A bipolar plate (BP) is one of the key components of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and accounts for a major portion of their manufacturing cost. Stainless steel is considered as one of the candidate materials for the BPs of the cells because of the short manufacturing process. In this study, the effects of channel geometry on the formability of 304 stainless steel in a stamping process are investigated via numerical simulation and experiments. A finite element (FE) model using ansys, a commercial software, is developed to analyze the effects of selected channel geometry parameters on the formability of stamped stainless steel sheets. Modeling results are compared partly to the results of a series of stamping experiments. Both modeling and experimental results suggest that the draft angle has a greater influence on formability than other parameters in a stamping process.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
References
1.
Bar-On
, I.
, Kirchain
, R.
, and Roth
, R.
, 2002
, “Technical Cost Analysis for PEM Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
, 109
(1
), pp. 71
–75
.2.
Marcinkoski
, J.
, James
, B. D.
, Kalinoski
, J. A.
, Podolski
, W.
, Benjamin
, T.
, and Kopasz
, J.
, 2011
, “Manufacturing Process Assumptions Used in Fuel Cell System Cost Analyses
,” J. Power Sources
, 196
(12
), pp. 5282
–5292
.3.
Li
, X.
, and Sabir
, I.
, 2005
, “Review of Bipolar Plates in PEM Fuel Cells: Flow-Field Designs
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 30
(4
), pp. 359
–371
.4.
Hinds
, G.
, and Brightman
, E.
, 2015
, “Towards More Representative Test Methods for Corrosion Resistance of PEMFC Metallic Bipolar Plates
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 40
(6
), pp. 2785
–2791
.5.
Cunningham
, N.
, Guay
, D.
, Dodelet
, J. P.
, Meng
, Y.
, Hlil
, A. R.
, and Hay
, A. S.
, 2002
, “New Materials and Procedures to Protect Metallic PEM Fuel Cell Bipolar Plates
,” J. Electrochem. Soc.
, 149
(7
), pp. A905
–A911
.6.
Del-Río
, C.
, Ojeda
, M. C.
, Acosta
, J. L.
, Escudero
, M. J.
, Hontañón
, E.
, and Daza
, L.
, 2002
, “New Polymer Bipolar Plates for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells: Synthesis and Characterization
,” J. Appl. Polym. Sci.
, 83
(13
), pp. 2817
–2822
.7.
Cho
, E. A.
, Jeon
, U.-S.
, Ha
, H. Y.
, Hong
, S.-A.
, and Oh
, I.-H.
, 2004
, “Characteristics of Composite Bipolar Plates for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
, 125
(2
), pp. 178
–182
.8.
Davies
, D. P.
, Adcock
, P. L.
, Turpin
, M.
, and Rowen
, S. J.
, 2000
, “Stainless Steel as a Bipolar Plate Material for Solid Polymer Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
, 86
(1–2
), pp. 237
–242
.9.
Hermann
, A.
, Chaudhuri
, T.
, and Spagnol
, P.
, 2005
, “Bipolar Plates for PEM Fuel Cells: A Review
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 30
(12
), pp. 1297
–1302
.10.
Tawfik
, H.
, Hung
, Y.
, and Mahajan
, D.
, 2007
, “Metal Bipolar Plates for PEM Fuel Cell—A Review
,” J. Power Sources
, 163
(2
), pp. 755
–767
.11.
Kraytsberg
, A.
, Auinat
, M.
, and Ein-Eli
, Y.
, 2007
, “Reduced Contact Resistance of PEM Fuel Cell's Bipolar Plates Via Surface Texturing
,” J. Power Sources
, 164
(2
), pp. 697
–703
.12.
Wang
, H.
, Sweikart
, M. A.
, and Turner
, J. A.
, 2003
, “Stainless Steel as Bipolar Plate Material for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
, 115
(2
), pp. 243
–251
.13.
Li
, M.
, Luo
, S.
, Zeng
, C.
, Shen
, J.
, Lin
, H.
, and Cao
, C.
, 2004
, “Corrosion Behavior of TiN Coated Type 316 Stainless Steel in Simulated PEMFC Environments
,” Corros. Sci.
, 46
(6
), pp. 1369
–1380
.14.
Joseph
, S.
, McClure
, J. C.
, Sebastian
, P. J.
, Moreira
, J.
, and Valenzuela
, E.
, 2008
, “Polyaniline and Polypyrrole Coatings on Aluminum for PEM Fuel Cell Bipolar Plates
,” J. Power Sources
, 177
(1
), pp. 161
–166
.15.
Hodgson
, D. R.
, May
, B.
, Adcock
, P. L.
