TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Reformer: The reformer is configured to supply all of the fuel reformed by the reformer to the inlet of the fuel cell assembly adjacent the reformer, when the reformer is assembled into the fuel cell system. The reformer further comprises a further outlet port configured to output a second portion of the fuel reformed by the reformer to a fuel cell manifold when the reformer is assembled into the fuel cell system. The plate assembly comprises sections including an inlet section communicating with the inlet port, an outlet section communicating with the outlet port and a central section disposed between the inlet section and the outlet section, and where the plate assembly comprises baffles for directing fuel flow through the plate assembly, the baffles including at least one baffle disposed between the inlet section and the central section of the plate assembly. The central section includes zones, each of the zones communicating with the inlet section and with the outlet section, and each of the zones being disposed substantially perpendicular to the inlet section; and the baffles including at least one baffle disposed in the central section for directing fuel flow into each of the zones. The inlet section of the plate assembly has a first loading density of the reforming catalyst supported by the inlet section, the central section of the plate assembly has a second loading density of the reforming catalyst, the second loading density being greater than the first loading density, and the outlet section of the plate assembly has a third loading density of the reforming catalyst, the third loading density being smaller than or equal to the second loading density. The plate assembly has a varying loading density of the reforming catalyst, with the inlet section of the plate assembly having a varying loading density between 1/64 and 1/16, the central section of the plate assembly having a varying loading density between 1/48 and 1/2, and the outlet section of the plate assembly having a varying loading density between 0 and 1/2. The enclosure comprises first and second opposing surfaces, the first opposing surface abutting the fuel cell assembly adjacent to the reformer when the reformer is assembled into the fuel cell system, and where the outlet port is formed in the first surface of the enclosure. The outlet port comprises apertures in a portion of the first surface of the enclosure. The enclosure comprises first, second, third and fourth sidewalls connecting the first opposing surface with the second opposing surface, where: the first sidewall opposes the second sidewall, and the third sidewall opposes the fourth sidewall, the inlet port is formed in the first sidewall adjacent the third sidewall, and the outlet port is formed in the first opposing surface of the enclosure adjacent the fourth sidewall. The reformer further comprises a further outlet port configured to output a second portion of the fuel reformed by the reformer to a fuel cell manifold when the reformer is assembled into the fuel cell system, the further outlet port being formed in the second sidewall. Preferred Fuel Cell System: The reformer includes a further outlet configured to output a second portion of the fuel reformed in the reformer for use in the one or more non-reformer-associated assemblies without conveying the second portion of the fuel to the reformer-associated assembly. Each the reformer comprises an enclosure including the inlet port and the outlet port, and a plate assembly supporting reforming catalyst disposed within the enclosure, and where the outlet port of the reformer abuts a fuel inlet port of the reformer-associated assembly associated with the reformer. The enclosure of the reformer comprises first and second opposing surfaces, the first opposing surface abutting the reformer-associated assembly associated with the reformer, and where the outlet port of the reformer is formed in the first surface of the enclosure. The outlet port of the reformer comprises apertures in a portion of the first surface of the enclosure and the inlet port of the reformer-associated assembly associated with the reformer comprises apertures in a surface of the reformer-associated assembly abutting the first surface of the reformer. Each the reformer supplies all of the fuel reformed by the reformer to the inlet of the reformer-associated assembly associated with the reformer. The plate assembly of each the reformer includes sections, including an inlet section communicating with the inlet port, an outlet section communicating with the outlet port and a central section disposed between the inlet section and the outlet section and where the plate assembly is configured so that fuel flows in a first direction through the inlet section and thereafter in a second direction through the central section and the outlet section, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Each the reformer associated assembly includes a fuel outlet port for outputting the partially spent fuel for use in the one or more non-reformer associated assemblies and where each the reformer-associated assembly is configured so that fuel flows from the inlet port of the reformer-associated assembly in a third direction opposite to the second direction and thereafter flows in a fourth direction to the fuel outlet port, the fourth direction being substantially perpendicular to the