Bipolar Plates Cooling Plates

Description

Stack Thermal & Flow Field Solutions

Bipolar Plates + Ultra-Thin Cooling Plates for PEMFC, SOFC, AEM & Flow Battery Systems

1. Product Overview

One supplier. Two mission-critical components. One integrated thermal and flow field strategy.

This product page presents our complete hardware solution for fuel cell stacks and flow battery systems:

Bipolar Plates (BPP) – for reactant distribution, current collection, and cell separation
Ultra-Thin Cooling Plates – for precision thermal management with ΔT < 2°C across the active area

Designed for engineers who need reliable, repeatable, and scalable stack hardware – from R&D prototyping to high-volume production (500,000+ pieces/year).

Why buy them together?
Bipolar plates and cooling plates share the same manufacturing DNA (stamping, etching, brazing/welding, leak testing) and the same operating environment. Sourcing both from a single supplier eliminates interface mismatches, reduces supply chain complexity, and lowers total cost of ownership.

2. Key Benefits at a Glance

Benefit	How We Deliver
Higher stack power density	Metal bipolar plates down to 0.05 mm; integrated cooling channels where needed
Longer stack lifetime	Corrosion-resistant coatings (Au, C, CrN) validated to 5,000+ hours AST; helium leak test ≤1×10⁻⁸ Pa·m³/s
Lower stack cost	High-volume stamping + in-house coating + automated sealing – no middle layers
Better thermal uniformity	Micro-channel cooling plates with flow-optimized geometry; ΔT ≤ 2°C across active area
Single point of responsibility	One supplier, one quality system, one logistics stream – for two tightly coupled components

3. Product Series A – Bipolar Plates

3.1 Metallic Bipolar Plates (High-Volume, High-Power PEMFC)

Best for automotive, heavy-duty truck, and stationary high-power stacks

Parameter	Specification
Materials	316L, 310S, titanium (Grade 1/2), coated SS
Thickness	0.05 – 0.10 mm
Channel depth tolerance	±0.01 mm
Flatness	≤0.02 mm over 200 mm length
Coating (in-house PVD)	Gold (≤50 nm), amorphous carbon (≤200 nm), CrN
ICR (after coating)	<5 mΩ·cm² @ 1.4 MPa
Corrosion current density	<1 μA/cm² (PEMFC cathode conditions)
Leak rate (helium)	≤1×10⁻⁸ Pa·m³/s per plate
Integrated features	Cooling channels, sealing grooves, alignment pins
Joining method	Laser welding (two-piece plates)

3.2 Graphite & Composite Bipolar Plates (Long-Life SOFC / Backup Power)

Best for high-corrosion environments and low-current-density applications

Parameter	Specification
Materials	Natural/expanded graphite + phenolic resin, or pure molded graphite
Thickness	0.8 – 1.2 mm (composite); 1.5 – 3.0 mm (pure graphite)
Flatness	±0.02 mm
Porosity (after impregnation)	<1% – eliminates gas crossover
Corrosion resistance	Inherent – no coating required
Manufacturing	Compression molding or high-speed CNC milling

3.3 Ultra-Thin Plates for Maximum Power Density

Material	Thickness	Benefit
Metal	0.05 – 0.08 mm	Reduces stack volume by up to 30%
Composite	0.8 – 1.2 mm	Fiber-reinforced for mechanical strength
Surface finish	Ra ≤0.4 μm	Minimizes contact resistance with GDL

3.4 Custom Flow Field Designs

We help you optimize the trade-off between pressure drop and water removal:

Serpentine (1-, 2-, or 3-pass)
Parallel & interdigitated
Pin-type & 3D meshed
Bio-inspired (leaf vein, lung-like)

Flow fields can be machined, stamped, or etched – depending on volume and material.

4. Product Series B – Ultra-Thin Cooling Plates

4.1 Why Cooling Plates Are Essential

A fuel cell operates at 60–80°C. Exceeding this range causes:

Membrane dehydration → performance collapse
Hot spots → accelerated degradation
Thermal runaway → catastrophic failure

Cooling plates maintain ΔT < 2°C across the entire active area – enabling stable, long-life operation.

