Open Access

ARTICLE

Itinerary-Dependent Degradation Analysis of a Lithium-Ion Battery Cell for E-Bike Applications in Rwanda

by Aimable Ngendahayo^1,*, Adrià Junyent-Ferré², Joan Marc Rodriguez Bernuz³, Etienne Ntagwirumugara¹

1 African Center of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development, College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda, Kigali, P.O. Box 3900, Rwanda
2 Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BX, UK
3 Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

* Corresponding Author: Aimable Ngendahayo. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advanced Modelling, Operation, Management and Diagnosis of Lithium Batteries)

Energy Engineering 2024, 121(11), 3121-3131. https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2024.053100

Received 24 April 2024; Accepted 12 July 2024; Issue published 21 October 2024

Abstract

There are obstacles to the widespread use of small electric vehicles (EVs) in Rwanda, including concerns regarding the battery range and lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play an important role in EVs. However, their performance declines over time because of several factors. To optimize battery management systems and extend the range of EVs in Rwanda, it is essential to understand the influence of the driving profiles on lithium-ion battery degradation. This study analyzed the degradation patterns of a lithium-ion battery cell that propels an E-bike using various real-world E-bike driving cycles that represent Rwandan driving conditions under deep discharge (). By being aware of these variables, battery failure can be slowed and improved battery performance can be achieved to promote the transition to cleaner transportation in Rwanda for the productive use of energy. The analyzed parameters that affect battery performance are temperature, driving cycles, and state of charge. It was found that the higher the temperature, the higher was the rate of fading. On the other hand, the EVs that operate in the region with higher elevation (hilly region) combined with a flat surface where the riders use their physical forces to propel the E-bike and their batteries lose their capacity rapidly compared to those operating in regions where the energy from the lithium-ion battery assists for the entire mileage. By draining the battery to 10% and charging it to 90% of its initial capacity, the capacity fading decreased by 5%.

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Keywords

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