third direction and opposite to the first direction. Each the non-reformer associated assembly includes an anode side adapted to receive a portion of partially spent fuel from the at least one reformer-associated assembly, a cathode side adapted to receive oxidant gas and an electrolyte matrix disposed between the anode side and the cathode side, and where each the non-reformer-associated assembly is configured so that the oxidant gas flows through the cathode side in the third direction and the partially spent fuel flows through the anode side in at least the first direction, where the anode side includes reforming catalyst placed in flow channels formed in the anode side. Each the non-reformer associated assembly is configured so that the portion of the partially spent fuel flows through the anode side in at least the first direction and the second direction. Each the non-reformer associated assembly includes a fuel inlet side, a fuel outlet side opposing the fuel inlet side, an oxidant inlet side and an oxidant outlet side opposing the oxidant inlet side, where the oxidant inlet and oxidant outlet sides join the fuel inlet side and the fuel outlet side, and where the fuel inlet port is formed in a portion of the fuel inlet side adjacent one of the oxidant inlet side and oxidant outlet side and the fuel outlet port is formed in a portion of the fuel outlet side adjacent the other of the oxidant inlet side and oxidant outlet side. The anode side of each the non-reformer-associated assembly includes baffles for directing the flow of the partially spent fuel through the anode side of the non- reformer-associated assembly in the first direction and in the second direction, and where at least one of the baffles forms the fuel inlet port in the fuel inlet side of the non- reformer-associated assembly and at least another of the baffles forms the fuel outlet port in the fuel outlet side of the non-reformer-associated assembly. The fuel cell stack includes faces including a fuel inlet face, a fuel outlet face, an oxidant inlet face and an oxidant outlet face, the fuel cell system further comprising manifolds including at least a fuel inlet manifold sealingly enclosing the fuel inlet face of the stack, and where each the reformer-associated assembly outputs partially spent fuel into the fuel inlet manifold and the fuel inlet manifold is configured to direct the partially spent fuel to the one or more non-reformer-associated assemblies. At least one reformer-associated assembly includes an anode side adapted to receive at least a first portion of the fuel from the reformer with which the reformer-associated assembly is associated, the anode side of the reformer-associated assembly including no reforming catalyst; and each the non-reformer associated assembly includes an anode side adapted to receive a portion of partially spent fuel from the at least one reformer-associated assembly, the anode side of each the non-reformer associated assembly supporting reforming catalyst for directly reforming the partially spent fuel. Preferred Method: The method of operating a fuel cell system further comprises outputting a second portion of the fuel reformed by each the reformer for use by the one or more non-reformer-associated assemblies without conveying the second portion of the fuel to the reformer-associated assembly. The first portion of the fuel reformed by each the reformer comprises all of the fuel reformed by the reformer. Each the reformer includes sections, including an inlet section communicating with an inlet port of the reformer, an outlet section communicating with an outlet port of the reformer and a central section disposed between the inlet section and the outlet section, and where the reforming the fuel using the reformer comprises conveying the fuel through the inlet section of the reformer in a first direction, and thereafter conveying the fuel through the central section of the reformer in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The method further comprises conveying the at least the first portion of the fuel output from the reformer through the reformer associated assembly so that the at least first portion first flows in a third direction opposite the second direction and thereafter flows in a fourth direction, the fourth direction being substantially perpendicular to the third direction and opposite the first direction. Each the non-reformer-associated assembly includes an anode side and a cathode side and the method further comprises conveying at least a portion of the partially spent fuel output from the reformer-associated assembly through the anode side of the one or more non-reformer-associated assembly so that the partially spent fuel flows through the anode side in at least the first direction and the second direction; conveying oxidant gas through the cathode side of the one or more non-reformer-associated assembly in the third direction. The conveying at least a portion of the partially spent fuel though the anode side of the one or more non-reformer-associated assembly comprises directing the flow of the partially spent fuel in the first direction and the second direction using baffles. The method further comprising conveying the partially spent fuel output from the reformer-associated assembly through the one or more non-reformer-associated assembly and directly reforming the partially spent fuel in the one or more non-reformer associated assembly.