Patent ID: 8012644

Claim:
Fuel cell stack, comprising: a plurality of fuel cell elements and a plurality of separating plates, a respective one of the separating plates being located between a respective pair of fuel cell elements, at least one inside supply channel being provided to supply a combustion gas and at least one inside discharge channel being provided to discharge an exhaust gas, said channels extending in a direction in which the fuel cell elements and separating plates are stacked, a supply of combustion gas on a top side of the fuel cell elements and a supply of oxidizer on a bottom side of the fuel cell elements, wherein, on the top side of the fuel cell elements, there are provided: a plurality of parallel lengthwise channels for routing of the combustion gas, a distributor zone which connects the supply channel to first ends of the lengthwise channels, and a collecting zone which connects the discharge channel to second ends of the lengthwise channels, and wherein oxidizer guide channels are provided at the bottom side of the fuel cell elements for routing the oxidizer parallel to the direction of the lengthwise channels, the oxidizer guide channels being open to sides of the fuel cell stack for supplying of the oxidizer, wherein the oxidizer guide channels and the lengthwise channels are laterally offset relative to each other.