Investigation and optimization of a PEM fuel cell’s electrical and mechanical behavior

The effect of clamping pressure on electrical resistance between the Gas diffusion layer (GDL) and bipolar plate is a very important parameter in Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. There have been several studies done in the last few years to investigate this matter, but there have not been any experimental investigations of the clamping pressure effect on PEM electrical resistance. In this paper, experimental tests were performed with various clamping pressures in order to find the relationship between clamping pressure and electrical resistance. These same situations were also simulated in Abaqus software and their results were then compared to each other. Models of different situations of clamping pressure and thicknesses of end plate for uniform pressure distribution on the gas diffusion layer have been obtained and these models were investigated for electrical analysis. These models have been imported for electrical and mechanical analysis with putting electrical loads and boundary conditions. Finally, results of the investigation showed that a PEM fuel cell with more clamping pressure and end plate thickness has less electrical resistance. Stress and electrical resistance have a reversed relationship to each other. In other words, increasing the clamping pressure will reduce the electrical resistance between the gas diffusion layer and bipolar plate and vice versa.