Patent ID: 8137851

Claim:
A fuel cell formed by stacking an electrolyte electrode assembly and separators, said electrolyte electrode assembly comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte interposed between said anode and said cathode, said electrolyte electrode assembly being sandwiched between said separators, said separators each comprising: a sandwiching section having a fuel gas channel for supplying a fuel gas along an electrode surface of said anode and an oxygen-containing gas channel for supplying an oxygen-containing gas along an electrode surface of said cathode, separately; a first bridge connected to said sandwiching section, and having a fuel gas supply channel for supplying the fuel gas to said fuel gas channel; a fuel gas supply unit connected to said first bridge, a fuel gas supply passage extending through said fuel gas supply unit in a stacking direction for supplying the fuel gas to said fuel gas supply channel; a second bridge connected to said sandwiching section, and having an exhaust fuel gas channel for discharging the fuel gas after consumption as an exhaust fuel gas from said fuel gas channel; an exhaust fuel gas discharge unit connected to said second bridge, and having an exhaust fuel gas passage for allowing the exhaust fuel gas to flow in the stacking direction; and a reformer for reforming a fuel to produce the fuel gas supplied to said anode wherein said exhaust fuel gas discharge unit is fluidly connected to said reformer so that said exhaust fuel gas passage communicates with said fuel gas channel through said reformer and said fuel gas supply passage.