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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% |  |

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