Patent ID: 7422820

Claim:
A solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising: a plurality of modules, each module comprising an elongate hollow member, each hollow member having at least one passage extending longitudinally through the hollow member for the flow of a reactant, each hollow member having two parallel walls defining the passage, each wall having a flat exterior surface, at least one of the modules including a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells, the solid oxide fuel cells being arranged on at least one of the flat exterior surfaces of the at least one module, the exterior surfaces of adjacent modules being arranged substantially parallel and spaced apart, wherein the walls are porous so that during operation fuel flows through the walls to contact the solid oxide fuel cells; and at least one connector connecting an end of a first module to an end of a second module to allow reactant to flow sequentially through the passages in each of the modules and such that thermal and mechanical stresses in the solid oxide fuel cell stack are reduced.