Patent ID: 8257563

Claim:
An apparatus to produce high purity hydrogen and electricity, the apparatus comprising: at least one fuel cell configured to convert the chemical energy of a fuel to electricity and heat; at least one electrolyzer cell in electrical and thermal communication with the fuel cell, the electrolyzer cell configured to electrolyze an oxygen-containing compound using the electricity and heat generated by the fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell and the electrolyzer cell are physically integrated into a single electrochemical cell stack to facilitate a flow of all electrical current from the fuel cell through both the fuel cell and the electrolyzer cell within the single electrochemical cell stack; and at least two interconnect plates that are electrically conductive, thermally conductive and gas-impermeable, wherein either at least a) a first interconnect plate is disposed between an anode of a first fuel cell and a cathode of a first electrolyzer cell and a second interconnect plate is disposed between a cathode of the first fuel cell and an anode of a second electrolyzer cell or b) the first interconnect plate is disposed between the anode of the first fuel cell and the cathode of a first electrolyzer cell and the second interconnect plate is disposed between a cathode of a second fuel cell and an anode of the first electrolyzer cell.