4.2 Cooling Plate Product Line

Cooling Plate Type	Application	Material	Channel Design	Bonding Method
Micro-channel cold plates	PEMFC stacks, dense heat load	316L, Ti, Al 6061	Serpentine or parallel micro-channels (0.3–0.8 mm hydraulic diameter)	Vacuum brazing / diffusion bonding
Liquid cooling jackets	Battery packs, PCS, power electronics	Aluminum (brazed)	Large cross-section, low pressure drop	Controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB)
Integrated BPP + cooling plate	Ultra-compact stacks	316L, Ti	Cooling channels machined directly on backside of bipolar plate	One-piece forming + laser welding

4.3 Cooling Plate Key Specifications

Parameter	Value
Thickness (standalone cooling plate)	0.6 – 1.5 mm
Channel depth tolerance	±0.01 mm
Hydraulic diameter (micro-channel)	0.3 – 0.8 mm
Pressure drop (typical)	<50 kPa @ 2 L/min coolant flow
Helium leak rate	≤1×10⁻⁸ Pa·m³/s
Coolant compatibility	Deionized water / water-glycol (up to 50/50 mix)
Burst pressure	≥1.5 MPa
Thermal uniformity (ΔT across active area)	≤2°C

4.4 Cooling Plate Manufacturing Technologies

Process	Advantage for Cooling Plates
Precision stamping (micro-channels)	High-volume, low-cost, 0.1 mm channel width capability
Chemical etching	Burr-free, stress-free – ideal for R&D and complex geometries
Vacuum brazing	Clean, oxide-free joints – no post-braze cleaning required
Diffusion bonding	Monolithic structure, no braze filler – maximum reliability
Laser welding	Hermetic sealing of two-piece cooling plate assemblies

5. Quality Assurance & Testing

All plates – both bipolar and cooling – undergo 100% testing on critical parameters.

Test	Method	Acceptance Criteria
ICR (Interfacial Contact Resistance)	4-probe method @ 1.4 MPa	<5–10 mΩ·cm²
Corrosion current density	Potentiodynamic scan (0.6V vs. SCE, 80°C, 0.5M H₂SO₄+2 ppm HF)	<1 μA/cm²
Helium leak test	Mass spectrometry	≤1×10⁻⁸ Pa·m³/s per plate
Flatness	CMM / optical flat	≤0.02 mm over 200 mm
Channel depth	Laser profilometer	±0.01 mm
Salt spray (coated metal plates)	ASTM B117	≥500 hours
Thermal uniformity (cooling plates)	IR thermography	ΔT ≤2°C across active area
Pressure cycling (cooling plates)	0–0.5 MPa cyclic, 10,000 cycles	No leak, no deformation

Certifications

ISO 9001:2015
IATF 16949 (automotive-grade fuel cell quality systems)
Customer-specific audits (VDA 6.3, etc.)

Manufacturing Capabilities – At a Glance

Process	Key Capability
Precision stamping (progressive die)	0.05 mm SS, ±0.01 mm channel depth, up to 120 strokes/min
Chemical etching	Burr-free, complex micro-channels, no mechanical stress
MIM (Metal Injection Molding)	Small, complex composite plates and manifolds
5-axis CNC machining	Graphite plates, R&D prototypes, complex flow fields
Compression molding	Composite plates with thermoset resins + graphite fillers
Laser welding	Hermetic sealing of two-piece plates
Vacuum brazing / diffusion bonding	Clean, high-integrity cooling plate joints
Coating (in-house PVD)	Gold, carbon, CrN – ICR stability & corrosion protection ≥5,000h AST
Sealing (automated)	Silicone or EPDM gaskets – dispensed, hot-bonded, or screen-printed
Cleanroom final cleaning	Class 10K, DI water + ultrasonic – residue <0.1 mg/cm²

Applications

Application	Bipolar Plate Recommendation	Cooling Plate Recommendation
Automotive PEMFC (cars, SUVs)	Metallic, 0.075 mm, coated	Micro-channel, 0.8 mm, vacuum brazed
Heavy-duty truck fuel cell	Metallic, 0.10 mm, reinforced coating	Micro-channel with higher burst pressure
Stationary power (PEMFC)	Metallic or composite – depending on lifetime requirement	Standard micro-channel cooling plate
SOFC (high-temperature)	Graphite or composite	High-temp compatible materials (e.g., special alloys)
Flow battery (vanadium redox)	Graphite or carbon-polymer composite	Corrosion-resistant cooling / thermal management plates
R&D / university stacks	Any – custom flow fields, small quantities	Any – custom cooling channel geometries