Patent ID: 7465506

Claim:
A fuel cell device, comprising a fuel cell unit including at least two fuel cells each having an anode and cathode and electrically coupled with one another in a way selected from the group consisting of a series electrical coupling, a parallel electrical coupling, and both, for conversion of chemical energy into an electrical energy; and an electronic control unit for controlling individual fuel cells of said fuel cell unit, wherein a first of said at least two fuel cells is provided with a first catalytic coatings on said anode and said cathode of said first fuel cell and wherein a second of said at least two fuel cells is provided with a second catalytic coatings on said anode and said cathode of said second fuel cell, which are different from said first catalytic coatings on said anode and said cathode of said first fuel cell, and wherein said at least two fuel cells have at least different quantities of the catalytic coatings on said anode and said cathode of said first fuel cell and on said anode and said cathode of said second fuel cell such that a quantity the first catalytic coating on said anode and said cathode of said first fuel cell is different correspondingly from a quantity of the second catalytic coating on said anode and said cathode of said second fuel cell.