What happens when energy storage self-discharges

How does self-discharge affect electrochemical performance of energy storage devices?

Self-discharge is one of the limiting factors of energy storage devices, adversely affecting their electrochemical performances. A comprehensive understanding of the diverse factors underlying the self-discharge mechanisms provides a pivotal path to improving the electrochemical performances of the devices.

What is battery self-discharge?

What is self-discharge? Battery self-discharge is caused by the internal reactions in a battery that reduce the energy stored without any connection with an external circuit. In other words, the battery loses the energy stored in it by itself due to its internal behaviour even when the connected application is not demanding any energy.

How does self-discharge affect a battery?

Since the state-of-charge (SoC) is directly linked to the battery’s open-circuit voltage (OCV), self-discharge leads to a reduction of the SoC, which leads to the reduction of the OCV of the battery. Self-discharge is undeniable, and it happens in every type of system (battery) that stores energy.

How do battery storage conditions affect self-discharge rates?

Firstly, storage conditions matter. Keeping your batteries in a cool, dry environment can greatly slow down the self-discharge process. Excessive heat or cold can speed up self-discharge, so it’s best to avoid extreme temperatures. Secondly, the type of battery you use can also influence self-discharge rates.

Why is battery self-discharge important?

In theory, the electrodes of the battery in the state of charge are in a thermodynamically unstable state, and physical or chemical reactions will spontaneously occur inside the battery, resulting in the loss of chemical energy of the battery. Self-discharge is also one of the important parameters to measure battery performance.

Why does a storage system lose energy?

This inbuilt energy loss, due to the flow of charge driven by the pseudo force, is on account of various self-discharging mechanisms that shift the storage system from a higher-charged free energy state to a lower free state (Fig. 1 a) , , .