Patent ID: 7727659

Claim:
Composite block of fuel cells, comprising at least a first fuel cell unit and a second fuel cell unit following one another along a stacking direction, said first fuel cell unit and said second fuel cell unit each comprising a housing limiting at least one gas chamber and having a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, and at least one supporting element arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeping the first housing wall and the second housing wall at a distance from one another, wherein said gas chamber is in fluid communication with at least one of said gas openings in the first housing wall and the second housing wall via said supporting element, and at least one gas channel extending from said first fuel cell unit to at least said second fuel cell unit through said gas openings in said first housing wall and said second housing wall, wherein said at least one gas channel extends along a direction which is essentially parallel to said stacking direction of said first fuel cell unit and said second fuel cell unit, and wherein the supporting element comprises a metallic material.