A fuel cell power plant (10) having a fuel concentration sensor cell (54)
is disclosed for detecting a concentration of fuel in a fuel cell (12) of
the plant (10). A portion of a fuel exhaust stream is directed to flow through
the sensor cell (54) adjacent to a membrane electrode assembly (60)
of the sensor cell (54). A power circuit (62) may or may not deliver
an electrical current to the cell (12), while changes in voltage across
the cell (12) that are proportional to changes in hydrogen concentrations
within the fuel exhaust stream are detected by a detector (68) which communicates
the changes to a controller (108) for controlling a rate of fuel supply
to the fuel cell (12). A porous sensor water transport plate (74)
cools, humidifies delivers and removes liquid from the sensor cell (12).