Fuel cell module

A fuel cell module comprising:

• a fuel cell stack formed by stacking fuel cells for generating electricity by electrochemical reactions between a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas;
• a reformer for reforming a mixed gas of water vapor and a raw fuel chiefly containing hydrocarbon to produce the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell stack;
• an evaporator for evaporating water, and supplying the water vapor to the reformer;
• a heat exchanger for raising temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with combustion gas, and supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack;
• an exhaust gas combustor for combusting the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell stack as a fuel exhaust gas and the oxygen-containing gas discharged from the fuel cell stack as an oxygen-containing exhaust gas to thereby produce the combustion gas;
• and
• a start-up combustor for combusting the raw fuel and the oxygen-containing gas to thereby produce the combustion gas,
• the fuel cell module further comprising:
• a first area where the exhaust gas combustor and the start-up combustor are provided;
• an annular second area disposed around the first area where one of the reformer and the heat exchanger is provided;
• an annular third area disposed around the second area where another of the reformer and the heat exchanger is provided;
• an annular fourth area disposed around the third area where the evaporator is provided;
• a first partition plate provided between the first area and the second area;
• a second partition plate provided between the second area and the third area;
• and
• a third partition plate provided between the third area and the fourth area,
• wherein a stress absorber for absorbing heat stress is provided in at least one of the first area, the second area, the third area, and the fourth area.