Fuel cell battery and solid electrolyte fuel cells therefore

A fuel cell battery, comprising:

• a frame structure;
• and
• a plurality of fuel cells which are interconnected with the frame structure and with one another in a gastight manner, and which are electrically connected to one another in series, each fuel cell being comprised of:
• an active cell element comprised of a support electrode, a counterelectrode, and an electrolyte layer positioned between the support electrode and the counterelectrode,
• wherein the support electrode supports the active cell element and includes an edge region, a spring-loaded region, and a porous region provided between the edge region and the spring-loaded region, the support electrode being composed of a metallic substance and the edge region, porous region and spring-loaded region of the support electrode being composed of the same metallic substance, and wherein the support electrode has a thickness effective to provide a transverse electrical conductivity which is effective to produce a uniform electrochemical reaction homogeneously distributed over the electrolyte layer,
• wherein the spring-loaded region mechanically decouples the active cell element of the fuel cell for a fuel cell battery from frame structure thereby protecting the electrolyte layer from thermally induced mechanical stresses produced by differing coefficients of expansion of materials,
• wherein the counterelectrode is porous and composed of a metallic substance, and
• wherein the electrolyte layer is gastight and is composed of an oxide,
• wherein the spring-loaded region of each fuel cell for a fuel cell battery is connected to the frame structure to provide a mechanical frictional connection therebetween which is decoupled thereby protecting the electrolyte layer from thermally induced mechanical stressed produced by differing coefficients of expansion of materials.