Charge/discharge of an electrochemical supercapacitor electrode pore;: non-uniqueness of mathematical models

A thermodynamic analysis has been done to enhance understanding of the relation between various mathematical models for electrochemical supercapacitor pores. For the same capacitive charge/discharge experiment a variety of one-dimensional mathematical model equations concerning the transport of ions and double layer charge/discharge along the pore are shown to be indistinguishable. Some of those indistinguishable equations could be interpreted as derived from diffusional mechanisms while others appear as derived from migrational mechanisms. Ohmic resistivities and diffusivities obtained in such case are not contradicting results but characterize identical physical processes. The results are valid as long as the assumptions of irreversible thermodynamics of local equilibrium along the pore and of linearization of the flux equations hold. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.