Effect of bipolar plates design on corrosion and mass and heat transfer in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers: A review

Attaining a decarbonized and sustainable energy system, the core solution to global energy issues, has proven to be accessible by developing hydrogen energy. Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) are promising techniques for hydrogen production considering their high-efficiency, rapid responsiveness and compactness. Bipolar plates account for a relatively high percentage of the total cost and weight compared to other components in PEMWEs, so optimizing their design may accelerate the promotion of PEMWEs. In this paper, advances in material selection and flow field design for bipolar plate design are reviewed. Firstly, the working conditions of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and PEMWEs are compared. Then, the current research status of bipolar plate substrates and surface coatings are summarized, and new structures that have recently emerged in flow field design are presented. Furthermore, the interaction between material selection and structural design is explored to provide guidance for advanced bipolar plate design. Finally, it looks at potential directions of development for bipolar plate design: material fabrication and flow field geometry optimization using 3D printing and surface coating composition optimization based on computational materials science.