Residual Stresses and Forming Quality of Metal Bipolar Plates for PEMFC During the Stamping Process

Stamping is a critical step in the manufacture of metallic bipolar plates.Typically,residual stress and a spring back effect appear on the bipolar plate after the stamping process,which impacts on the performance and lifetime of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC).The residual stress and spring back behavior which occur as a result of stamping a bipolar plate are investigated in this study.The effects of the punch radius,the die radius,the channel depth,and the clearance between the punch and the die on the residual stress and forming quality of the bipolar plate are examined.The stamping process can be divided into three stages.The high stress area and the middle section residual stress area were selected to study the formation process and to obtain the composition of the residual stress regions.Spring back was mainly related to the position of the fixed end of the sheet and the degree of plastic deformation,and the sheet thickness have increased by 2μm after spring back.Based on the results of finite element analysis,as described by the distribution of residual stress,the formation,the thickness of the middle cross section and the equivalent plastic strain,it was found that all the tool parameters affected the distribution of the residual stress.This research can provide a design reference for the manufacture of metallic bipolar plates based on the stamping process.

Process and challenges of stainless steel based bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC)powered automobiles have been recognized to be the ultimate solution to replace traditional fuel automobiles because of their advantages of PEMFCs such as no pollution,low temperature start-up,high energy density,and low noise.As one of the core components,the bipolar plates(BPs)play an important role in the PEMFC stack.Traditional graphite BPs and composite BPs have been criticized for their shortcomings such as low strength,high brittleness,and high processing cost.In contrast,stainless steel BPs(SSBPs)have recently attracted much attention of domestic and foreign researchers because of their excellent comprehensive performance,low cost,and diverse options for automobile applications.However,the SSBPs are prone to corrosion and passivation in the PEMFC working environment,which lead to reduced output power or premature failure.This review is aimed to summarize the corrosion and passivation mechanisms,characterizations and evaluation,and the surface modification technologies in the current SSBPs research.The non-coating and coating technical routes of SSBPs are demonstrated,such as substrate component regulation,thermal nitriding,electroplating,ion plating,chemical vapor deposition,and physical vapor deposition,etc.Alternative coating materials for SSBPs are metal coatings,metal nitride coatings,conductive polymer coatings,and polymer/carbon coatings,etc.Both the surface modification technologies can solve the corrosion resistance problem of stainless steel without affecting the contact resistance,however still facing restraints such as long-time stability,feasibility of low-cost,and mass production process.This paper is believed to enrich the knowledge of high-performance and long-life BPs applied for PEMFC automobiles.

Conductive and corrosion behaviors of silver-doped carbon-coated stainless steel as PEMFC bipolar plates

Ni–Cr enrichment on stainless steel SS316 L resulting from chemical activation enabled the deposition of carbon by spraying a stable suspension of carbon nanoparticles; trace Ag was deposited in situ to prepare a thin continuous Ag-doped carbon film on a porous carbon-coated SS316 L substrate. The corrosion resistance of this film in 0.5 mol·L^（-1） H_2SO_4 solution containing 5 ppm F- at 80°C was investigated using polarization tests. The results showed that the surface treatment of the SS316 L strongly affected the adhesion of the carbon coating to the stainless steel. Compared to the bare SS316 L, the Ag-doped carbon-coated SS316 L bipolar plate was remarkably more stable in both the anode and cathode environments of proton exchange membrane fuel cell（PEMFC） and the interface contact resistance between the specimen and Toray 060 carbon paper was reduced from 333.0 m？·cm^2 to 21.6 m？·cm^2 at a compaction pressure of 1.2 MPa.

Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coated 316L stainless steel by arc ion plating as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Arc ion plating (AIP) is applied to form Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The characterizations of the coating are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the coated sample and carbon paper is 4.9 m Omega cm(2) under 150 N/cm(2), which is much lower than that of the SS316L substrate. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests are performed in the simulated PEMFC working conditions to investigate the corrosion behaviors of the coated sample. Superior anticorrosion performance is observed for the coated sample, whose corrosion current density is 0.12 mu A/cm(2). Surface morphology results after corrosion tests indicate that the substrate is well protected by the multilayer coating. Performances of the single cell with the multilayer coated SS316L bipolar plate are improved significantly compared with that of the cell with the uncoated SS316L bipolar plate, presenting a great potential for PEMFC application. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Preparation and surface modification of PVDF-carbon felt composite bipolar plates for vanadium flow battery