, and Davies
, D. P.
, 2001
, “New Lightweight Bipolar Plate System for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
, 96
(1
), pp. 233
–235
.16.
Jung
, H.-Y.
, Huang
, S.-Y.
, Ganesan
, P.
, and Popov
, B. N.
, 2009
, “Performance of Gold-Coated Titanium Bipolar Plates in Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell Operation
,” J. Power Sources
, 194
(2
), pp. 972
–975
.17.
Zhang
, H.
, Hou
, M.
, Lin
, G.
, Han
, Z.
, Fu
, Y.
, Sun
, S.
, Shao
, Z.
, and Yi
, B.
, 2011
, “Performance of Ti–Ag-Deposited Titanium Bipolar Plates in Simulated Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell (URFC) Environment
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 36
(9
), pp. 5695
–5701
.18.
Tian
, R.
, Sun
, J.
, and Wang
, L.
, 2006
, “Plasma-Nitrided Austenitic Stainless Steel 316L as Bipolar Plate for PEMFC
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 31
(13
), pp. 1874
–1878
.19.
Wang
, Y.
, and Northwood
, D. O.
, 2006
, “An Investigation Into Polypyrrole-Coated 316L Stainless Steel as a Bipolar Plate Material for PEM Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
, 163
(1
), pp. 500
–508
.20.
Fu
, Y.
, Lin
, G.
, Hou
, M.
, Wu
, B.
, Shao
, Z.
, and Yi
, B.
, 2009
, “Carbon-Based Films Coated 316L Stainless Steel as Bipolar Plate for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 34
(1
), pp. 405
–409
.21.
Kim
, K. M.
, Park
, J. H.
, Kim
, H. S.
, Kim
, J. H.
, Lee
, Y. Y.
, and Kim
, K. Y.
, 2012
, “Effect of Plastic Deformation on the Corrosion Resistance of Ferritic Stainless Steel as a Bipolar Plate for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 37
(10
), pp. 8459
–8464
.22.
Chung
, C.-Y.
, Chen
, S.-K.
, Chiu
, P.-J.
, Chang
, M.-H.
, Hung
, T.-T.
, and Ko
, T.-H.
, 2008
, “Carbon Film-Coated 304 Stainless Steel as PEMFC Bipolar Plate
,” J. Power Sources
, 176
(1
), pp. 276
–281
.23.
Wang
, L.
, Sun
, J.
, Li
, P.
, Jing
, B.
, Li
, S.
, Wen
, Z.
, and Ji
, S.
, 2012
, “Niobized AISI 304 Stainless Steel Bipolar Plate for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
, 208
, pp. 397
–403
.24.
Turan
, C.
, Cora
, Ö. N.
, and Koç
, M.
, 2011
, “Effect of Manufacturing Processes on Contact Resistance Characteristics of Metallic Bipolar Plates in PEM Fuel Cells
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 36
(19
), pp. 12370
–12380
.25.
Peng
, L.
, Lai
, X.
, Liu
, D.
, Hu
, P.
, and Ni
, J.
, 2008
, “Flow Channel Shape Optimum Design for Hydroformed Metal Bipolar Plate in PEM Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
, 178
(1
), pp. 223
–230
.26.
Peng
, L.
, Hu
, P.
, Lai
, X.
, Mei
, D.
, and Ni
, J.
, 2009
, “Investigation of Micro/Meso Sheet Soft Punch Stamping Process—Simulation and Experiments
,” Mater. Des.
, 30
(3
), pp. 783
–790
.27.
Yi
, P. Y.
, Peng
, L. F.
, Lai
, X. M.
, Liu
, D. A.
, and Ni
, J.
, 2010
, “A Novel Design of Wave-Like PEMFC Stack With Undulate MEAs and Perforated Bipolar Plates
,” Fuel Cells
, 10
(1
), pp. 111
–117
.28.
Liu
, Y.
, and Hua
, L.
, 2010
, “Fabrication of Metallic Bipolar Plate for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells by Rubber Pad Forming
,” J. Power Sources
, 195
(11
), pp. 3529
–3535
.29.
Hu
, Q.
, Zhang
, D.
, Fu
, H.
, and Huang
, K.
, 2014
, “Investigation of Stamping Process of Metallic Bipolar Plates in PEM Fuel Cell—Numerical Simulation and Experiments
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 39
(25
), pp. 13770
–13776
.30.
Kumar
, A.
, and Reddy
, R. G.
, 2003
, “Effect of Channel Dimensions and Shape in the Flow-Field Distributor on the Performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
, 113
(1
), pp. 11
–18
.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
