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

Effect of clamping pressure on electrical resistance between Gas diffusion layer (GDL) and bipolar plate is a very important parameter in Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. For investigation of this matter some researches have been done in these years. But there is not an experimental investigation of clamping pressure effect on PEM electrical resistance. In this paper, some experimental tests have been performed with various clamping pressures in order to find the relationship between clamping pressure and electrical resistance. The same situations have been simulated in Abaqus software and their results have been compared to each other. Some models with different situations of clamping pressure and thickness of end plate for uniform pressure distribution on the gas diffusion layer have been obtained and these models have been investigated for electrical analysis. These models have been imported to electrical and mechanical analysis with putting electrical loads and boundary conditions. At the end, results of the investigation showed that PEM fuel cell with more clamping pressure and end plate thickness has less electrical resistance. Stress and electrical resistance have reversed relationship to each other. In other word by increasing in clamping pressure, electrical resistance between gas diffusion layer and bipolar plate will reduce and vice versa.