Mathematical Modeling of Multi-Physics Electrochemical Devices

Electrochemical devices such as batteries and electrochemical solar cells are often described as multi-physics devices. This is a catch-all term meant to convey the fact that these devices are inherently multi-scale, multi-component and multi-phase in nature and that their operation involves complicated interfacial charge transfer and bulk solid and solution phase charge transport. Consequently, the development of accurate and meaningful mathematical models and numerical simulations for such devices is a complex task. Such modelling however, can play a vital role in the optimization of these devices via the identification of the key parameters that control their operational behaviour for a range of conditions and material configurations.

In this presentation we will consider examples from some of the authors previous^(1-10) and current work on the mathematical modelling of multi-physics electrochemical devices such as battery electrodes, solar cells and nano-diodes to highlight the challenges, approaches and outcomes of such modelling.  

REFERENCES

1. T. W. Farrell, C. P. Please, D. L. S. McElwain and D. A. J. Swinkels, J. Electrochem. Soc., 147, 4034 (2000).
2. T. W. Farrell and C. P. Please, J. Electrochem. Soc., 152, A1930 (2005).
3. M.A. Penny, T.W. Farrell and G.D. Will, Sol. Energy Mat. & Sol. Cells, 92, 24-37, 2008.
4. Troy Farrell and Steven Psaltis, in Physics of Nanostructured Solar Cells, eds. V. Badescu and M. Paulescu, pp. 327-353, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, ISBN: 978-1-60876-110-4, 2010.
5. S. Dargaville and T.W. Farrell, J. Electrochem. Soc., 157, A830 (2010).
6. S. T. P. Psaltis and T. W. Farrell, J. Electrochem Soc., 158, A33 (2010).
7. S. Dargaville and T.W. Farrell, Electrochimica Acta, 94(1), pp. 143-158 (2013).
8. S. Dargaville and T.W. Farrell, Electrochimica Acta, 111, pp. 474-490 (2013).
9. S. Dargaville and T.W. Farrell, Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, 273, pp 255-244 (2014).
10. S. Psaltis, T. Farrell, K. Burrage, P. McCabe, T. Moroney, I. Turner and S. Mazumder, “Mathematical Modelling of Gas Production and Compositional Shift of a CSG Field: Local Mo del Development”, submitted to Energy (2014).