Bipolar Plates for PEMFCs

Abstract

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have many advantages among the various types of fuel cells, such as high energy density, low temperature operation, near-zero pollution, and quick starting. Thereby, PEMFCs have been considered as the most promising alternative power sources in the transportation and stationary fields. Among the components of PEMFCs, the bipolar plates are the most representative regarding cost and volume, however, they have relevant functions on the fuel cell stack. There are about 500 bipolar plates in a PEMFC for a typical passenger car and, thus, the commercialization of the fuel cell technology becomes quite challenging. Important key aspects for a successful fuel cell stack are the design and the manufacturing process of the bipolar plate. For efficient mass production, the cycle time of the process is even more important than the material costs. It is, therefore, very important that the used material is appropriate for a fast manufacturing process. Recent developments are overcoming these issues, leading to improvements on the overall fuel cell performance and durability.