Optimizing Metallic Bipolar Plates for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells in Electric Vehicles

Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs) are increasingly recognized as a promising power source for electric vehicles (EVs) due to their high energy conversion efficiency and environmental benefits. Among the critical components of PEFCs, bipolar plates play a vital role in gas distribution, current collection, thermal management, and overall system durability. Conventional graphite bipolar plates suffer from limitations such as high cost, poor mechanical strength, corrosion issues, and difficulties in large-scale manufacturing. To overcome these challenges, this study investigates the suitability of metallic bipolar plates as alternatives for PEFC applications in EVs. A systematic evaluation of selected metallic materials—including 316, 310, 317L, and 316L austenitic stainless steels, along with gold-plated aluminium—was carried out using the Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) method. Key performance criteria such as specific stiffness (E¹ᐟ³/ρ), thermal stress resistance (σf/Eα), thermal diffusion (α/k), and electrical resistivity (µΩ·cm) were considered. Equal weights were assigned to all criteria to ensure unbiased comparison. Experimental characterization and normalization of data were performed, followed by weighted decision matrix construction and preference score calculation using both Weighted Sum Model (WSM) and Weighted Product Model (WPM). The results reveal that gold-plated aluminium achieved the highest overall rank, indicating superior performance under the selected criteria, while 310 austenitic stainless steel ranked lowest. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the WASPAS method in material selection and highlight the potential of metallic bipolar plates—particularly aluminium with protective coatings—for improving the performance, efficiency, and longevity of PEFC systems in electric vehicles.