Electrochemical cell apparatus having axially distributed entry of a fuel-spent fuel mixture transverse to the cell lengths

An electrochemical apparatus operating on gaseous oxidant and a fresh gaseous feed fuel, at an interior temperature between 600.degree. C. and 1,200.degree. C., comprising a generator chamber containing one or more cell bundles, each bundle containing a plurality of parallel, axially elongated electrochemical cells, each cell having an exterior fuel electrode, an interior air electrode, and solid oxide electrolyte therebetween;

• fresh gaseous feed fuel inlet;
• gaseous feed oxidant inlet;
• gaseous spent fuel exit, where the spent fuel contains water vapor;
• and a combustion chamber where hot spent gaseous fuel and hot spent gaseous oxidant combust to form combusted exhaust gas, where a portion of the spent fuel is recirculated through a spent fuel exit channel to mix with fresh feed fuel at a mixing apparatus, providing a reformable fuel mixture;
• the reformable fuel mixture is channeled to contact the exterior fuel electrode surfaces of the electrochemical cells within the generator chamber, and such contact is substantially transverse to the exterior fuel electrode surfaces and along the length of the cells, and where the reformable fuel mixture contacts a catalytic reforming material which is distributed parallel to the axially elongated electrochemical cells.