The performance of vanadium flow batteries （VFBs） is closely related to the materials used in the bipo- lar plates. Carbon-based composite bipolar plates are particularly suitable for VFB applications. However. most original preparation methods cannot simultaneously achieve good electrical conductivity and me- chanical performance. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to fabricating bipolar plates with car- bon plastic materials, including four steps, namely coating a poly （vinylidene fluoride） （PVDF） solution onto carbon felt, solvent evaporation, hot-pressing, and surface modification. The resulting bipolar plates showed high conductivity, good mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. Surface modification by coating with carbon nanotubes （CNTs） removed the PVDF-rich layer from the surface of the carbon fibers. The high surface area of the CNT withdrew PVDF resin from the carbon fiber surface, and promoted the formation of a conductive network. The flexibility and battery charge-discharge cycle measurements showed that the composite bipolar plates can meet requirements for VFB applications.

Influence of Deposition Temperature on the Electrical and Electrochemical Properties of Carbon-Based Coatings for Metallic Bipolar Plates, Prepared by Cathodic Arc Evaporation

Cathodic arc evaporation is a well-established physical vapor deposition technique which is characterized by a high degree of ionization and high deposition rate. So far, this technique has been mainly used for the deposition of tribological coatings. In this study, anti-corrosive and electrical conductive carbon-based coatings with a metallic interlayer were prepared on stainless steel substrates as surface modification for metallic bipolar plates. Hereby, the influence of the deposition temperature during the deposition of the carbon top layer was investigated. Raman spectroscopy revealed differences in the microstructure at 200°C compared to 300°C and 100°C. Measurements of the interfacial contact resistance showed that the deposited coatings significantly improve the electrical conductivity. There are only minor differences between the different carbon top layers. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was studied via potentiodynamic polarization at room temperature and 80°C. Experiments showed that the coating with a carbon top layer deposited at 200°C, considerably reduces the current density and thus corrosion of the substrate is suppressed.

Design and fabrication of bipolar plates for PEM water electrolyser

Hydrogen energy,whether in generation plants or utilization facilities,plays a decisive role in the mission to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,all to minimize pollution.The growing demand for clean energy carrier steadily accelerates the development of hydrogen production processes,and therein proton exchange membrane(PEM)water electrolysis is deemed a promising long-term strategy for hydrogen preparation and collection.This review retrospects recent developments and applications of bipolar plates(BPs)as key components in PEM fuel cells and water electrolysers.The main content includes multifaceted challenges in the R&D or fabrication of BPs and potential future trends have also been proposed.Specific details cover the BPs matrix(metallic materials and carbon composites)and the surface coating types(metal and compound coatings,carbon-based coatings,and polymer coatings),as well as the influence of flow field design for mass transport.Long-term development and feasible researches of BPs are prospected.Especially in the following aspects:(1)Structural and functional integration of components,such as material fabrication and flow field geometry optimization using 3D printing technology;(2)Introduction of environment-friendly renewable energy for hydrogen production;(3)Research on hydrogen energy reversible systems;(4)Composition optimization of surface coatings based on computational materials science and(5)systematic design expected to evolve into the next generation of BPs.

Study on carbon matrix composite bipolar plates with balance of conductivity and flexural strength

In order to balance the conductivity and flexural strength of graphite composite bipolar plates,the influence of conductive filler on the properties of graphite composite bipolar plate was comprehensively studied by using phenolic resin as binder,natural flake graphite as conductive substrate and functional carbon materials with different structures as auxiliary filler.The results show that the particle size of conductive substrate has an important influence on the conductivity enhancement of auxiliary filler.The influence of conductive particle size on auxiliary filler electrical conductivity improvement was first investigated in this research.The effects of various auxiliary filler concentrations on improving electrical conductivity and flexural strength were then examined.This research has substantial implications for the balance of electrical conductivity and flexural strength of graphite composite bipolar plates.

