Open Cathode PEM Fuel Cells for Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UVA) Applications

摘要

Graphite based bipolar plates have long been the norm in fuel cell designs and for good reason. Graphite bipolar plates exhibit good electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. However, graphite plates are also brittle and expensive to manufacture. The brittleness of graphite plates requires them to be large enough to withstand cracking under clamping pressure; this makes graphite plates heavier and in turn increases the weight of the overall stack. Many composite materials have been tested with some success; but, improvements in mechanical properties often lead to drawbacks in other areas. Metallic flow plates have been given a lot of attention recently, mostly due to advances in thin film technology. Metallic plates offer good manufacturability, mechanical properties, and electrical conductivity. Metallic plates fall short in their ability to resist corrosion which is a major factor in fuel cell longevity. A corrosion resistant film is necessary to increase the life of a fuel cell using metallic flow plates. With advances in thin corrosion resistant films, metallic plates are becoming desirable.