Research on Similarity and Pressure Behavior of Bipolar Plates in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

The encapsulation and simulation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is a complex process. A point cloud of the bipolar plates was obtained through three-dimensional laser scanning, and the similarity between different bipolar plates was calculated. Encapsulation experiments were conducted on individual cells, and contact pressure inside the cells was measured using pressure measurement films. Scanning pressure measurement films provided data on contact pressure distribution, and the analysis of contact pressure was combined with the similarity of the bipolar plates. The results showed that under the same encapsulation load, higher similarity between the surface features of bipolar plates led to smaller variations and more uniform distribution of contact pressure, while the average contact pressure remained relatively unchanged. This paper preliminary evaluated the influence of bipolar plate deformation on contact pressure in PEMFCs through experimental and numerical methods, providing guidance for the actual assembly process of PEMFCs.