Electrochemical Properties of Tungsten-Alloying-Modified AISI 430 Stainless Steel as Bipolar Plates for PEMFCs used in Marine Environment

To improve the corrosion resistance and surface electrical conductivity of AISI 430 stainless steel （430 SS） as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） used in marine environment, a tungsten alloying layer has been successfully prepared on 430 SS substrate via the plasma surface diffusion alloying technique. The tungsten- modified （W-modified） 430 SS displays a 7-8 Ixm tungsten alloying layer with a body-centered-cubic structure. The W-modified surface also shows a better hydrophobicity with contact angle of 93.5~ and a lower interfacial contact resistance compared with the untreated 430 SS. The potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements show that the corrosion resistance of 430 SS is obviously improved in simulated PEMFC environment （0.05 M H2SO4 ＋ 2 ppm HF ＋ 0.01 M NaC1 solution at 70℃）, after the plasma surface diffusion alloying process.

Phase orientation improved the corrosion resistance and conductivity of Cr_(2)AlC coatings for metal bipolar plates

In view of the M_(n+1)AX_(n)(MAX)phase coatings benefting the adaptive passivation flm for good corrosion resistance and high electronic density of states for excellent electrical conductivity,here,we reported the Cr_(2)Al C MAX phase coatings with different preferred orientations by a homemade technique consisting of vacuum arc and magnetron sputtering.The dependence of surface and interface microstructural evolution upon the corrosion and electrochemical properties of deposited coating was focused.Results showed that all the Cr_(2)Al C coatings with different phase orientations greatly improved the performance of stainless steel(SS)316 L substrate.Specifcally,the lowest value of interface contact resistance(ICR)reached to 3.16 mΩcm^(2)and the lowest corrosion current density was 2×10^(-2)μA cm^(-2),which were much better than those of bare SS316L.The combined studies of electrochemical properties and theoretical calculations demonstrated that the Cr_(2)Al C coatings with preferred(103)orientation were easier to form oxide passivation flm on their surface to increase the corrosion resistance.

3D-printed fuel-cell bipolar plates for evaluating flow-field performance

In the last decade,many researchers have focused on developing fuel-cell flow-field designs that homogeneously distribute reactants with an optimum pressure drop.Most of the previous studies are numerical simulations and the few experimental studies conducted have used very simple flow-field geometries due to the limitations of the conventional fabrication techniques.3D printing is an excellent rapid prototyping method for prototyping bipolar plates(BPPs)to perform experiments on new flow-field designs.The present research investigates the applicability of different 3D-printed BPPs for studying fluid-dynamic behaviour.State-of-the-art flow-field designs are fabricated using PolyJet 3D printing,stereolithographic apparatus(SLA)3D printing and laser-cutter technologies,and the pressure-drop and velocity profiles are measured for each plate.The results demonstrate that SLA BPPs have great promise in serving as a screening tool in modifying flow-field design with a small feature size.

Electrochemical Behavior of Niobium Electrodeposited 316 Stainless Steel Bipolar Plate for PEMFC in Choline Chloride Based Ionic Liquids

Niobium was electrodeposited on 316 stainless steel bipolar plates of a fuel cell in water and air-stable choline chloride based ionic liquids. The electrochemical corruption property of bipolar plates in simulated PEMFC environment was investigated. It was showed that the plating film was distributed on the surface of 316 stainless steel like isolated islands with height less than 50 nm. The XPS, XRD results showed that a smooth and strong chemical inert film of Nb O and Nb2O5 was formed on the surface of 316 stainless steel. In simulated cathodic condition, the corrosion potential of Nb coated stainless steel was improved by 244 m V, whilst in an anodic condition, it was improved by 105 m V. The current densities for the coated 316 stainless steel were decreased to 2.479 4 μA·cm-2 from 14.810 μA·cm-2 at-0.1 V and to 0.576 μA·cm-2 from 13.417 μA/·cm-2 at 0.6 V, respectively. It was implied that the niobium coating effectively decreased the corrosion rate. The results of the electrochemical tests indicated that the corrosion resistance of stainless steel was greatly improved after coated with niobium.

Analysis of the Influence of Geometrical Parameters on the Performance of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

A suitable channel structure can lead to efficient gas distribution and significantly improve the power density of fuel cells.In this study,the influence of two channel design parameters is investigated,namely,the ratio of the channel width to the bipolar plate ridge width(i.e.,the channel ridge ratio)and the channel depth.The impact of these parameters is evaluated with respect to the flow pattern,the gas composition distribution,the temperature field and the fuel cell output capability.The results show that a decrease in the channel ridge ratio and an increase in the channel depth can effectively make the distributions of velocity,temperature and concentration more uniform in each channel and improve the output capability of the fuel cell.An increase in the channel ridge ratio and depth obviously reduces the flow resistance and improves the flow characteristics.

