Patent ID: 8507149

Claim:
A plant having high temperature fuel cells configured to operate at temperatures above 700 ° C., a clamping device for a cell stack and axially aligned chambers for an afterburning process, wherein a plurality of clamping bars of the clamping device are disposed between the afterburning chambers and exhaust gas passages of the afterburning chambers are connected to a heat exchanger acting as a heat sink, wherein a clamping element of the clamping device is in a thermally conducting connection with the heat exchanger; wherein compression springs are mounted on the plurality of clamping bars between an end of a respective clamping bar of the plurality of clamping bars and a lug of the clamping element and adapted to exert a clamping force on the plurality of clamping bars; and wherein the compression springs are screened relative to the cell stack by the clamping element so that a temperature of the compression springs is maintained at 300 ° C. or less by the heat exchanger acting as a heat sink when the fuel cells are operating at temperatures above 700 ° C. while the clamping force is maintained; and wherein the heat exchanger is adapted for connection to a feed line and to a return line of a heating plant for a room heating system or for hot water heating.