Project Team
Students
Jonathan Trimpey
Mechanical Engineering
Penn State Behrend
Savanna Carr
Mechanical Engineering
Penn State Behrend
Zane Smith
Mechanical Engineering
Penn State Behrend
Faculty Mentors
Adam Hollinger
Penn State Behrend
Mechanical Engineering
Penn State Charles Bakis
University Park
Engineering Science and Mechanics
Project
Project Video
Project Abstract
Fuel cells that are composed of polymer composite bipolar plates could be a more economical and environmentally sustainable material choice compared to fuel cells with graphite or stainless steel bipolar plates. The investigated composite is an injection molded bipolar plate with a recyclable Nylon 6,6 matrix and nickel coated carbon fiber filler. A Nylon and nickel coated carbon fiber composite is a better alternative to materials currently used due to the composite being lightweight, having better resistance to corrosion than metals, having an increased life span, and being easily recyclable. The composite is electrically conductive due the contact of the short fibers with one another. The composite is an anisotropic material because the fibers primarily align in the direction that composite is injected into the mold. Micromechanical analysis leads to different numerical values for electrical conductivity and elastic modulus depending on direction in the material, fiber alignment, fiber length and diameter, fiber concentration, and fiber conductivity and elastic modulus. Properties of the composite are modeled to see if a nickel coated carbon fiber bipolar plate can be used effectively based on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines. The specific properties modeled are ultimate strain, electrical conductivity, and material cost. The Halpin-Tsai equations are used for modeling the elastic modulus and ultimate strain and the Fiber Contact Model is used for electrical conductivity. Development of an objective function for optimizing cost, ultimate strain, and conductivity leads to optimal fiber volume percentages of the composite. The ideal fiber mass fraction in the longitudinal direction was found to be 0.2 and 0.27 in the transverse direction. Conductivity and elastic modulus are found to be increased in the injection direction of the composite with higher fiber loadings as well as improved alignment of the fibers. The optimization tools developed in this investigation allow for comparison of composite bipolar plates to competing materials.
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