General Motors LLC

A. Project Objectives the Project Goal Is to Develop a Bipolar Plate (BPP) Manufacturing Solution to Achieve the Doe 2030 BPP Cost, Performance, and Durability Target for Heavy Duty Applications Through Fundamental Investigation in Phase 1 (budget Period 1), and Technology Integration and Demonstration of Developed Technologies in Phase 2 (budget Period 2). B. Technical Scope Summary the Scope of the Project Is to Close the Significant Gap Between Current BPP Durability/cost and Doe 2030 Target for Heavy Duty Applications (25,000 Hours Durability, 0.18KG/KWNET Weight, and $5/KWNET Cost for 100,000 Units/year). a Comprehensive Approach Is Proposed to Address Key Technology Enablers • Develop a BPP Stamping Technology That Will Enable Utilization of Lower Cost Ferritic Stainless Steels to Reduce Material Cost While Maintaining BPP Strength and Performance. • Develop a Low-cost Post-stamping Coating Technology to Meet the Doe 2030 Target for Corrosion, Contact Resistance, and Electrical Conductivity to Help Meet the BPP 25,000 Hours Durability Requirement. • Develop High Speed BPP Laser Welding Technology to Meet the High Through-put Requirement of 100,000 Units/year With Lower Scrap Rate. • Integrate the Technologies Into a Small Size BPP Design and Manufacturing Process, Conduct Performance Test, and Demonstrate the Feasibility for Technology Scale-up. Budget Period 1: Key BPP Technology Fundamental Research and Development (month 1-18) Phase 1 Will Focus on Material Selection, Baseline Testing, and Technology Development for Ferritic Stainless Steel (FSS) Formability-enhancing Stamping, Two-layer Low-cost Coating and High-speed Laser Welding. Coating Processes and Preliminary Composition Will Be Determined Through Design of Experiment Testing. Both Testing and Simulation Will Be Employed to Assist Stamping and Welding Technology Development and Process Optimization. Stamping Processes Will Be Established to Achieve Target Formability. Defects and Their Formation Mechanism in High-speed Laser Welding Will Be Identified. a 50 CM2 Active Area (AA) Small BPP Plate Design Will Be Complete and Ready for Technology Integration in Phase 2. Budget Period 2: Technology Integration for High Durability and Low Cost BPP Demonstration Phase 2 Will Focus on Technology Integration. a Small and Sizable (50 CM2 Aa) BPP Will Be Manufactured Through the Integration of BPP Design and Developed Manufacturing Processes and Technologies. BPP Performance and Durability Will Be Tested Through Accelerated Test Protocol. the Goal Is to Demonstrate the Developed Technologies Are Feasible and Scalable Solutions for Low Cost and Durable BPP Mass Production. in Phase 2, Fundamental Research Will Also Continue to Progress and Provide Support for a Successful Integration While Integration Processes Will Provide Feedback for Further Fundamental Technology Improvement.