Measurement and Prediction of Electrical Contact Resistance Between Gas Diffusion Layers and Bipolar Plate for Applications to PEM Fuel Cells

摘要

The electrical contact resistance between gas diffusion layers and bipolar flow channelnplates is one of the important factors contributing to the operational voltage loss innpolymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Effective analysis and design of fuel cellsntherefore need to account for the contact resistance in deriving the polarization curve fornthe cell. Despite its significance, relatively scant work is reported in the open literaturenon the measurement and modeling of the contact resistance in fuel cell systems, and thenpresent work aims to fill this void. Experimental data are reported for the first time tonshow the effects of different gas diffusion layer materials and contact pressure on thenelectrical contact resistance. A fractal asperity based model is adopted to predict thencontact resistance as a function of pressure, material properties, and surface geometry.nGood agreement is observed between the data and the model predictions for a wide rangenof contacting pressures and materials.10.1115/1.1782917]