Patent ID: 7041406

Claim:
A fuel cell battery comprising an integrated heat exchanger which is arranged between a heat insulating jacket and a stack of high temperature fuel cells, the cell stack having a central axis, a chamber for afterburning between a periphery of the cell stack and the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being provided for a heat transfer from an exhaust gas to a gaseous oxygen carrier, inlet points for the oxygen carrier and outlet points for non-converted educts being arranged on the stack periphery, the heat exchanger including a passage system through which the exhaust gas and the oxygen carrier flow in planes disposed perpendicular to the axis of the cell stack in one operating state of the fuel cell battery, axially directed collecting passages for the exhaust gas being arranged in a peripheral region of the heat exchanger, and parts of the heat exchanger disposed between the peripheral region and the cell stack forming a shield screening the cell stack from the collecting passages with respect to a thermal influence.