Performance of TiC coating prepared by in situ conversion of organic carbon film on 316L bipolar plate

TiC coating on 316L stainless steel surface is prepared by molten salt disproportionation reaction by using carbon layer converted from organic carbon solution as carbon source.The Raman and morphology characterizations show that the carbon layer and TiC coating are successfully prepared on the surface of 316L stainless steel,the prepared carbon layer and 316L matrix have good adhesion,and the prepared TiC coating is smooth and dense.In the simulated cathodic environment of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell,the potentiostatic and potentiodynamic polarization measurements show that the TiC coating has smaller and more stable current density fluctuation than the 316L stainless steel substrate,and the electrochemical impedance test lasting for 275 h still shows better stable corrosion resistance than that of the 316L stainless steel substrate.Finally,in the water contact angle and interface contact resistance tests,the TiC coating consistently maintained better hydrophobicity and lower interface contact resistance values than 316L stainless steel.

Isothermal and Non-Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Conductive Polyvinylidene Fluoride/Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Based Composites

This work deals with isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of electrically conductive polyvinylidene fluoride/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PVDF/PET) based composites. It completes our previous work in which we related the crystallinity of these conductive PVDF/PET based composites to their through-plane resistivity [1]. Isothermal crystallization was described using the logarithmic form of the Avrami equation and it was observed that the crystallization rate of the PVDF phase inside the composite became slower compared to that of neat PVDF. In non-isothermal crystallization, the Avrami exponent of PVDF phase did not show any noticeable variation;however, that of PET phase, which contains the major part of the conductive carbon black (CB) and graphite (GR) additives, showed an evident decrease compared with neat PET. It was also observed that, at the same cooling rate, the crystallization rate of PVDF and PET phases inside the composite was slower than that of neat PVDF and PET.

Development of a Graphite Coating and Its Transfer from Batch to Coil Process for Application in PEMFC for Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles

In the present paper, coating systems consisting of a metallic corrosion barrier and a conductive graphitic carbon layer were deposited by a DC vacuum arc process. The coatings were developed in a batch process for application in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), and transferred to a continuous coil process to facilitate industrial mass production. The coating samples in the coil process had to achieve comparable results to the samples produced in the batch process, to meet the requirements of the environment prevailing in the fuel cell.The transfer to roll-to-roll processes is a crucial factor for commercial upscaling of PEMFC production. The experimental results showed that the electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance of the samples in the coil process were significantly improved compared to the uncoated base material and showed comparable performance to batch coated samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to determine the depth profile and the surface composition. Additional measurements were recorded for the contact resistances using the four-wire sensing method as well as corrosion resistance using potentiodynamic methods.

Effect of multilayer CrN/CrAlN coating on the corrosion and contact resistance behavior of 316L SS bipolar plate for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Stainless steels have received wide attention as a substitute material for bipolar plates in high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell(HT-PEMFC).In the present work,the CrN,CrAlN and multilayer CrN/CrAlN coatings were deposited on 316 L SS to increase the corrosion resistance and decrease the interfacial contact resistance.The deposited coatings exhibited face centered cubic phase structure and it was verified from the X-ray diffraction pattern.X-ray photo electron spectroscopy results showed the formation of both CrN and CrAlN layers on 316 L SS.CrN/CrAlN coating is more helpful in water management due to low surface roughness and high contact angle in the HT-PEMFC environment.The corrosion resistance behavior of all the samples were studied in 85%H_(3)PO_(4)solution at 140℃purged with H_(2)(HT-PEMFC anode)and O_(2)(HT-PEMFC cathode)gases.The results showed that all the coatings considerably improved the performance of 316 L SS and superior corrosion resistance was observed for CrN/CrAlN multilayer coating,whose protective efficiency was 98.12%and 96.14%in the two simulated HT-PEMFC environments.The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopic studies demonstrated higher impedance for CrN/CrAlN coating.Surface morphological studies performed after corrosion studies revealed that protection ability of CrN/CrAlN coating still remained acceptable.A very low interfacial contact resistance value of 6 mΩ cm^(2) at 140 N/cm;was observed for CrN/CrAlN coating.Moreover,after corrosion studies,the interfacial contact resistance value of CrN/CrAlN coated 316 L was much lower than that of CrN and CrAlN coatings due to the increased oxidation resistance.The maximum power density of about 0.93 W/cm^(2) at 2 A/cm^(2) and output voltage of 0.96 V was observed for CrN/CrAlN coating.

