ABSTRACT
Bipolar plates as main part of fuel cell stacks are responsible for the transport and separation of all media within the stack, the transport of electrons and heat, and have to realize a smooth mechanical environment for the cells, respectively, membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and gaskets. “erefore, the requirements for bipolar plates derived from various publications regarding stack development do focus on ohmic resistance, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and-with respect to the complex electrochemical environment within the cells-corrosion targets. As the long-term stability of materials is highly dependent especially on fuel cell concepts and operational parameters, numerous bipolar plate technologies exist based on a wide range of materials and production methods. Due to the variety of applications for fuel cells ranging from high current and highly dynamic automobile stacks, via highly e™cient stationary systems in constant and long-term operation to small power units with random operation modes, this bandwidth of materials is necessary to supply the best suitable bipolar plate technology for the application and its operating parameters.
