Patent ID: 8877407

Claim:
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell including at least one cell that comprises: a membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, the anode including an anode catalyst layer containing an anode catalyst on one main surface of the electrolyte membrane and an anode diffusion layer laminated on the anode catalyst layer, the cathode including a cathode catalyst layer containing a cathode catalyst on the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane and a cathode diffusion layer laminated on the cathode catalyst layer; an anode-side separator having a surface with a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator having a surface with an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode, wherein at least one of the fuel flow channel and the oxidant flow channel has a plurality of parallel linear portions, at least one of the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer has a plurality of belt-like first regions facing the plurality of linear portions and at least one second region between the adjacent first regions, the amount of catalyst in the first regions per unit area is on average larger than the amount of catalyst n the at least one second region per unit area, in the first regions, the amount of catalyst per unit area increases from an end toward a center in a width direction thereof, and in the at least one second region, the amount of catalyst per unit area decreases from an end toward a center in a width direction thereof.