Speaker
Description
Fuel cells (FCs) represent a key technology for sustainable hydrogen-based energy systems, with proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) offering high efficiency and suitability for mobility and stationary applications. However, their performance and durability are strongly influenced by local inhomogeneities such as uneven humidification, temperature gradients, and transient flooding within the flow field. Conventional diagnostic approaches remain limited in providing spatially resolved, multi-parameter in-situ data without interfering with electrochemical operation.
This work presents the development of a functional additively manufactured component with embedded sensing, realized as a smart bipolar plate (SBP) fabricated via Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). The approach enables the integration of fiber-optic sensors directly into stainless steel structures through controlled process interruptions and tailored scan strategies. Key manufacturing challenges include the realization of thin-walled geometries, internal capillary channels, and distortion-sensitive structures requiring optimized LPBF parameter sets and chessboard scan strategies to ensure part integrity.
The LPBF process was specifically optimized to achieve hydrogen-tight and mechanically robust bipolar plates, which was experimentally validated using helium leak testing at representative operating pressures. Embedded fiber-optic sensors based on Fiber Bragg Gratings enable temperature and strain measurements, while laser-cut optical fibers provide robust relative humidity sensing based on evanescent field interaction.
Post-processing and electron-beam-based Cr/Au coating were applied to improve corrosion resistance and electrical performance. The resulting SBP was successfully validated in a PEM fuel cell single-cell testbed, demonstrating reliable sensor integration with the membrane, accurate multi-parameter measurements, and mechanical stability under realistic operating conditions.
The presented approach demonstrates the feasibility of combining LPBF manufacturing with embedded sensing, enabling next-generation functional metal AM components with integrated diagnostics for hydrogen and energy applications.
| Speaker Country | Österreich |
|---|---|
| Would you like to publish your paper in the special issue of BHM "Berg- und Hüttenmännische Monatshefte" | No |