• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.129-136
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• 2010

The corrosion behaviors of 316L stainless steel were investigated in simulated anodic and cathodic environments for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) by using electrochemical measurement techniques. Interfacial contact resistance(ICR) between the stainless steel and gas diffusion layer(GDL) was also measured. The possibility of 316L was evaluated as a substitute material for the graphite bipolar plate of PEMFC. The value of ICR decreased with an increase in compaction stress(20 N/$cm^2$~220 N/$cm^2$) showing the higher values than the required value in PEMFC condition. Although 316L was spontaneously passivated in simulated cathodic environment, its passive state was unstable in simulated anodic environment. Potentiostatic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement results showed that the corrosion resistance in cathodic condition was higher and more stable than that in anodic condition. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and inductively coupled plasma(ICP) were used to analyze the surface morphology and the metal ion concentration in electrolytes.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.131-138
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• 2014

Highly conductive bipolar plate for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was prepared using phenol novolac-type epoxy/graphite powder (GP)/carbon fiber filament (CFF) composite, and a rubber-modified epoxy resin was introduced in order to give elasticity to the bipolar plate graphite fiber (GF) was incorporated in order to improve electrical conductivity. To find out the cure condition of the mixture of novolac-type and rubber-modified epoxies, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was carried out and their data were introduced to Kissinger equation. And tensile and flexural tests were carried out using universal testing machine (UTM) and the surface morphology of the fractured specimen and the interfacial bonding between epoxy matrix and CFF or GF were observed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

• 한국응용과학기술학회지
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.415-420
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• 2010

This study is focused on the channel design of bipolar plate in the electrode of hydrogen gas generator. The characteristics of hydrogen gas generation was studied in view of efficiency of hydrogen gas generation rate and a tendency of gas flow through the riv design of electrode. Since the flow rate and flow pattern of generated gas in the two phase flow system are the most crucial in determining the efficiency of hydrogen gas generator, we adopted the commercial analytical program of COMSOL MultiphysicsTM to calculate the theoretical flow rate of hydrogen gas from the outlet of gas generator and flow pattern of two phase fluid in the electrode. In this study, liquid electrolyte flows into the bipolar plate and decomposed into gas phase, two phase flow simulation is applied to measure the efficiency of hydrogen gas generation.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.827-834
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• 2011

Epoxy/graphite/expanded graphite composites have been prepared in various weight ratios and thermal degradation and electrical properties were estimated in order to use for the bipolar plate materials in PEMFC. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the epoxy/graphite system cured by a curing agent GX-533 was most proper because its weight loss until $80^{\circ}C$ at which PEMFC would be operated was 0.3 wt%, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed its cure temperature would be sufficient at $80^{\circ}C$. The activation energy for the cure reaction was 132.0 kJ/mol and the pre-exponential factor was $1.76{\times}10^{17}min^{-1}$. Electrical conductivity on the surface of the bipolar plate prepared under a pressure of 200 $kgf/cm^2$ was increased from 4 to 25 $S/cm^2$ by increasing expanded graphite (EG) content from 50 phr to 90 phr. The percolation threshold was initiated around 75 phr and the corrosion rate at 80 phr was 1.903 $uA/cm^2$.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.171-178
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• 2013

In a polymer membrane fuel cell stack, the bipolar plate is a key element because it accounts for over 50% of total costs of the stack. In order to lower the cost of bipolar plates, 316L stainless steels coated with nitrides such as TiN and CrN by physical vapor deposition were investigated as alternative materials for the replacement of traditional brittle graphite bipolar-plates. For this purpose, interfacial contact resistances were measured and electrochemical corrosion tests were conducted. The results showed that although both TiN and CrN coatings decreased the interfacial contact resistances to less than $10m{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$, they did not significantly improve the corrosion resistance in simulated polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell environments. A CrN coating on 316L stainless steel showed better corrosion resistance than a TiN coating did, indicating the possibility of using modified CrN coated metallic bipolar plates to replace graphite bipolar plates.

• 한국자동차공학회논문집
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.545-552
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• 2015

The heat generation in PEMFC is proportional to the electrical power output. Therefore, when the fuel cell produced the maximum output, the maximum heat was generated. In order to maintain the performance of the fuel cell, thermal management is as important as pressure and humidity conditions of the reactive gas. In this study, considering the thermal management for the maximum output operation, the optimal cooling channel design specifications of bipolar plate are found for the highest cooling performance. In the current bipolar plate research, many studies focused on analyzing various factors individually but there is no more study on the interaction between design factors. In this study, the heat transfer was simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics with the main design factors which are designated shape, width and rib length. One of the experimental design methods, general full factorial design method, was used to analyze the main factor and interaction on average temperature and maximum temperature for the design specification of fuel cell bipolar plate. When analysis result shows that all of these three factors are highly important, it can confirm that the interaction occurs between the factors.

