Patent ID: 7754393

Claim:
A fuel cell assembly comprising: a plurality of fuel cells arranged in a stack, said stack having first and second opposing faces for receiving fuel gas and expelling exhausted fuel gas, respectively, and third and fourth opposing faces for receiving oxidant gas and expelling exhausted oxidant gas, respectively; first and second manifolds abutting said second and fourth faces; an end plate assembly abutting the fuel cell at an end of said stack, said end plate assembly having an inlet area adapted to receive an exhaust gas from said stack, an outlet area and a passage connecting said inlet area and outlet area and adapted to carry said exhaust gas received at said inlet area from said inlet area to said outlet area; and a further end plate assembly abutting the fuel cell at a further end of said stack opposing said end, said further end plate assembly having a further inlet area adapted to receive a further exhaust gas from said stack, a further outlet area and a further passage connecting said further inlet area and further outlet area and adapted to carry said further exhaust gas received at said further inlet area from said further inlet area to said further outlet area; wherein said exhaust gas is oxidant exhaust gas and said further exhaust gas is fuel exhaust gas; and wherein said first manifold communicates with said inlet area of said end plate assembly and said second manifold communicates with said further inlet area of said further end plate assembly.