Bipolar plates are a crucial component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. They are responsible for transporting reactant gases, carrying the current from the membrane electrode assembly to the end plates, providing heat and water management, and separating the individual cells. However, these plates also contribute to 80% of the fuel cell's weight, 50% of its volume, and 40% of its cost, posing a barrier to the commercialization of fuel cells. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the materials and manufacturing processes used in the fabrication of bipolar plates as well as recent research conducted on the improvement of bipolar plate weight, volume, and cost through material selection and manufacturing methods. Additive manufacturing is highlighted in this work as an innovative manufacturing method to produce bipolar plates. Novel contributions in this paper include a detailed explanation of traditional manufacturing processes for metallic and graphitic-polymer bipolar plates as well as a cost comparison between additive and traditional manufacturing processes.

中文翻译：

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质子交换膜燃料电池中的双极板概述

双极板是质子交换膜燃料电池的重要组成部分。它们负责传输反应气体，将电流从膜电极组件输送到端板，提供热量和水管理，并分离单个电池。但是，这些板也占燃料电池重量的80％，体积的50％和成本的40％，这对燃料电池的商业化构成了障碍。本文全面回顾了双极板制造中使用的材料和制造工艺，以及最近通过材料选择和制造方法改善双极板重量，体积和成本的研究。这项工作强调了增材制造作为一种生产双极板的创新制造方法。