Fuel cell stack with internal fuel manifold configuration

1. A fuel cell stack located within a manifold housing, the fuel cell stack comprising:

a plurality of plate shaped fuel cells which are internally manifolded on a fuel side and externally manifolded on an oxidizer side such that oxidizer is provided from a first side of the fuel cell stack for each of the plurality of plate shaped fuel cells through a respective inlet in the first side of the fuel cell stack, travels between a cathode electrode of each of the plurality of plate shaped fuel cells and an adjacent interconnect plate, and exits through a respective outlet on a second side of the stack, wherein the respective inlets and outlets are exposed to, and communicate with, the inside of the manifold housing; and

at least one fuel manifold located between adjacent fuel cells;

wherein the at least one manifold comprises:

a plate shaped box comprising at least one fuel delivery opening in fluid communication with fuel cell fuel inlet riser openings and at least one fuel outlet opening in fluid communication with fuel cell fuel outlet riser openings;

a fuel delivery port comprising a fuel inlet conduit adapted to provide a fuel inlet stream into the fuel manifold, and

a fuel outlet port comprising a fuel outlet conduit adapted to remove a fuel outlet stream from the fuel manifold; and

wherein the plate shaped box comprises a separate component from the fuel cells.

2. The stack of claim 1 , wherein the fuel inlet and outlet riser openings are positioned substantially perpendicularly to the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet conduits.

3. The stack of claim 2 , wherein:

the at least one fuel manifold comprises a first fuel delivery opening and a first fuel outlet opening located in a first major plate face of the plate shaped box, and a second fuel delivery opening and a second fuel outlet opening located in a second major plate face of the plate shaped box; and

the fuel inlet conduit and the fuel outlet conduit are connected to at least one edge of the plate shaped box.

4. The stack of claim 1 , further comprising fuel inlet riser openings in the plurality of fuel cells having a cross sectional width of 0.15 to 0.5 inches.

5. The stack of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fuel delivery ports, wherein each of the plurality of fuel delivery ports is connected to a respective one of a plurality of manifolds to provide fuel to a portion of the plurality fuel cells in each stack.

6. The stack of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plate shaped fuel cells are stacked in a vertical direction.

7. The stack of claim 6 , wherein the plate shaped box comprises:

a top wall, a bottom wall, two opposite end walls, and two opposite side walls, said end walls and said side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall to the top wall,

wherein said side walls and end walls comprise edge surfaces, and

wherein said top and bottom walls comprise first and second major plate surfaces of the plate shaped box.

8. A fuel cell stack located within a manifold housing, the fuel cell stack comprising:

a plurality of plate shaped fuel cells which are internally manifolded on a fuel side and externally manifolded on an oxidizer side such that oxidizer is provided from a first side of the fuel cell stack for each of the plurality of plate shaped fuel cells through a respective inlet in the first side of the fuel cell stack, travels between a cathode electrode of each of the plurality of plate shaped fuel cells and an adjacent interconnect plate, and exits through a respective outlet on a second side of the stack, wherein the respective inlets and outlets are exposed to, and communicate with, the inside of the manifold housing; and

at least one fuel manifold located between adjacent fuel cells;

wherein the at least one manifold comprises:

a plate shaped box comprising at least one fuel delivery opening in fluid communication with fuel cell fuel inlet riser openings and at least one fuel outlet opening in fluid communication with fuel cell fuel outlet riser openings;

a fuel delivery port comprising a fuel inlet conduit adapted to provide a fuel inlet stream into the fuel manifold, and

a fuel outlet port comprising a fuel outlet conduit adapted to remove a fuel outlet stream from the fuel manifold;

wherein the plate shaped box comprises a top wall, a bottom wall, two opposite end walls, and two opposite side walls, said end walls and said side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall to the top wall,

wherein said side walls and end walls comprise edge surfaces,

wherein said top and bottom walls comprise first and second major plate surfaces of the plate shaped box, and

wherein at least one of the top and the bottom walls of the plate shaped box are located adjacent to the plurality of plate shaped fuel cells.

9. The stack of claim 8 , wherein the fuel inlet and outlet riser openings are positioned substantially perpendicularly to the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet conduits.

10. The stack of claim 9 , wherein:

the at least one fuel manifold comprises a first fuel delivery opening and a first fuel outlet opening located in the first major plate surface of the plate shaped box, and a second fuel delivery opening and a second fuel outlet opening located in the second major plate surface of the plate shaped box; and

the fuel inlet conduit and the fuel outlet conduit are connected to at least one edge surface of the plate shaped box.

11. The stack of claim 8 , further comprising fuel inlet riser openings in the plurality of fuel cells having a cross sectional width of 0.15 to 0.5 inches.

12. The stack of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of fuel delivery ports, wherein each of the plurality of fuel delivery ports is connected to a respective one of a plurality of manifolds to provide fuel to a portion of the plurality fuel cells in each stack.

13. The stack of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of plate shaped fuel cells are stacked in a vertical direction.

14. The stack of claim 8 , wherein the plate shaped box comprises a separate component from the fuel cells.