Patent ID: 8039157

Claim:
A method of controlling a temperature of a fuel cell stack structure comprised of a plurality of stacked units, each of which has a solid electrolyte simplex cell, accommodated in a cell space area surrounded by a metallic thin separator and a cell plate disposed in a position opposite to the separator, wherein one surface of the solid electrolyte simplex cell is exposed to an outside, wherein a gas intake bore and a gas exhaust bore are disposed in a substantial center of each of the metallic thin separator and the cell plate, wherein a central flow channel member disposed in the substantial center between the metallic thin separator and the cell plate provides a gas intake and a gas exhaustion with respect to the cell space, wherein the gas intake bore, the gas exhaust bore, and the central flow channel member communicate with each other and form at least one gas flow channel in a substantial center of the stacked units, and wherein during a stage from startup and stop operations of the fuel cell stack structure, gas is supplied from the at least one gas flow channel, extending through the units, to the respective cell space areas, the method comprising the steps of: measuring temperatures at a plurality of areas; and controlling a heat balance between associated areas depending on temperature information, resulting from measurements, in order to provide uniform temperature distribution.