Patent ID: 7740966

Claim:
An electrochemical cell stack assembly, comprising: an electrically conductive metal interconnect plate having a hole therethrough wherein the hole has a rim configured on a circumference thereof; a first tubular electrochemical cell having a porous anode, a porous cathode and a substantially gas impermeable ion conducting electrolyte; a second tubular electrochemical cell having a porous anode, a porous cathode and a substantially gas impermeable ion conducting electrolyte; wherein the electrolyte of said first tubular electrochemical cell and said second tubular electrochemical cell comprises a material selected from the group consisting essentially of doped zirconia, doped ceria and doped lanthanum gallate; each of said electrochemical cells further comprises a porous metal support; wherein said porous cathode, said electrolyte and said porous anode are disposed on said porous metal support, respectively; wherein said rim receives an end of each of said first tubular electrochemical cell and said second tubular electrochemical cell and orients said first and second tubular electrochemical cells such that interconnect plate electrically connects the porous anode of the first tubular cell to the porous cathode of the second tubular cell, and wherein the first tubular electrochemical cell and the second tubular electrochemical cell are each oriented on opposite sides of said hole to form a gas passageway therebetween.