Mechanical design and analysis of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack

This paper presents a methodology to design, analyze, and improve the mechanical responses of a practical proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. Parametrical modelling, finite element analysis (FEA), and numerical optimization are implemented to study the PEMFC stack. Parametrical models are developed according to the actual product, and then can be applied for a structural analysis. A practical assembly is analyzed with FEA, and design defects due to the stacked cell-units and the clamping method are studied. Through solving the defects, the design criterions are proposed to improve the PEMFC stack. A clamping method is proposed to generate a uniform distribution of the clamping pressure. A ribbed endplate designed with the clamping method is optimized to decrease its weight.