Patent ID: 8012643

Claim:
A method of operating a fuel cell system having at least one cathode section and at least two anode sections which are operable to convert an oxidant-containing cathode reactant and a hydrogen-containing anode reactant into electricity, a cathode effluent and an anode effluent, (a) supplying a first anode reactant feed stream to a first anode section of the at least two anode sections through a first flow path that communicates with a first inlet to the first anode section; (b) supplying a second anode reactant feed stream to a second anode section of the at least two anode sections through a second flow path that communicates with a second inlet to the second anode section; (c) supplying a third anode reactant feed stream to a third flow path that connects first and second outlets of the respective first and second anode sections without passing through an anode section, the third flow path providing flow communication between the first and second anode sections through the first and second outlets; and (d) varying a quantity of at least one of the first, second and third anode reactant feed streams being supplied.