Patent ID: 7951314

Claim:
A method of producing a tubular fuel cell having a cylindrical inner electrode that exhibits conductivity, a first catalyst layer, an electrolyte layer, and a second catalyst layer, comprising: supplying a first catalyst layer material to an outer peripheral surface of the inner electrode by extrusion molding, thereby forming the first catalyst layer; supplying an electrolyte layer material to an outer peripheral surface of the first catalyst layer by extrusion molding, thereby forming the electrolyte layer; supplying a second catalyst layer material to an outer peripheral surface of the electrolyte layer by extrusion molding, thereby forming the second catalyst layer; detecting, using an apparatus comprising a detection unit, at least one of where the first catalyst layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner electrode and where the electrolyte layer is formed on the first catalyst layer; determining start and stop times for intermittently supplying at least one of the electrolyte layer material and the second catalyst layer material based on an output of the detection unit; and intermittently supplying the first catalyst layer material, the electrolyte layer material, and the second catalyst layer material using the determined start and stop times, thereby forming the first catalyst layer, the electrolyte layer, and the second catalyst layer with at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner electrode left exposed.