오버밴딩법을 사용한 바이폴라 플레이트 평탄도 개선에 대한 연구
A Study on the Improvement of Flantness of Bipolar Plate Using the Overbending Method
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Hydrogen fuel cells, characterized by their eco-friendliness and high energy efficiency, are attracting attention as next-generation energy sources. Bipolar plates, core components of these cells, perform various functions such as electrical conduction, formation of reactant gas flow channels, and maintenance of airtightness. In particular, the geometric precision of bipolar plates, especially the bottom surface flatness, directly influences cell sealing characteristics, electrical conductivity, and assembly stability. Springback occurring on the bottom surface after forming can cause deviations from the target geometry, leading to a degradation of fuel cell performance. In this study, overbending was employed as a compensation technique to mitigate the flatness issue after forming metal bipolar plates, and its quantitative effects were verified through simulation. 316L austenitic stainless steel was used as the material, and AutoForm R11 was utilized for the forming analysis. For the main forming parameters (R₁, R₂, h), the Taguchi experimental design method was applied to analyze the influence of each parameter. The analysis results confirmed that the overbending height parameter 'h' was the most significant variable influencing flatness improvement. To evaluate the compensation tendency according to the bottom surface geometry, two types of models (Model A, Model B) were analyzed. Model A achieved a flatness consistent with the reference geometry under the condition of h = 0.05 mm, while Model B showed some deviation. This demonstrated that the compensation effect varies depending on the bottom surface geometry. This study proved that the overbending technique is effective in controlling springback and enhancing geometric precision after forming metal bipolar plates. It is expected that these findings will serve as valuable data for future ultra-thin plate mold design and high-precision forming processes for PEMFCs.
Abstract
Hydrogen fuel cells, characterized by their eco-friendliness and high energy efficiency, are attracting attention as next-generation energy sources. Bipolar plates, core components of these cells, perform various functions such as electrical conduction, formation of reactant gas flow channels, and maintenance of airtightness. In particular, the geometric precision of bipolar plates, especially the bottom surface flatness, directly influences cell sealing characteristics, electrical conductivity, and assembly stability. Springback occurring on the bottom surface after forming can cause deviations from the target geometry, leading to a degradation of fuel cell performance. In this study, overbending was employed as a compensation technique to mitigate the flatness issue after forming metal bipolar plates, and its quantitative effects were verified through simulation. 316L austenitic stainless steel was used as the material, and AutoForm R11 was utilized for the forming analysis. For the main forming parameters (R₁, R₂, h), the Taguchi experimental design method was applied to analyze the influence of each parameter. The analysis results confirmed that the overbending height parameter 'h' was the most significant variable influencing flatness improvement. To evaluate the compensation tendency according to the bottom surface geometry, two types of models (Model A, Model B) were analyzed. Model A achieved a flatness consistent with the reference geometry under the condition of h = 0.05 mm, while Model B showed some deviation. This demonstrated that the compensation effect varies depending on the bottom surface geometry. This study proved that the overbending technique is effective in controlling springback and enhancing geometric precision after forming metal bipolar plates. It is expected that these findings will serve as valuable data for future ultra-thin plate mold design and high-precision forming processes for PEMFCs.