Battery model types
The model families Ionworks teams use to answer cell-level engineering questions. Pick the level of fidelity the question actually needs.
Each page below explains what the model represents, when it is the right tool, and how it fits into the Ionworks Studio workflow. Start from the electrochemical page if you are new to physics-based battery modeling, or jump to the model family you already work in.
How to read this
The right model is the one whose physics includes what you are trying to predict and whose cost fits the question you are trying to answer. A fast-charge envelope study on a 50 Ah pouch cell does not need the same fidelity as a first-pass scoping run on a coin cell.
A good sequence for most teams: start with the pillar to place the physics-based family against equivalent-circuit alternatives, then read the model-family page closest to the question you are working on. Each page links across to the others where the physics couples.
The four model families
Pillar
Electrochemical
DFN · SPM · SPMe
The physics-based family for lithium-ion cells: Doyle-Fuller-Newman and its principled reductions. Start here if you are deciding between a physics-based model and an equivalent circuit.
Read the page →
Aging
Degradation
SEI · plating · LAM
Side reactions and mechanical processes that consume cyclable lithium, lose active material, or grow resistive films. Empirical, mode-level, and mechanism-level models.
Read the page →
Spatial
3D electrochemical
pseudo-3D · full 3D
When in-plane gradients change the answer: large-format pouch and prismatic cells, tab-cooled topologies, hotspot localization, structured electrodes. Pseudo-3D and full 3D as the two spatial-resolution options.
Read the page →
Thermal
Thermal
lumped · distributed
Lumped and distributed temperature models coupled to the electrochemistry. Tab cooling, surface cooling, immersion, and when each topology changes cycle life.
Read the page →
When to pick which
| Question you are trying to answer | Start here |
|---|---|
| Physics-based vs. equivalent circuit for a new project | Electrochemical pillar |
| Capacity fade, calendar storage, or lifetime prediction | Degradation |
| Fast-charge risk or plating under temperature sweeps | Degradation with thermal coupling |
| In-plane current or temperature gradients on a large-format cell | 3D electrochemical |
| Hotspot localization, tab placement, cooling topology | 3D electrochemical with thermal coupling |
| Operating envelope or cycle life under a thermal-management design | Thermal |
| SPM vs. SPMe vs. DFN tradeoff for a sweep | Electrochemical pillar |
Shared foundation
Every model runs on the same stack
Each of the four model families uses the same parameterization, simulation, and study framework in Ionworks Studio. Parameters fit in Train drive studies in Predict and design sweeps in Optimize, whether the study is a 1D DFN run, a pseudo-3D thermal coupling, a full 3D electrochemical simulation, or a degradation lifetime projection. The solver is PyBaMM, maintained by the Ionworks team.
Teams do not re-fit parameters per model family. The same BPX-compatible parameter set flows across the workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure which model type fits your question?
Tell us what you are trying to predict and what data you have. We will map it to the right model family and show the workflow on your cell.