Fabrication of Metallic Bipolar Plate for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using Electromagnetic Forming Technique

Abstract

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) employs lightweight metallic bipolar plates (BPP) with a 0.2 mm thickness, offering a sustainable and recyclable energy solution. These plates are essential for distributing gases through flow channels, conducting electricity, and managing heat transfer while balancing cost-efficiency, lightweight properties, and durability for practical applications. Electromagnetic forming (EMF) is a high-speed, noncontact manufacturing technique that ensures uniform pressure distribution without lubricants and uses a single coil and power supply to produce BPP with intricate patterns, enabling the creation of complex, sharp-edged components with precision. This study investigates the impact of key parameters, such as discharging voltages (10 000, 11 000, and 12 000 V) and capacitor bank energy levels, using a 25 000 J EMF machine to fabricate copper-based BPP. Copper's high conductivity supports magnetic fields, Lorentz forces, and eddy currents, which are critical as electric currents flow through the workpiece during EMF. A novel EMF-based approach is also introduced to manufacture metallic BPP with superior quality and dimensional accuracy in flow field channels, offering significant advantages over traditional methods. This innovative technique, leveraging the unique benefits of EMF, will be discussed in detail, highlighting its potential to transform BPP production for enhanced efficiency and performance.