A review of modified metal bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Wu, Shuang; Yang, Weimin; Yan, Hua; Zuo, Xiahua; Cao, Zibo; Li, Haoyang; Shi, Meinong; Chen, Hongbo

doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.12.074

Cited by 90 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 148 publications

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“…Antunes et al [84], in 2010, reviewed the corrosion of metal BPs and surveyed the metals, surface -treatment techniques, and coatings commonly utilized fin the fabrication of BPs. Recently, similar state-of-the-art reviews were performed by Xu et al [85] and Wu et al [86], pointing out that among the various metals, stainless steels (SS) have been extensively utilized as BPs, and that different types of coatings on various SSs are tested in terms of corrosion resistance and contact resistance. Many studies have been performed on various grades of SS (304, 304L, 310, 316L, 317L, 349, 410, 430, 434, 436, 441, 444, 446, 904L, etc.…”

Section: Yan Et Al [83] Polytetrafluoroethylene (Ptfe)/carbon Cloth/a...mentioning

confidence: 92%

A Review on the Long-Term Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: From Degradation Modeling to the Effects of Bipolar Plates, Sealings, and Contaminants

et al. 2022

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Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are regarded as promising alternatives to internal combustion engines (ICEs) to reduce pollution. Recent research on PEMFCs focuses on achieving higher power densities, reducing the refueling time, mitigating the final price, and decreasing the degradations, to facilitate the commercialization of hydrogen mobility. The design of bipolar plates and compression kits, in addition to their coating, can effectively improve performance, increase durability, and support water/thermal management. Past reviews usually focused on the specific aspect, which can hardly provide readers with a complete picture of the key challenges facing and advances in the long-term performance of PEMFCs. This paper aims to deliver a comprehensive source to review, from both experimental, analytical and numerical viewpoints, design challenges, degradation modeling, protective coatings for bipolar plates, and key operational challenges facing and solutions to the stack to prevent contamination. The significant research gaps in the long-term performance of PEMFCs are identified as (1) improved bipolar-plate design and coating, (2) the optimization of the design of sealing and compression kits to reduce mechanical stresses, and (3) stack degradation regarding fuel contamination and dynamic operation.

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Section: Yan Et Al [83] Polytetrafluoroethylene (Ptfe)/carbon Cloth/a...mentioning

confidence: 92%

A Review on the Long-Term Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: From Degradation Modeling to the Effects of Bipolar Plates, Sealings, and Contaminants

et al. 2022

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“…Since humidification control at higher temperatures is harder than at usual operation temperatures, the thermal properties of cell components of PEMFC should be considered in addition to the hydration of the supply gas. According to recent review papers on the research and development of gas separators [40][41][42][43], the material type, composite and surface coating process have all been investigated to improve the conductivity and H 2 O behavior control. However, the thermal properties of separators have not been investigated.…”

Section: Effect Of Separator Thickness On In-plane Temperature Distri...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Separator Thickness on Temperature Distribution and Power Generation Characteristics of a Single PEMFC Operated at Higher Temperature of 363 and 373 K

et al. 2022

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The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the separator thickness on not only the heat and mass transfer characteristics, but also the power generation characteristics of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with a thin polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and thin gas diffusion layer (GDL) operated at higher temperatures of 363 and 373 K. The in-plane temperature distributions on the back of the separator at the anode and cathode, which are the opposite sides to the GDL, are measured using a thermograph at various initial cell temperatures (Tinit), relative humidity (RH) levels, and supply gas flow rates. The total voltage corresponding to the load current is measured in order to evaluate the performance of the PEMFC. As a result, it is revealed that the effect of the RH on the power generation characteristics is more significant when the separator thickness decreases. It is revealed that the power generation performance obtained at high current densities decreases with the increase in Tinit with thinner separator thicknesses. According to the investigation of the in-plane temperature distribution, it is clarified that the temperature decreases at corner positions in the separator with the separator thickness of 2.0 mm, while the temperature gradually increases along with the gas flow with separator thicknesses of 1.5 mm and 1.0 mm.

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“…It is important when manufacturing BPs to consider the cost effectiveness and efficiency in production to make it feasible at a commercial scale. The manufacturing process of BPs usually involves metal plate fabrication such as welding of both anode and cathode plates, forming a tinny plate with the proper flow field channels [197]. The conventionally used material as BPs is graphite because it is corrosion resistant and light and has excellent thermal and electrical properties.…”

Section: Fabrication Of Bipolar Platesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Trends in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

et al. 2022

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Fuel cells (FCs) have received huge attention for development from lab and pilot scales to full commercial scale. This is mainly due to their inherent advantage of direct conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy as a high-quality energy supply and, hence, higher conversion efficiency. Additionally, FCs have been produced at a wide range of capacities with high flexibility due to modularity characteristics. Using the right materials and efficient manufacturing processes is directly proportional to the total production cost. This work explored the different components of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and their manufacturing processes. The challenges associated with these manufacturing processes were critically analyzed, and possible mitigation strategies were proposed. The PEMFC is a relatively new and developing technology so there is a need for a thorough analysis to comprehend the current state of fuel cell operational characteristics and discover new areas for development. It is hoped that the view discussed in this paper will be a means for improved fuel cell development.

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A review of modified metal bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Cited by 90 publications

References 148 publications

A Review on the Long-Term Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: From Degradation Modeling to the Effects of Bipolar Plates, Sealings, and Contaminants

A Review on the Long-Term Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: From Degradation Modeling to the Effects of Bipolar Plates, Sealings, and Contaminants

Impacts of Separator Thickness on Temperature Distribution and Power Generation Characteristics of a Single PEMFC Operated at Higher Temperature of 363 and 373 K

Novel Trends in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

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