Patent ID: 7794891

Claim:
A fuel cell comprising: an elongated electrolyte membrane web consisting entirely of an ion exchange membrane; at least two anodes separately provided on one surface of the elongated electrolyte membrane web; at least two cathodes separately provided on the other surface of said elongated electrolyte membrane web; an electrolyte membrane/electrode web member comprising the elongated electrolyte membrane web, the at least two anodes and the at least two cathodes; first and second gas diffusion current collector members each formed by folding a single electrically conductive plate into a substantially U-shape, and having at least one porous surface facing said electrolyte membrane/electrode web member, the first and second gas diffusion current collector members being stacked in a stacking direction; and an electrically insulating member having a first reactant gas flow field on one surface facing the porous surface of the first gas diffusion current collector member and a second reactant gas flow field on an other surface facing the porous surface of the second gas diffusion current collector member, the first and second reactant gas flow fields being at opposite sides of the electrically insulating member in the stacking direction, wherein said electrolyte membrane/electrode web member is curved or bent in a wave shape such that said anode and said cathode are arranged in parallel to each other; said first gas diffusion current collector member is inserted into said electrolyte membrane/electrode web member from one side to sandwich said electrolyte membrane/electrode web member, and said second gas diffusion current collector member is inserted into said electrolyte membrane/electrode web member from the other side to sandwich said electrolyte membrane/electrode web member; said insulating member is placed in a space where said first gas diffusion current collector member and said second gas diffusion current collector member directly face each other; and the first and second reactant gas flow fields at opposite sides of the electrically insulating member are configured to allow flow of the same reactant gas.