(WO9816961-A1)      An electric power generation system (2) including electrically connected fuel cells (6) each incorporating anodes (10) and cathodes (12), first passages (14) partly defined by the anodes, second passages (16) partly defined by the cathodes, third passages (28,30) connected to inlets to the first passages for supplying their associated anodes with a fuel gas, and fourth passages (38,40) connected to inlets to the second passages to supply their associated cathodes with an oxidising gas.    The passages are arranged such that: (i) an anode exhaust gas from a first group (14a) of the first passages is kept separate from the anode exhaust gas from a second group (14b) formed by other first passages, with fifth passages (48b) conveying the anode exhaust gas from the second group of first passages to the third passages for supplying fuel gas to the inlets to the first passage; and/or (ii) a cathode exhaust gas from a first group (16a) of the second passages is kept separate from the cathode exhaust gas from a second group (16b) formed by the other second passages, with sixth passages (44a,46a) conveying the cathode exhaust gas from the second group of the second passages to the fourth passages for supply the oxidising gas to the inlets to the second passages.    The fuel gas pref. includes at least one hydrocarbon gas capable of being converted to molecular hydrogen by a reforming reaction which takes place in the first passages containing a reforming reaction catalyst in an amount graded or varied along the first passages. Pref. the hydrocarbon gas is methane and the fuel gas is natural gas. Each fuel cell is pref. a solid oxide fuel cell or a molten carbonate fuel cell.    ADVANTAGE -   The fuel-cell power generator gives a better stack efficiency and temperature distribution, by avoiding the formation of hot spots at the corner region furthest from both the fuel gas and oxidising gas inlets.    (EP947023-A1)      An electric power generation system (2) including electrically connected fuel cells (6) each incorporating anodes (10) and cathodes (12), first passages (14) partly defined by the anodes, second passages (16) partly defined by the cathodes, third passages (28,30) connected to inlets to the first passages for supplying their associated anodes with a fuel gas, and fourth passages (38,40) connected to inlets to the second passages to supply their associated cathodes with an oxidising gas.    The passages are arranged such that: (i) an anode exhaust gas from a first group (14a) of the first passages is kept separate from the anode exhaust gas from a second group (14b) formed by other first passages, with fifth passages (48b) conveying the anode exhaust gas from the second group of first passages to the third passages for supplying fuel gas to the inlets to the first passage; and/or (ii) a cathode exhaust gas from a first group (16a) of the second passages is kept separate from the cathode exhaust gas from a second group (16b) formed by the other second passages, with sixth passages (44a,46a) conveying the cathode exhaust gas from the second group of the second passages to the fourth passages for supply the oxidising gas to the inlets to the second passages.    The fuel gas pref. includes at least one hydrocarbon gas capable of being converted to molecular hydrogen by a reforming reaction which takes place in the first passages containing a reforming reaction catalyst in an amount graded or varied along the first passages. Pref. the hydrocarbon gas is methane and the fuel gas is natural gas. Each fuel cell is pref. a solid oxide fuel cell or a molten carbonate fuel cell.    ADVANTAGE -   The fuel-cell power generator gives a better stack efficiency and temperature distribution, by avoiding the formation of hot spots at the corner region furthest from both the fuel gas and oxidising gas inlets.    (GB2318447-B)      An electric power generation system (2) including electrically connected fuel cells (6) each incorporating anodes (10) and cathodes (12), first passages (14) partly defined by the anodes, second passages (16) partly defined by the cathodes, third passages (28,30) connected to inlets to the first passages for supplying their associated anodes with a fuel gas, and fourth passages (38,40) connected to inlets to the second passages to supply their associated cathodes with an oxidising gas.    The passages are arranged such that: (i) an anode exhaust gas from a first group (14a) of the first passages is kept separate from the anode exhaust gas from a second group (14b) formed by other first passages, with fifth passages (48b) conveying the anode exhaust gas from the second group of first passages to the third passages for supplying fuel gas to the inlets to the first passage; and/or (ii) a cathode exhaust gas from a first group (16a) of the second passages is kept separate from the cathode exhaust gas from a second group (16b) formed by the other second passages, with sixth passages (44a,46a) conveying the cathode exhaust gas from the second group of the second passages to the fourth passages for supply the oxidising gas to the inlets to the second passages.    