Studies on the Width of Rectangular Channels of Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate Using FDM 3D Printer with PLA Filament

Studies on the Width of Rectangular Channels of Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate Using FDM 3D Printer with PLA Filament

Bipolar plates with channel width of 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, and 0.3 mm respectively were printed using a 3D printer. The shape of three b ipolar plates was rectangular, the channel depth was 0.5 mm, and the thickness of base was 0.5 mm. The bipolar plate with channel width of 0.5 mm had 45 channels, and their active area was 44.5 mm × 50 mm. The bipolar plate with channel width of 0.4 mm had 57 channels and its active area was 45.2 mm × 50 mm, and the bipolar plate with channel width of 0.3 mm had 75 channels and its active area was 44.7 mm × 50 mm. The bipolar plates were printed using PLA filament. The cross-sectional lengths of the bipolar plates with channel widths of 0.5 mm and 0.4 mm were identical by 96% of the designed cross-sectional length. Whereas the bipolar plate with a channel length of 0.3 mm had a large difference of 25% from the designed cross-sectional length.