Solid oxide electrolyte fuel cell generators which are operable to reform in-situ a gaseous medium and to utilize the products of the reformation as fuel. A portion of the reformation preferably occurs along an electrochemically inactive extension of each fuel cell.

A solid oxide fuel cell including tube-shaped solid oxide fuel cell elements. One gas selected from an oxidizing gas and a fuel gas flows in an internal space of the element, and the other gas flows in an external space of the element. A means for converting an oxidizing gas-flow and/or a fuel gas-flow into turbulent flow is provided in the internal space and/or the external space. The converting means is preferably an elongated body such as a tube-shaped body, a solid pillar-shaped body, a hollow-cylindrical body, a solid-cylindrical body and a rod with plates, extending in the longitudinal direction of the element.

Disclosed are various types of metal-air FCB-based systems comprising a Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem, a Metal-Fuel Discharging Subsystem, and a Metal-Fuel Recharging Subsystem. The function of the Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem is to transport metal-fuel material, in the form of tape, cards, sheets, cylinders and the like, to the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, or the Metal-Fuel Recharge Subsystem, depending on the mode of the system selected. When transported to or through the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, the metal-fuel is discharged by one or more discharging heads in order produce electrical power across an electrical load connected to the subsystem while H.sub.2 O and O.sub.2 are consumed at the cathode-electrolyte interface during the electro-chemical reaction. When transported to or through the Metal-Fuel Recharging Subsystem, discharged metal-fuel is recharged by one or more recharging heads in order to convert the oxidized metal-fuel material into its source metal material suitable for reuse in power discharging operations, while O.sub.2 is released at the cathode electrolyte interface during the electro-chemical reaction. In the illustrative embodiments, discharge and recharge parameters are detected, recorded, and processed in order to carry out discharging and recharging operations and metal-fuel/metal-oxide management operations in an efficient manner.

An energy conversion system, comprising: a reservoir container including at least two chambers of inversely variable volume for respectively storing a quantity of fuel and receiving a quantity of exhaust; a means for decreasing the volume of the first chamber while concurrently increasing the volume of the second chamber; at least one energy conversion device; first means for communicating fuel between the at least one energy conversion device and a first of the chambers in the reservoir container; and second means for communicating exhaust between the at least one energy conversion device and a second of the chambers in the reservoir container. The reservoir container may be transported to a recharging/refilling station or recharged in-situ. A particular application for metal-air fuel cell power systems is shown and described.

Fuel cells (e.g., air-depolarized fuel cells) are stacked, supported and electrically interconnected into a battery structure with a connector block. The anode and cathode elements of each fuel cell are provided with conductive terminating elements (e.g., plug connectors), preferably extending in downward "U" shaped configuration from the upper ends of the anode and cathode elements respectively. The connector block comprises a series of conductive apertures, positioned and sized, to accommodate the conductive terminating elements of the anodes and cathodes therein. When the conductive terminating elements of the anodes and cathodes are slidably engaged with the conductive apertures of the connector block, the connector block mechanical support the anodes and cathode so engaged. The connector block preferably comprises a electrically conductive elements to electrically connect the anodes and cathodes of the stacked cells in a desired electrical interconnection (serial, parallel and mixed serial and parallel segments). The interconnection between terminal conductor elements and the respective apertures further serves to support and orient the cells in a minimal volume and permits selective rapid cell removal for replacement or servicing. The cells are also provided with keyed members for keyed interlocking with a support tray having co-fitting keying elements to provide full structural integrity for the stacked cells. Lateral end elements extend between the connector block and support tray to complete an open enclosure and provide a support base for air circulating devices such as fans. Air is circulated through a duct defined by the connector block.