Fuel cell module

A fuel cell module comprising:

• a fuel cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells for generating electricity by electrochemical reactions of a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas;
• a reformer for reforming a mixed gas of a raw fuel chiefly containing hydrocarbon and water vapor 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 the temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with a 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 a fuel exhaust gas and the oxygen-containing gas discharged from the fuel cell stack an oxygen-containing exhaust gas to produce the combustion gas;
• and
• a start-up combustor for combusting the raw fuel and the oxygen-containing gas to produce the combustion gas,
• wherein the fuel cell module includes:
• a first area where the exhaust gas combustor and the start-up combustor are provided;
• an annular second area around the first area and where the reformer and the heat exchanger are provided;
• and
• an annular third area around the second area and where the evaporator is provided,
• and wherein the heat exchanger includes an annular oxygen-containing gas supply chamber to which the oxygen-containing gas is supplied, an annular oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber to which the heated oxygen-containing gas is discharged, a plurality of heat exchange pipes each having one end connected to the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber and another end connected to the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas between the heat exchange pipes;
• and
• a circumscribed non-uniform-flow suppression plate is provided along a minimum circumscribed circle which contacts outer surfaces of the heat exchange pipes.