• 전기화학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.68-74
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• 2009

본 연구에서는 탄소성형 분리판의 물리화학적, 전기화학적 특성을 분석하여 수소 및 개미산연료 전지의 성능에 미치는 영향을 알아보았다. 기존 기계가공 탄소분리판과 탄소복합소재 탄소성형 분리판의 접촉저항, 부식특성, 소수성을 비교 평가하였다. 특히, 현재 연구개발 중인 탄소복합소재 성형분리판의 경우 계면접촉저항이 기계가공 분리판보다 1.5배 높게 나타났으며, 내식성 실험에서는 산에 취약하여 분리판 표면이 거칠어지고 결정성이 감소하였다. 연료전지의 성능은 분리판의 계면접촉저항에 크게 영향을 받았으며, 계면저항이 적은 기계가공 분리판이 수소 및 개미산 연료 전지에서 높은 성능을 나타냈다.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제12권10호
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• pp.4673-4678
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• 2011

이 연구에서는 고분자 전해질 막 연료전지의 분리판 용 고분자/흑연 복합소재의 혼합 특성 및 점도 측정 방법에 관하여 연구하였다. 분리판은 전도성이 있어야 하기 때문에 흑연의 함량이 매우 높고 이 때문에 제조된 복합재료의 점도가 높아 점도 측정이 어려운 문제가 있다. 일반적으로 캐필러리 레오메터에서 사용되는 다이로 점도를 측정한 결과 압력이 시간에 따라서 계속 변하고 정상상태의 값을 보이지 않아서 점도 측정이 불가능 했다. 다이의 디자인을 변경하여 측정하면 압력이 정상상태를 보이는 것을 관찰할 수 있었으나, 흑연과 PET를 단순 용융 혼합하여 점도를 측정하는 경우에는 측정된 점도 값이 재현성이 없는 결과를 나타냈다. 여러 차례의 시행 오차 끝에 흑연과 PET를 작은 입자로 분쇄한 후 용융 혼합하면 재현성 있는 점도를 측정할 수 있고, 제조된 복합재료의 전기전도도 값도 재현성 있는 결과를 보임을 관찰하였다.

• Composites Research
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.422-428
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• 2023

스택 체결압에 의해 접촉되는 분리판(BP)과 탄소펠트전극(CFE) 사이의 전기적 접촉저항은 상대적으로 낮은 바나듐 레독스 흐름전지(VRFB) 스택의 체결압 때문에 스택 효율에 큰 여향을 미친다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 접촉저항을 줄이고 셀 성능을 향상시키기 위해 국부 가열 접합 공정을 통해 폴리에틸렌(PE) 복합재료-CFE 하이브리드 BP 구조를 개발하였다. 탄소섬유 복합재료 BP의 PE 매트릭스를 국부적으로 녹여 CFE의 탄소 섬유와 BP의 탄소 섬유의 직접 접촉 구조를 만들어 전기 접촉 저항을 감소시겼다. PE 복합재료-CFE 하이브리드 BP의 성능을 평가하기 위해 면적비저항(ASR)과 기체투과도를 측정하였다. 또한 스택 신뢰성을 측정하기 위해 내산성 시험을 수행하였다. 최종적으로, 개발된 PE 복합재료-CFE 하이브리드 BP와 기존의 BP의 성능을 비교 분석하기 위하여 VFRB 단위셀 충/방전 시험을 수행하였다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2006년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.348-351
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• 2006

Bipolar plate, which forms about 50% of the stack cost, is an important core part with polymer electrolyte membrane in PEMFC. Bipolar plates have been commonly fabricated from graphite meterial having high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. Lately, many researchers have concentrated their efforts on the development of metallic bipolar plate and stainless steel has been considered as a potential material for metallic bipolar plate because of its high strength, chemical stability, low gas permeability and applicability to mass production. However, it has been reported that its inadequate corrosion behavior under PEMFC environment lead to a deterioration of membrane by dissolved metal ions and an increase in contact resistance by the growth of passive film therefore, its corrosion resistance as well as contact resistance must be improved for bipolar plate application. In this work, several types of coating were applied to 316L and their electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance were evaluated In the simulated PEMFC environment. Application of coating gave rise to low interfacial contact resistances below $19m{\Omega}cm^2$ under the compress force of $150N/cm^2$. It also made the corrosion potential to shift in the posit ive direct ion by 0.3V or above and decreased the corrosion current from ca. $9{\mu}A/cm^2$ to ca. $0.5{\mu}A/cm^2$ in the mixed solution of $0.1N\;N_2SO_4$ and 2ppm HF A coat ing layer under potentiostatic control of 0.6V and $0.75V_{SCE}$ for 500 hours or longer showed some instabilities, however, no significant change in coat Ing layer were observed from Impedance data. In addition, the corrosion current maintained less than $1{\mu}A/cm^2$ for most of time for potentiostatic tests. It indicates that high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance can be obtained by application of coatings in the present work.