Expansion Pressure as a Probe for Mechanical Degradation in LiFePO4 Prismatic Batteries

Battery mechanical properties degrade progressively with aging, manifesting as expansion pressure in module-constrained cells. Here, an in situ pressure operating system was developed to replicate the mechanical environment of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic batteries, enabling long-term monitoring under different loads and temperatures. Coupled with quasi-static compression tests on internal components, stress–strain curves and elasticity moduli were obtained to link microscopic behavior with macroscopic pressure response. Results show that irreversible pressure growth is jointly governed by state of health (SOH) and load: under low-load conditions, irreversible pressure increases nonlinearly with SOH, whereas higher loads yield more linear trends. A multilevel physical model encompassing electrodes, cells, and modules was proposed to explain these behaviors. This model takes into account the influence of external pressure on the modulus of the battery, and indicates that SOH and load influence reversible pressure curves through their effect on modulus. A theoretical method was derived to calculate in-module modulus, confirming its linear correlation with the fluctuation amplitude of reversible pressure. Differential pressure-capacity analysis further demonstrated that characteristic changes in expansion pressure reflect modulus evolution, and deviations from this relationship reveal degradation pathways such as gas generation, solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth, or lithium plating. This study establishes pressure signals as mechanistic indicators of modulus evolution and provides a framework for diagnosing mechanical degradation in batteries.