Patent ID: 7981557

Claim:
A method of operating a fuel cell system having at least one cathode section and at least two anode sections which are operable to convert an oxidant-containing cathode reactant and a hydrogen-containing anode reactant into electricity, a cathode effluent and an anode effluent, the method comprising: (a) supplying a first anode reactant feed stream to a first anode section of the at least two anode sections through a first flow path that communicates with a first inlet to the first anode section; (b) supplying a second anode reactant feed stream to a second anode section of the at least two anode sections through a second flow path that communicates with a second inlet to the second anode section; (c) supplying an anode effluent from one of said first and second anode sections to the other of said first and second anode sections through a third flow path connecting a first outlet of the first anode section to a second outlet of the second anode section without passing through an anode section, the third flow path providing flow communication between the first and second anode sections through the first and second outlets; and (d) adjusting a quantity of at least one of said first and second anode reactant feed streams being supplied, so that, alternately, the one and then the other of the first and second anode sections receives the anode effluent.