The fuel gas pref. includes at least one hydrocarbon gas capable of being converted to molecular hydrogen by a reforming reaction which takes place in the first passages containing a reforming reaction catalyst in an amount graded or varied along the first passages. Pref. the hydrocarbon gas is methane and the fuel gas is natural gas. Each fuel cell is pref. a solid oxide fuel cell or a molten carbonate fuel cell.    ADVANTAGE -   The fuel-cell power generator gives a better stack efficiency and temperature distribution, by avoiding the formation of hot spots at the corner region furthest from both the fuel gas and oxidising gas inlets.    (US6110614-A)      An electric power generation system (2) including electrically connected fuel cells (6) each incorporating anodes (10) and cathodes (12), first passages (14) partly defined by the anodes, second passages (16) partly defined by the cathodes, third passages (28,30) connected to inlets to the first passages for supplying their associated anodes with a fuel gas, and fourth passages (38,40) connected to inlets to the second passages to supply their associated cathodes with an oxidising gas.    The passages are arranged such that: (i) an anode exhaust gas from a first group (14a) of the first passages is kept separate from the anode exhaust gas from a second group (14b) formed by other first passages, with fifth passages (48b) conveying the anode exhaust gas from the second group of first passages to the third passages for supplying fuel gas to the inlets to the first passage; and/or (ii) a cathode exhaust gas from a first group (16a) of the second passages is kept separate from the cathode exhaust gas from a second group (16b) formed by the other second passages, with sixth passages (44a,46a) conveying the cathode exhaust gas from the second group of the second passages to the fourth passages for supply the oxidising gas to the inlets to the second passages.    The fuel gas pref. includes at least one hydrocarbon gas capable of being converted to molecular hydrogen by a reforming reaction which takes place in the first passages containing a reforming reaction catalyst in an amount graded or varied along the first passages. Pref. the hydrocarbon gas is methane and the fuel gas is natural gas. Each fuel cell is pref. a solid oxide fuel cell or a molten carbonate fuel cell.    ADVANTAGE -   The fuel-cell power generator gives a better stack efficiency and temperature distribution, by avoiding the formation of hot spots at the corner region furthest from both the fuel gas and oxidising gas inlets.    (JP2000510994-W)      An electric power generation system (2) including electrically connected fuel cells (6) each incorporating anodes (10) and cathodes (12), first passages (14) partly defined by the anodes, second passages (16) partly defined by the cathodes, third passages (28,30) connected to inlets to the first passages for supplying their associated anodes with a fuel gas, and fourth passages (38,40) connected to inlets to the second passages to supply their associated cathodes with an oxidising gas.    The passages are arranged such that: (i) an anode exhaust gas from a first group (14a) of the first passages is kept separate from the anode exhaust gas from a second group (14b) formed by other first passages, with fifth passages (48b) conveying the anode exhaust gas from the second group of first passages to the third passages for supplying fuel gas to the inlets to the first passage; and/or (ii) a cathode exhaust gas from a first group (16a) of the second passages is kept separate from the cathode exhaust gas from a second group (16b) formed by the other second passages, with sixth passages (44a,46a) conveying the cathode exhaust gas from the second group of the second passages to the fourth passages for supply the oxidising gas to the inlets to the second passages.    The fuel gas pref. includes at least one hydrocarbon gas capable of being converted to molecular hydrogen by a reforming reaction which takes place in the first passages containing a reforming reaction catalyst in an amount graded or varied along the first passages. Pref. the hydrocarbon gas is methane and the fuel gas is natural gas. Each fuel cell is pref. a solid oxide fuel cell or a molten carbonate fuel cell.    ADVANTAGE -   The fuel-cell power generator gives a better stack efficiency and temperature distribution, by avoiding the formation of hot spots at the corner region furthest from both the fuel gas and oxidising gas inlets.