Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2009	Jun. 25, 2013
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents			$ 10,000,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount			7,700,000	9,600,000
Accrued Contract and Operating Costs			87,000	39,000
Product Warranty Accrual			860,000	2,317,000
Reserve for Performance Guarantees			500,000	2,200,000
Loss Reserve on Service Agreements			3,700,000	5,000,000
Long-term stack residual value			2,898,000	14,316,000
Accumulated depreciation on long-term stacks			2,100,000	7,600,000
Reserve for Repair and Upgrade Program			7,267,000	4,753,000
Future License Fees To Be Paid			8,000,000
Royalty percentage			4.10%			4.10%
Reduced royalty percentage			3.00%
Royalty fee payment for reduction in royalty rate		6,700,000
License Fee and Royalty Income			0	1,599,000	1,718,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Conversion of Convertible Securities	8,000,000
Convertible Debt			38,000,000	0			38,000,000
significant customer revenue percentage			88.00%	85.00%	66.00%
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - short-term			5,053,000	5,335,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - long-term			4,950,000	5,300,000
Cell Technology Transfer Agreement [Member]
Upfront License Fee						10,000,000
Stack Technology Transfer and License Agreement [Member]
Upfront License Fee				7,000,000		10,000,000
Service and License Fee Revenues [Member]
License Fee and Royalty Income			4,100,000
CANADA
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), Unrealized			$ 400,000	$ 100,000	$ 1,000,000
FCES Germany [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent			75.00%
Alliance Entities [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent			80.00%
POSCO Energy [Member]
significant customer revenue percentage			54.00%	76.00%	44.00%
Common stock ownership percentage			16.00%
Department of Energy [Member]
significant customer revenue percentage			5.00%	7.00%	0.00%
BioFuels Fuel Cells [Member]
significant customer revenue percentage			0.00%	0.00%	12.00%
UTS Bioenergy [Member]
significant customer revenue percentage			0.00%	2.00%	10.00%
Dominion Bridgeport FuelCell Park [Member]
significant customer revenue percentage			29.00%	0.00%	0.00%