Finite Element Analysis of Fuel Cell Stack with Orthotropic Material Model

직교이방성 연료전지 스택의 유한요소 해석

Mechanical behavior of a fuel stack was studied by the orthotropic material model. The fuel stack is mainly composed of bipolar plate (BP), gasket, end plate, membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA), and gas diffusion layer (GDL). Each component is fastened with a suitable pressure. It is very important to maintain a suitable contact pressure of BP, because it affects the efficiency of the fuel cell. This study compared mechanical behavior of various fastening types of the fuel cell stack. Bar, band, and modified band fastening type are used. The band fastening type showed that it reduces total volume of the cell, but it does not improve the contact pressure distribution of each BP. The modified band fastening type was designed by considering the deformations of band fastening type, and it showed a good enhancement of contact pressure distribution.