Patent ID: 7144649

Claim:
A fuel cell stack, comprising: a plurality of fuel cells each having an anode layer, an electrolyte layer, and a cathode layer, said fuel cells each having a first effective thermal expansion coefficient; a plurality of bipolar plates positioned between adjacent fuel cells having an anode interconnect, a separator plate, and a cathode interconnect, said bipolar plates being positioned between adjacent fuel cells, wherein said anode interconnect is in electrical communication with said anode layer of one adjacent fuel cell, wherein said cathode interconnect is in electrical communication with said cathode layer of another adjacent fuel cell, and wherein at least one interconnect of said cathode interconnect and said anode interconnect has a second effective thermal expansion coefficient and is adapted to reduce strain between said at least one interconnect and an adjacent fuel cell due to differences between said first and second thermal expansion coefficients over repeated thermal cycles, wherein said at least one interconnect comprises a plurality of wires which are substantially perpendicular with respect to the separator plate.