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.

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/Cr N multilayer coating on the surface of 316 L 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 cm^2 under 150 N/cm^2,which is much lower than that of the SS316 L 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 μA/cm2. 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 SS316 L bipolar plate are improved significantly compared with that of the cell with the uncoated SS316 L bipolar plate, presenting a great potential for PEMFC application.

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.

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.

Effect of annealing on two different niobium-clad stainless steel PEMFC bipolar plate materials

Niobium (Nb)-clad stainless steels(SS) produced via roll bonding are being considered for use in the bipolar plates of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) stacks. Because the roll bonding process induces substantial work hardening in the constituent materials, thermal annealing is used to restore ductility to the clad sheet so that it can be subsequently blanked, stamped and dimpled in forming the final plate component. Two roll bonded materials, niobium clad 340L stainless steel (Nb/340L SS) and niobium clad 434 stainless steel (Nb/434 SS) were annealed under optimized conditions prescribed by the cladding manufacturer. Comparative mechanical testing conducted on each material before and after annealing shows significant improvement in ductility in both cases. However, corresponding microstructural analyses indicate an obvious difference between the two heat treated materials. During annealing, an interlayer with thick less than 1 μm forms between the constituent layers in the Nb/340L SS, whereas no interlayer is found in the annealed Nb/434 SS material. Prior work suggests that internal defects potentially can be generated in such an interlayer during metal forming operations. Thus, Nb/434 SS may be the preferred candidate material for this application.

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.

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.

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 bipolar plates. Carbon-based composite bipolar plates are particularly suitable for VFB applications. However,most original preparation methods cannot simultaneously achieve good electrical conductivity and mechanical performance. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to fabricating bipolar plates with carbon 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.

Plain carbon steel bipolar plates for PEMFC

Bipolar plates are a multifunctional component of PEMFC. Comparing with the machined graphite and stainless steels, the plain carbon steel is a very cheap commercial metal material. In this paper, the possibility of applying the plain carbon steels in the bipolar plate for PEMFC was exploited. In order to improve the corrosion resistance of the low carbon steel in the PEMFCs′ environments, two surface modification processes was developed and then the electrochemical performances and interfacial contact resistance (ICR) of the surface modified plate of plain carbon steel were investigated. The results show that the surface modified steel plates have good corrosion resistance and relatively low contact resistance, and it may be a candidate material as bipolar plate of PEMFC.

Influence of graphite particle size and its shape on performance of carbon composite bipolar plate

Bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) where polymer is used as binder and graphite is used as electric filler were prepared by means of compression molding technology. Study on the effects of graphite particle size and shape on the bipolar plate performance, such as electrical conductivity, strength, etc. showed that with decrease of graphite particle size, bulk electrical conductivity and thermometric conductivity decreased, but that flexural strength was enhanced. After spherical graphite occurrence in flake-like form, the flexural strength of the bipolar plate was enhanced, electrical conductivity increased but thermal conductivity decreased in direction paralleling pressure direction, and both electrical conductivity and thermometric conductivity reduced in direction perpendicular to pressure direction.

Fabrication of micro-flow channels on graphite composite bipolar plates using microplaning

A new method of manufacturing micro-flow channels on graphite composite bipolar plate(GCBPP) microplaning using specially designed multi-tooth tool is proposed. In this method, several or even dozens of parallel micro-flow channels ranging from 100 μm to 500 μm in width can be produced simultaneously. But, edge chippings easily occur on the rib surface of GCBPP during microplaning due to brittleness of graphite composites. Experimental results show that edge chippings result in the increase of contact resistance between bipolar plate and carbon paper at low compaction force. While the edge chippings scarcely exert influence on the contact resistance at high compaction force. Contrary to conventional view, the edge chippings can significantly improve performance of microfuel cell and big edge chippings outperform small edge chippings. In addition, the influence of technical parameters on edge chippings was investigated in order to obtain big, but not oversized edge chippings.

Effect of Terminal Design and Bipolar Plate Material on PEM Fuel Cell Performance

Bipolar plates perform as current conductors between cells, provide conduits for reactant gases, facilitate water and thermal management through the cells, and constitute the backbone of a fuel cell stack. Currently, commercial bipolar plates are made of graphite composite because of its relatively low interfacial contact resistance (ICR) and high corrosion resistance. However, graphite composite’s manufacturability, permeability, and durability of shock and vibration are unfavorable in comparison to metals. Therefore, metals have been considered as a replacement material for graphite composite bipolar plates. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of terminal connection design and bipolar plate material on PEM fuel cell overall performance. The study has indicated that single cell performance can be improved by combining terminals into metallic bipolar plates. This terminal design reduces the internal cell resistance and eliminates the need for additional terminal plates. The improved single cell performance by 18% and the increased savings in hydrogen consumption by 15% at the current density of 0.30 A/cm2 was attributed to the robust metal to metal contact between the terminal and the metallic bipolar plates. However, connecting metal terminal directly into graphite bipolar plates did not exhibit similar improvement in the performance of graphite fuel cells because of their brittleness that could have caused damage in the plates and poor contacts.

Integrated Movable System of Fuel Cell with Replaceable Fiber Bipolar Plate

It is important for the fuel cell integrated movable system to operate voltage and current using safety control technology. In order to work at the convenient condition of the fuel cell system, high performance fuel cell stack with replaceable fiber bipolar plate should be arranged with the integrated subsystem and appropriate working process. The parameters which affect the performance of PEMFC consisting of relative humidity, reaction temperature, gas inlet temperature, gas inlet pressure, and hydrogen and air flow rate. This study is to develop the integrated movable system on distributed power generation and backup power application, such as oxidant supply system, fuel supply system, heat management system, water management system, and power conditioning system. It comprises a novel PLC (Programmable Logic Control) system and human-machine interface. The controller is developed to control fuel cell system and record the operation data by using data acquisition system. The controller can be applied to high performance stack and system to obtain the best performance. The easy-taken high capacity hydrogen barrel embedded into steel plate of this movable system and more convenient than other fuel cell system.

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.

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.

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.

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.