Review of Bipolar Plate in Redox Flow Batteries:Materials,Structures,and Manufacturing

Interest in large-scale energy storage technologies has risen in recent decades with the rapid development of renewable energy.The redox flow battery satisfies the energy storage demands well owing to its advantages of scalability,flexibility,high round-trip efficiency,and long durability.As a critical component of the redox flow battery,the bipolar plates provide mechanical support for the electrodes and act as a physical separator between adjacent cells,as well as constructing the internal circuit and guiding the electrolyte flow.The present work offers a comprehensive review of the development of bipolar plates in redox flow batteries,covering materials,structures,and manufacturing methods.In terms of materials,the effects of material types and composition on the compactness,mechanical strength,and electrical conductivity are summarized in detail.Furthermore,the corrosion mechanisms of bipolar plates and the corresponding detection and mitigation methods are discussed.In addition,the structures of the bipolar plates refer to the flow field designs on the surface.The advantages and disadvantages of these existing flow fields are described,and the tendencies for further optimization are also discussed.The manufacturing of composite bipolar plates in terms of material cost and preparation methods is also outlined.Based on the summary of previous research,this work provides suggestions for the future development of high-performance bipolar plates.

Balancing the corrosion resistance and through-plane electrical conductivity of Cr coating via oxygen plasma treatment

Developing an electrically conductive and corrosion-resistant coating is essential for metal bipolar plates of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs). Although enhanced corrosion resistance was seen for Cr coated stainless steel(Cr/SS) bipolar plates, they experience a quick decrease of through-plane electrical conductivity due to the formation of a porous and low-conductive corrosion product layer at the plate surface, thus leading to an increase in interfacial contact resistance(ICR). To tackle this issue, the multilayer Cr coatings were deposited using the magnetron sputtering with a remote inductively coupled oxygen plasma(O-ICP) in the present study. After the O-ICP treatment, a Cr oxide layer(Cr O*) is formed on the specimen surface. The Cr O*/Cr/SS has a remarkably lower stable corrosion rate(iss) than that of the native Cr oxides(Cr On/Cr/SS). Compared with Cr On/Cr/SS, the excellent performance of Cr O*/Cr/SS is attributed to a denser and thicker surface layer of Cr O* with Cr being oxidized to its highest valence state,Cr(VI). More importantly, the through-plane electrical conductivity of the specimens treated by the optimized O-ICP decreases much slowly than Cr On/Cr/SS and thus, the increament of ICR of Cr O*/Cr/SS after the potentiostatic polarization test is considerably smaller than that of Cr On/Cr/SS, which is benefited from the reduced issthat mitigates the deposition of corrosion products and hinders further oxidation of Cr coating. Therefore, Cr O*/Cr/SS proves to be a well balanced trade-off between corrosion resistance and through-plane electrical conductivity. The results of this study demonstrate that O-ICP treatment on a conductive metal coating is an effective strategy to improve the corrosion resistance and suppress the increase of ICR over the long-term polarization. The technique reported herein exhibits its promising potential application in preparing corrosion resistant and electrically conductive coatings on metal bipolar plates to be used in PEMFCs.

Application of self-adaptive temperature recognition in cold-start of an air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack

The Self-adaptive control of the temperature can achieve the start of fuel cell at different operating temperatures, which is very important for the successful cold-start of the air-cooled PEMFC. The temperature distribution characteristics during the cold-start process were analyzed based on adaptive temperature recognition control in this paper. Preheating model and cold-start model were established and the optimal balance between the hot air flow rate and the temperature required to promote a uniform temperature distribution in the stack was explored in the preheating stage. Finally, the non-equilibrium mass transfer, as well as the temperature rise in the catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer with different current densities, were analyzed in the start-up stage. The results indicate that the air-cooled PEMFC stack can be successfully started up at -40 ◦C within 10 min by means of external gas heating. The current density and air velocity have significant impacts on the temperature of aircooled PEMFC stack. Dynamic analysis of air-cooled PEMFCs and real-time monitoring are suitable for machine learning and self-adaptive control to set the operation parameters to achieve successful cold start. Optimize the matching of load current and cathode inlet speed to achieve thermal management in low temperature environment.