This invention relates to a battery stack (2) comprising a plurality of individual cells (9, 10, 11, 12), each individual
cell (9, 10, 11, 12) comprising: a membrane
electrode system (3) having a
cathode (6), an
anode (4), and a membrane (5) located between the
cathode and the
anode; an
anode gas diffusion layer (7) or a
sintered titanium component, the anode
gas diffusion layer being disposed on the exposed side of the anode (4) and having a first thickness gradient along the
machine transverse (y); and a
cathode gas diffusion layer (8) disposed on the exposed side of the cathode (6), the cathode gas
diffusion layer having a second thickness gradient along the
machine transverse (y), wherein: in a In a single
cell (9, 10, 11, 12), the anode gas
diffusion layer (7) and the cathode gas
diffusion layer (8) are arranged relative to each other such that a first thickness gradient of the anode gas
diffusion layer (7) and a second thickness gradient of the cathode gas
diffusion layer (8) are opposite; or in two or more single cells (9, 10, 11, 12), each anode gas
diffusion layer (7) is arranged relative to each other such that the
total thickness gradient of these anode gas diffusion
layers (7) is minimized and / or in two or more single cells (9, 10, 11, 12), each cathode gas diffusion layer (8) is arranged such that the
total thickness gradient of these cathode gas diffusion
layers (8) is minimized.