Patent ID: 7063905

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising: a first fuel cell having a first anode inlet receiving a first anode reactant flow and a first cathode inlet receiving a first cathode reactant flow, said first fuel cell reacting said first anode and cathode reactant flows to produce electricity, a first anode effluent exhausted from a first anode outlet and a first cathode effluent exhausted from a first cathode outlet; and a second fuel cell having a second anode inlet receiving a second anode reactant flow and a second cathode inlet receiving a second cathode reactant flow, said second fuel cell reacting said second anode and cathode reactant flows to produce electricity, a second anode effluent exhausted from a second anode outlet and a second cathode effluent exhausted from a second cathode outlet, wherein said first and second fuel cells are a same type of fuel cell, said first anode outlet is in fluid communication with said second anode inlet so that a portion of said second anode reactant flow received in said second fuel cell is formed from a portion of said first anode effluent exhausted from said first fuel cell, and wherein said second fuel cell is a lower power fuel cell than said first fuel cell, and said first cathode outlet is in fluid communication with said second cathode inlet so that a portion of said second cathode reactant flow received in said second fuel cell is formed from a portion of said first cathode effluent exhausted from said first fuel cell.