Patent ID: 7399547

Claim:
A fuel cell power plant power section assembly comprising: a) a plurality of fuel cell stacks, said fuel cell stacks being being divided into at least two stages which are provided by a fuel gas stream in tandem with partially spent fuel from one stage being fed into a subsequent stage, said one stage including a plurality of fuel cell stacks, and said subsequent stage including at least one fuel cell stack; b) a unitary manifold assembly for use in controlling the flow of reactant gas streams between said plurality of fuel cell stacks in said one stage and said subsequent stage, said manifold assembly comprising a single fuel gas passage operatively connected to said plurality of fuel cell stacks in said one stage, said fuel gas passage being operative to receive partially expended fuel gas streams exhausted from said plurality of fuel cell stacks and to combine said partially expended fuel gas streams into a combined fuel gas stream, and said fuel gas passage also being operatively connected to said at least one fuel cell stack in said subsequent stage for directing the combined fuel gas stream to said at least one fuel cell stack in said subsequent stage, whereby the combined fuel gas stream is used to provide fuel for the subsequent stage fuel cell stack; and c) thermal insulation which thermally insulates said manifold assembly from ambient temperatures so as to limit moisture condensation in said fuel gas passage.