Patent ID: 7666539

Claim:
A fuel cell system for producing electrical energy, the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel processor that includes a reformer configured to receive reformer fuel and including a catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen from the reformer fuel, and a burner configured to catalytically process burner fuel to generate heat; a fuel cell including a fuel cell stack, having a top plate and a bottom plate, configured to produce electrical energy using hydrogen output by the fuel processor, and a heat transfer apparatus that includes a portion arranged external to the fuel cell stack and is in conductive thermal communication with an internal portion of the fuel cell stack, wherein heat is conducted laterally from the heat transfer apparatus through the fuel cell stack such that the heat moves in a direction that is perpendicular to an axis running through the top and bottom plate; a thermal catalyst, disposed outside the fuel cell, operable to produce heat when a heating medium interacts with the thermal catalyst; and plumbing configured to transport the heating medium from the burner to the thermal catalyst.