A PEMFC (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell or Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) stack is
composed of Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs), Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs), endplates and bipolar
plates. The bipolar plates are multifunctional components as they collect and conduct the current from cell to
cell, separate the fuel and oxidant gases and provide flow channels in the plates to deliver the reacting
gases to the fuel cell electrodes. The electrical resistance of bipolar plates should be very low in order to
conduct the electricity generated in the fuel cell with minimum electrical loss. In this study, the concept of the
continuous carbon fiber composite bipolar plate coated with graphite foil is suggested by Axiomatic Design
Theory and verified experimentally. Consequently, the total resistance in the through thickness direction of
composite bipolar plate was reduced by 86% compared to that of conventional composite bipolar plates
through the employment of a graphite coating layer.