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Small‐scale resistance seam welding of stainless steel bipolar plates of PEM fuel cells
Author(s) -
Gholami Omid,
Shakeri Mohsen,
Imen S. Javad,
Jamshidi Aval Hamed
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.6715
Subject(s) - welding , electric resistance welding , materials science , electrode , welding power supply , proton exchange membrane fuel cell , contact resistance , composite material , metallurgy , gas metal arc welding , heat affected zone , filler metal , arc welding , fuel cells , engineering , chemistry , chemical engineering , layer (electronics)
Summary Joining process is one of the major steps in the manufacturing of stainless steel bipolar plates (BPPs). In this paper, the resistance seam welding method with a capacitor discharge (CD) welding machine is used for welding the metallic bipolar plates of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. For welding, the curved paths in the surroundings of the BPPs, ball electrode is used on the positive side of the welding machine and electrode wheel is used for welding the short straight paths inside the flow field channels. Weld seam quality and leakage resistance are examined with the peel test and pillow test. Eventually, according to the results of the peel and pillow tests, the optimum welding parameters for welding a BPP are determined. Finally, two halves of a BPP with parallel serpentine channel flow field are welded together by resistance seam welding method.