Finite element model for micro-stamping titanium bipolar plate

Finite element model for micro-stamping titanium bipolar plate

KHADEMI Maziar, ZHANG Peng Neo, PEREIRA Michael, SREENIVAS Achuth, WEISS Matthias

Abstract. Bipolar plates are the essential components of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. Lightweight bipolar plates can be micro-stamped from an ultrathin metallic foil. A major concern is the manufacturability of the foil in the micro-stamping process. The typical stamped micro-channels have end cavities or corners where the deformation mode can be different from the two-dimensional plane strain conditions that occur at the straight sections of the micro-channels. The thin foil has a large ratio of length (or width) to thickness, and shell elements were often used for three-dimensional models. Currently, it is unknown if the shell elements available in commercial software packages are able to predict the ultrathin material behaviour correctly. In addition, the deformation behaviour and forming limits of titanium foil in the micro-stamping process are not well understood. The current study uses a micro-stamping tool to produce straight micro-channels from commercially pure titanium foil. The experimental data are used to validate a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional finite element model of the process. It is shown that there are deviations between the experimental and the numerical thinning results. Material thinning is different between the straight and the cavity end sections suggesting that three-dimensional process models are required to accurately analyze forming.

Keywords
Bipolar Plates, Micro-Stamping, Thin Foil, Finite Element Method

Published online 4/19/2023, 10 pages
Copyright © 2023 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA

Citation: KHADEMI Maziar, ZHANG Peng Neo, PEREIRA Michael, SREENIVAS Achuth, WEISS Matthias, Finite element model for micro-stamping titanium bipolar plate, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 28, pp 1531-1540, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644902479-165

The article was published as article 165 of the book Material Forming

Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.

References
[1] A. Hermann, T. Chaudhuri, P. Spagnol, Bipolar plates for PEM fuel cells: A review, Int. J. Hydrogen Ener. 30 (2005) 1297-1302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2005.04.016
[2] L. Carrette, K. Friedrich, U. Stimming, Fuel cells-fundamentals and applications, Fuel cells 1 (2001).
[3] J.-C. Hung, T.-C. Yang, K.-c. Li, Studies on the fabrication of metallic bipolar plates-Using micro electrical discharge machining milling, J. Power Source. 196 (2011) 2070-2074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2010.10.001
[4] L. Soler, J. Macanás, M. Munoz, J. Casado, Aluminum and aluminum alloys as sources of hydrogen for fuel cell applications, J. Power Source. 169 (2007) 144-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2007.01.080
[5] N. Abdullah, S. Kamarudin, Titanium dioxide in fuel cell technology: An overview, J. Power Source. 278 (2015) 109-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2014.12.014
[6] M. Weiss, P. Zhang, M.P. Pereira, B.F. Rolfe, D.E. Wilkosz, P.D. Hodgson, Understanding size effects and forming limits in the micro-stamping of industrial stainless steel foils, Metals 11 (2020) 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/met11010038
[7] R. Backes, A.M. Herring, J. Berger, J. Turner, H. Wang, Evaluation of stamping methods for stainless steel bipolar plates using finite element analysis, ECS Meeting Abstracts, IOP Publishing, 2008, p. 70. https://doi.org/10.1149/MA2008-02/1/70
[8] M. Elyasi, H.T. Ghadikolaee, M. Hosseinzadeh, Investigation of dimensional accuracy in forming of metallic bipolar plates with serpentine flow field, Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 96 (2018) 1045-1060. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-018-1650-5
[9] L. Peng, X. Lai, P. Hu, J. Ni, Flow channel shape optimum design for hydroformed metal bipolar plate in PEM fuel cell, J. Power Source. 178 (2008) 223-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2007.12.037
[10] Y. Liu, L. Hua, Fabrication of metallic bipolar plate for proton exchange membrane fuel cells by rubber pad forming, J. Power Source. 195 (2010) 3529-3535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2009.12.046
[11] R. Kolahdooz, S. Asghari, S. Rashid-Nadimi, A. Amirfazli, Integration of finite element analysis and design of experiment for the investigation of critical factors in rubber pad forming of metallic bipolar plates for PEM fuel cells, Int. J. Hydro. Ener. 42 (2017) 575-589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.11.020
[12] M. Balali Osia, S. Jamal Hosseinipour, M. Bakhshi-Jooybari, A. Gorgi, Forming metallic micro-feature bipolar plates for fuel cell using combined hydroforming and stamping processes, Iranian (Iranica) J. Ener. Environm. 4 (2013). 10.5829/idosi.ijee.2013.04.02.03
[13] H.J. Bong, J. Lee, J.-H. Kim, F. Barlat, M.-G. Lee, Two-stage forming approach for manufacturing ferritic stainless steel bipolar plates in PEM fuel cell: Experiments and numerical simulations, Int. J Hydro. Ener. 42 (2017) 6965-6977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.12.094
[14] K. Karacan, S. Celik, S. Toros, M. Alkan, U. Aydin, Investigation of formability of metallic bipolar plates via stamping for light-weight PEM fuel cells, Int. J. Hydro. Ener. 45 (2020) 35149-35161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.01.251
[15] V. Modanloo, H. Talebi-Ghadikolaee, V. Alimirzaloo, M. Elyasi, Fracture prediction in the stamping of titanium bipolar plate for PEM fuel cells, Int. J. Hydro. Ener. 46 (2021) 5729-5739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.11.088
[16] P. Zhang, M.P. Pereira, B.F. Rolfe, D.E. Wilkosz, P. Hodgson, M. Weiss, Investigation of material failure in micro-stamping of metallic bipolar plates, J. Manuf. Process. 73 (2022) 54-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2021.10.044
[17] ASTM International Standard, E8M-04: Standard test methods for tension testing of metallic materials, testing of metallic materials, 2004.
[18] T. Furushima, H. Tsunezaki, K.-i. Manabe, S. Alexsandrov, Ductile fracture and free surface roughening behaviors of pure copper foils for micro/meso-scale forming, International J. Mach. Tool. Manuf. 76 (2014) 34-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2013.10.001
[19] B. Abeyrathna, P. Zhang, M.P. Pereira, D. Wilkosz, M. Weiss, Micro-roll forming of stainless steel bipolar plates for fuel cells, Int. J. Hydro. Ener. 44 (2019) 3861-3875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.12.013
[20] Information on https://www.digimizer.com/download/