terms of electrode lithiation/stoichiometry:θ(t)=Qtotqelec(t)where Qtot is the total capacity of the electrode.
Defining min/max electrode capacities by Qmin/max, and electrode capacities at 0%/100% cell SOC by Q0/100:QnminQnmaxQpmaxQpmin=Qn0=Qn100=Qp0=Qp100The electrode instantaneous capacity is:qnelec(t)=Qn100−qdchgfor the negative electrode and:qpelec(t)=Qp100+qdchgfor the positive electrode.For each electrode, Qmax=Qmin+Qcell, where Qcell is the theoretical capacity of the cell.
Always use “negative” and “positive” to refer to the electrodes, instead of “anode” and “cathode”.
Use 'Lithiation' for Electrodes
Use “lithiation” and “delithiation” to refer to individual electrodes. Reserve “charge” and “discharge” for the full cell.
During a whole-cell discharge, the negative electrode delithiates and the positive electrode lithiates. During a whole-cell charge, the negative electrode lithiates and the positive electrode delithiates.