Working Principle of Lithium Cells
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery is made of power-generating electrochemical cells to power electrical devices. LiFePO4 battery consists of an anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte, and positive and negative current collectors. The anode terminal acts as the source of lithium ions. The electrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode and vice versa through the separator. The movement of the lithium ions creates free electrons in the anode and as a result, electrons will flow through an external circuit to the cathode i.e. positive terminal, and accordingly, a current will flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal when an electric load is connected across the battery. The cell consists of concentric alternating layers of the negative and positive electrode materials between which separator layers are situated. The cell is then filled with electrolyte to allow ion conduction.
The cathode terminal must be manufactured in such a way that it can release a vast amount of lithium ions during the battery operation. The most common cathode material is LiCoO2, however, there are some disadvantages associated with the material. As a result, LiFePO4 finds its application as a replacement for LiCoO2.
