Fuel cell assembly

A fuel cell stack comprising:

• a plurality of cells, each said cell comprising an anode surface and a cathode surface;
• a plurality of interconnect plate assemblies, each said interconnect plate assembly comprising a periphery, an oxidant side adjacent to the cathode side of one said cell and a fuel side adjacent to the anode side of another said cell;
• said fuel and oxidant sides comprising fuel side and oxidant side central regions;
• a fuel supply conduit comprising a fuel entrance at the fuel side of each said interconnect plate assembly, said fuel entrance spaced apart from and positioned between the fuel side central region and the periphery;
• and
• said cells and interconnect plate assemblies defining oxidant supply regions fluidly coupled to the oxidant side.

A fuel cell stack comprising:

• a plurality of cells, each said cell comprising an anode surface and a cathode surface;
• a plurality of interconnect plate assemblies, each said interconnect plate assembly comprising a periphery, an oxidant side adjacent to the cathode side of one said cell and a fuel side adjacent to the anode side of another said cell;
• said fuel and oxidant sides comprising central regions;
• a fuel supply conduit comprising a fuel entrance at the fuel side of each said interconnect plate assembly, each said fuel entrance positioned midway between said central region and said periphery of each said interconnect plate assembly;
• radially-oriented reaction products collection conduits, each comprising a reaction products entrance at the central region of the fuel side of each said interconnect plate assembly;
• and
• radially-oriented flue gas collection conduits each having an entrance at the central region of said oxidant side of side of each said interconnect plate assembly.

A sealless fuel cell assembly comprising:

• a vessel defining an inside;
• an oxidant gas source fluidly coupled to the inside of the vessel;
• a gas-permeable, porous housing, housed within the inside of the vessel, defining an interior, said oxidant gas passable through said porous housing into said interior;
• and
• a fuel cell stack housed within the interior of the porous housing, comprising:
• a plurality of cells, each said cell comprising an anode surface and a cathode surface;
• a plurality of interconnect plate assemblies, each said interconnect plate assembly comprising a periphery, an oxidant side adjacent to the cathode surface of one said cell and a fuel side adjacent to the anode surface of another said cell;
• said fuel and oxidant sides comprising fuel side and oxidant side central regions;
• a fuel supply conduit comprising a fuel entrance at the fuel side of each said interconnect plate assembly, said fuel side being spaced apart from and positioned between the fuel side central region and the periphery;
• a reaction products collection conduit comprising a reaction products entrance at the fuel side of each said interconnect plate assembly;
• and
• a flue gas collection conduit comprising a flue gas entrance at the oxidant side of each said interconnect plate assembly.

A method for operating a fuel cell stack comprising:

• accessing a fuel cell stack comprising alternating cells and separator assemblies, each said cell comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte between the anode and the cathode, the anodes each having an anode peripheral edge and an anode central region, the cathodes each having a cathode peripheral edge and a cathode central region, each said separator assembly comprising a fluid separator with a separator peripheral edge;
• flowing an oxygen-containing gas generally radially inwardly to said cathode peripheral edges;
• feeding a fuel to the anodes to a position between the anode peripheral edge and the anode central region of each said anode so that spent fuel, including residual fuel, flows radially outwardly past the anode peripheral edges;
• and
• combusting the spent fuel after it has passed the anode peripheral edges, come into contact with the radially inwardly flowing oxygen-containing gas, and become heated.