Patent ID: 8962209
Filing Date: 2015-02-24
Classification: B33Y,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell device comprising: an elongate substrate having a length that is the greatest dimension whereby the elongate substrate exhibits thermal expansion along a dominant axis that is coextensive with the length, a first cold end region adjacent a first end, a second cold end region adjacent a second end, and a reaction zone between the first and second cold end regions, wherein the reaction zone is configured to be heated to an operating reaction temperature and is capable of generating a fuel cell reaction, and the first and second cold end regions are configured to remain at a low temperature below the operating reaction temperature when the reaction zone is heated and are incapable of generating a fuel cell reaction; at least two discrete power sections in the reaction zone, each of the at least two discrete power sections comprising one or more active layers each having an anode, an opposing cathode and an electrolyte therebetween for generating the fuel cell reaction at the operating reaction temperature when supplied with heat, fuel and oxidizer, the anode and cathode in each of the one or more active layers in each of the at least two discrete power sections having an electrical pathway extending to the first or second cold end region for electrical connection at the low temperature below the operating reaction temperature; at least two discrete fuel passages in the elongate substrate extending from the first cold end region to the anodes of the respective at least two discrete power sections in the reaction zone; and at least one oxidizer passage in the elongate substrate extending from the second cold end region to the cathodes of the at least two discrete power sections in the reaction zone; wherein the fuel cell device is operable at two or more different power levels by selectively flowing fuel into one or more than one of the at least two discrete fuel passages, and wherein the fuel cell device is operable to receive fuel into one of the at least two discrete fuel passages without receiving fuel in at least one other of the at least two discrete fuel passages such that the two or more different power levels include a low power level in which the fuel cell reaction is generated in fewer than all of the at least two discrete power sections and a high power level in which the fuel cell reaction is generated in all of the at least two discrete power sections.