Patent ID: 8137857

Claim:
A liquid electrolyte fuel cell apparatus in which oxidant ( 21 ) and fuel reactant flow field channels ( 20 ) are provided in non-porous, hydrophobic separator plate assemblies ( 19 ) disposed to demarcate individual fuel cells ( 8 ), in which each fuel cell comprises: an electrolyte matrix ( 11 ) configured to hold a liquid electrolyte; an anode including an anode catalyst ( 12 ) disposed on one surface of said matrix and a porous anode substrate ( 16 ) disposed adjacent said anode catalyst, and a cathode including a cathode catalyst ( 13 ) disposed on a second surface of said matrix opposite to said one surface and a porous cathode substrate ( 17 ) disposed adjacent said cathode catalyst; characterized by: the thickness of said anode substrate portion of said anode, exclusive of said anode catalyst, being measurably thicker than the thickness of said cathode substrate portion of said cathode, exclusive of said cathode catalyst.