Modular fuel-cell stack assembly

1. A fuel cell assembly comprising:

a plurality of fuel cells arranged in a stack, said stack having first and second opposing faces for receiving fuel gas and expelling exhausted fuel gas, respectively, and third and fourth opposing faces for receiving oxidant gas and expelling exhausted oxidant gas, respectively;

first and second manifolds abutting said second and fourth faces;

an end plate assembly abutting the fuel cell at an end of said stack, said end plate assembly having an inlet area adapted to receive an exhaust gas from said stack, an outlet area and a passage connecting said inlet area and outlet area and adapted to carry said exhaust gas received at said inlet area from said inlet area to said outlet area; and

a further end plate assembly abutting the fuel cell at a further end of said stack opposing said end, said further end plate assembly having a further inlet area adapted to receive a further exhaust gas from said stack, a further outlet area and a further passage connecting said further inlet area and further outlet area and adapted to carry said further exhaust gas received at said further inlet area from said further inlet area to said further outlet area;

wherein said exhaust gas is oxidant exhaust gas and said further exhaust gas is fuel exhaust gas; and

wherein said first manifold communicates with said inlet area of said end plate assembly and said second manifold communicates with said further inlet area of said further end plate assembly.

2. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

said further end plate assembly has another inlet area adapted to receive fuel, another outlet area and another passage connecting said another inlet area and another outlet area and adapted to carry fuel received at said another inlet area from said another inlet area to said another outlet area.

3. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 2 , wherein:

and said fuel cell stack assembly further comprises: a third manifold abutting said first face; and

wherein said third manifold communicates with said another outlet area of said further end plate assembly.

4. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 3 , wherein:

said first manifold overlaps with said inlet area of said end plate assembly, said third manifold overlaps with said another outlet area of said further end plate assembly, and said second manifold overlaps with further inlet area of said further end plate assembly.

5. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

said first manifold overlaps with said inlet area of said end plate assembly and said second manifold overlaps with further inlet area of said further end plate assembly.

6. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

said end plate assembly and said further end plate assembly each comprise a hollow body having upper and lower walls and a number of side walls connecting the upper and lower walls.

7. A fuel cell assembly comprising:

a plurality of fuel cells arranged in a stack;

an end plate assembly abutting the fuel cell at an end of said stack, said end plate assembly having an inlet area adapted to receive an exhaust gas from said stack, an outlet area and a passage connecting said inlet area and outlet area and adapted to carry said exhaust gas received at said inlet area from said inlet area to said outlet area;

a further end plate assembly abutting the fuel cell at a further end of said stack opposing said end, said further end plate assembly having a further inlet area adapted to receive a further exhaust gas from said stack, a further outlet area and a further passage connecting said further inlet area and further outlet area and adapted to carry said further exhaust gas received at said further inlet area from said further inlet area to said further outlet area;

wherein:

said end plate assembly and said further end plate assembly each comprise a hollow body having upper and lower walls and a number of side walls connecting the upper and lower walls;

said inlet area is in a first side wall of said hollow body of said end plate assembly and said outlet area is in a second side wall of said hollow body of said end plate assembly, and said passage of said end plate assembly is defined by the interior of said body of said end plate assembly;

said further inlet area is in a first side wall of said hollow body of said further end plate assembly and said further outlet area is in a second side wall of said hollow body of said further end plate assembly, and said passage of said further end plate assembly is defined by the interior of said body of said further end plate assembly.

8. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:

a terminal affixed to said upper wall of the hollow body of said end plate assembly adapted to function as an electrical output terminal for said stack; and

a further terminal affixed to said lower wall of the hollow body of said further end plate assembly adapted to function as an electrical output terminal for said stack.

9. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 7 , wherein:

said first and second side walls of the hollow body of said end plate assembly oppose one another; and

said first and second side walls of the hollow body of said further end plate assembly are transverse to one another.

10. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:

said stack has first and second opposing faces for receiving fuel gas and expelling exhausted fuel gas, respectively, and third and fourth opposing faces for receiving oxidant gas and expelling exhausted oxidant gas, respectively

and said fuel cell assembly further comprises: first and second manifolds abutting said second and fourth faces; and

wherein said first manifold overlaps with said inlet area of said end plate assembly and said second manifold overlaps with said further inlet area of said further end plate assembly.

11. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising:

a terminal affixed to said upper wall of the hollow body of said end plate assembly adapted to function as an electrical output terminal for said stack; and

a further terminal affixed to said lower wall of the hollow body of said further end plate assembly adapted to function as an electrical output terminal for said stack.

12. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 7 , wherein:

said further end plate assembly has another inlet area adapted to receive fuel, another outlet area and another passage connecting said another inlet area and another outlet area and adapted to carry fuel received at said another inlet area from said another inlet area to said another outlet area.

13. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 12 , wherein:

said another inlet area is in the second side wall of said hollow body of said further end plate assembly and said another outlet area is in a third side wall opposing said first side wall of said hollow body of said further end plate assembly.

14. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein:

said stack has first and second opposing faces for receiving fuel gas and expelling exhausted fuel gas, respectively, and third and fourth opposing faces for receiving oxidant gas and expelling exhausted oxidant gas, respectively

and said fuel cell stack assembly further comprises: first, second and third manifolds abutting said first, second and fourth faces; and

wherein said third manifold overlaps with said inlet area of said end plate assembly, said first manifold overlaps with said another outlet area of said further end plate assembly, and said second manifold overlaps with further inlet area of said further end plate assembly.

15. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein:

said first and second side walls of the hollow body of said end plate assembly oppose one another; and

said first and second side walls of the hollow body of said further end plate assembly are transverse to one another; and

said second and third side walls of the hollow body of said further end plate assembly are transverse to one another.

16. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 15 , wherein:

said stack has first and second opposing faces for receiving fuel gas and expelling exhausted fuel gas, respectively, and third and fourth opposing faces for receiving oxidant gas and expelling exhausted oxidant gas, respectively

and said fuel cell stack assembly further comprises: first, second and third manifolds abutting said first, second and fourth faces; and

wherein said third manifold overlaps with said inlet area of said end plate assembly, said first manifold overlaps with said another outlet area of said further end plate assembly, and said second manifold overlaps with further inlet area of said further end plate assembly.

17. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 16 , further comprising:

a terminal affixed to said upper wall of the hollow body of said end plate assembly adapted to function as an electrical output terminal for said stack; and

a further terminal affixed to said lower wall of the hollow body of said further end plate assembly adapted to function as an electrical output terminal for said stack.