Physics-based models generally capture degradation at the micro scale, i.e. on a particle or even molecular level. However, evidence suggests that meso and macro scale features, such as inhomogeneities in the structure of the electrodes, have a significant effect on cell degradation as a whole. Structural nonuniformity can lead to inhomogeneous distributions of current densities and degrees of lithiation inside the electrode material, which in turn causes inhomogeneous degradation of the electrode.
[...] meso- and macro-scale inhomogeneities can not easily be identified in commercial Li-ion cells but they may have long term effects on degradation. Bottom-up physics-based models may not be able to capture such inhomogeneities on a micro-scale.
Macro-scale inhomogeneities is one of the reasons why Small cells are less susceptible to Lithium plating than large cells.
Part of Physics-based vs. equivalent circuit cell models.
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