Patent ID: 8530101

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: a) a fuel cell stack that includes at least one fuel cell, the fuel cell including, i) a cathode, ii) an anode, and iii) an electrolyte between the cathode and the anode; and b) a separator, including, i) a housing defining an anode exhaust inlet, a recycled gas outlet and an exhaust gas outlet, wherein the anode exhaust inlet and the recycled gas outlet are, independently, in fluid communication with the anode, and ii) an H 2 -gas permeable membrane, the housing and the membrane defining at least in part a first chamber disposed on a first side of the membrane and a second chamber disposed on a second side of the membrane opposite from the first side of the membrane, the first chamber being in fluid communication with the anode exhaust inlet and the exhaust gas outlet, the second chamber being in fluid communication with the recycled gas outlet, wherein the housing of the separator further defines a purging gas inlet in fluid communication with the first chamber and with the cathode of the fuel cell or a source of oxygen.