Plastic Deformation Forming of Metallic Bi-Polar Plate – Part 1: Theoretical Basis and Fundamental

As a kernel part of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), the bipolar plate (BPP) provides the flow field, conducts the current and supports the whole cell stack. The closely arrayed channels with high aspect ratio and the base sheets with thin thickness are the main features of the metallic BPP. In that regard, fabrication of micro channels in ultra-thin metallic sheets is of great importance in BPP production. In this part, the main theoretical basis and the modeling of micro channel forming with ultra-thin metallic sheets are provided, analyzed and discussed in detail, which provide a fundamental for design and development of BPP by using ultra-thin metallic sheets presented in Part 2.