Patent ID: 7318974

Claim:
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode sandwiching said hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying a fuel gas to said anode, and a cathode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying an oxidant gas to said cathode, wherein each of said anode-side conductive separator plate and said cathode-side conductive separator plate is rectangle in shape and has an oxidant gas manifold aperture for an inlet arranged on one short side thereof, an oxidant gas manifold aperture for an outlet arranged on the other short side thereof, a fuel gas manifold aperture for an inlet and a fuel gas manifold aperture for an outlet arranged on different longitudinal sides thereof, and a cooling water manifold aperture for an inlet and a cooling water manifold aperture for an outlet arranged on the different longitudinal sides thereof, the respective fuel gas manifold apertures are disposed opposite to the cooling water manifold apertures, the oxidant gas manifold apertures, the cooling water manifold apertures, and the fuel gas manifold apertures, have opening areas decreasing in this order, and the fuel gas manifold apertures for the inlet and outlet and the oxidant gas manifold apertures for the inlet and outlet are directly connected with the gas flow channel for supplying the fuel gas to the anode and the gas flow channel for supplying the oxidant gas to the cathode, respectively, wherein the fuel gas manifold apertures and the cooling water manifold apertures arranged in each of said conductive separator plates are symmetrical about the center of said conductive separator plate, but are not symmetrical about any centerline passing through the center.