Patent ID: 8288052

Claim:
A fuel cell comprising: a plurality of hollow structural bodies each provided with an internal space configured and arranged to react a fuel gas and an oxidant gas, each hollow structural body comprising: a separator having a perimeter wall section that follows along a rim and having a shape of a shallow container; a cell plate having an electricity-generating cell provided with an oxidant electrode on one side and a fuel electrode on the other side and having its outer perimeter joined to the perimeter wall section of the separator such that a space for a gas to flow through is formed between the separator and the cell plate; a gas supply manifold provided in the center sections of the cell plate and the separator, the gas supply manifold configured and arranged to supply one of the reactant gases, either the fuel gas or the oxidant gas; a gas discharge manifold provided in the center sections of the cell plate and the separator, the gas discharge manifold configured and arranged to discharge said reactant gas; and at least one gas introducing flow passage configured and arranged to introduce said reactant gas from the gas supply manifold to the perimeter wall section of the separator with said reactant gas being isolated from the electricity-generating cell, wherein said reactant gas introduced into the gas introducing flow passage flows from the vicinity of the perimeter wall section of the separator through a collector layer to the gas discharge manifold.