Patent ID: 8338056

Claim:
A tubular fuel cell comprising: an inner current collector; a membrane-electrode assembly including (i) a tubular inner catalyst layer that is provided on the inner current collector and has a first axial end face and a second axial end face, (ii) a tubular electrolyte membrane that is provided on the inner catalyst layer and has a third axial end face located on one side of an axial center of the tubular fuel cell where the first axial end face is located and a fourth axial end face located on the other side of the axial center of the tubular fuel cell where the second axial end face is located, and (iii) a tubular outer catalyst layer that is provided on the electrolyte membrane and has a shorter axial length than an axial length of the electrolyte membrane and an axial length of the inner catalyst layer, the outer catalyst layer having a fifth axial end face that is located on the one side of the axial center of the tubular fuel cell and is closer to the axial center of the tubular fuel cell than the first axial end face and the third axial end face are and a sixth axial end face that is located on the other side of the axial center of the tubular fuel cell and is closer to the axial center of the tubular fuel cell than the second axial end face and the fourth axial end face are; a first seal portion that is provided at one of axial end portions of the membrane-electrode assembly so as to be located between where the first and third axial end faces are located and where the fifth axial end face is located; and a second seal portion that is provided at the other of the end portions of the membrane-electrode assembly so as to be located between where the second and fourth axial end faces are located and where the sixth axial end face is located, wherein the seal portions are disposed so as to physically contact the fifth axial end face and the sixth axial end face, respectively; and wherein the seal portions do not contact the first axial end face, the second axial end face, the third axial end face, or the fourth axial end face.