Patent ID: 8609295

Claim:
A solid-electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a simplex cell; a metallic first separator of a circular sheet form having a gas introducing port and a gas discharging port which is disposed outside the gas introducing port with respect to a central portion of the metallic first separator, and a cell mounting part to which the simplex cell is fixed; a metallic second separator of a circular sheet form having a gas introducing port and a gas discharging port which is disposed outside the gas introducing port with respect to a central portion of the metallic second separator; and a flow channel member accommodated in a space between the first and second separators, and configured for communication with the gas introducing ports and the gas discharging ports to effect gas supply and gas discharge to and from said space, the flow channel member being joined, within said space, to at least one of the first and second separators, wherein at least one separator of the first and second separators has a first step part concentric with an outer peripheral edge portion of the at least one separator, said first step part being provided in said central portion of said at least one separator so as to form a circular protruded step part that is protruded outward, wherein said at least one separator has a second step part in the outer peripheral edge portion so as to form an annular protruded step part outside said circular protruded step part, wherein the first and second separators are mutually opposed, and mutually joined at outer peripheral edge portions of the first and second separators, wherein the cell mounting part is provided in an annular region between the central portion and the outer peripheral edge portion of the first separator, and has mounted thereto one or more simplex cells, wherein the cell mounting part is provided on only the first separator, wherein said flow channel member is formed with a gas introducing channel that communicates said as introducing port of said first separator with said gas introducing port of said second separator, and a gas discharging channel that communicates said gas discharging sort of said first separator with said gas discharging port of said second separator, wherein said flow channel member is accommodated within said circular protruded step part so as to be completely covered by central portions of said first and second separator, and wherein said flow channel member is formed with a gas introducing connecting passage that connects said gas introducing channel with said space, and a gas discharging connecting passage that connects said gas discharging channel with said space.