DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF BIPOLAR PLATES IN PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS ANALYSIS

Inadequately designed flow field layouts in bipolar plates within Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) may lead to ineffective water removal and impede reactant transport. This work examines the typical flow channel designs found in bipolar plates of fuel cells and implements modifications to certain designs to alleviate pressure drops within the flow channels using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. These designs are optimized by changing different parameters such as size of the channel and rib width utilizing Taguchi L27 standard orthogonal array. The resultant reduction in pressure drop is anticipated to enhance the overall performance of the fuel cell. The optimal flow field design of bipolar plates (Graphite and Aluminum) are manufactured using CNC milling. Tests evaluating flexural strength, surface roughness, hardness, contact angle, and corrosion resistance are conducted to assess and compare the performance of these plates. After thorough testing and evaluation, Aluminum showed inferior results compared to Graphite in two key areas: Corrosion rate and Contact angle. Consequently, anodizing was performed on Aluminum to enhance its contact angle and corrosion resistance. The anodized aluminum demonstrated superior performance among the tested materials.