Tubular Fuel Cell

A tubular fuel cell comprising:

• an inner current collector;
• a membrane-electrode assembly including (i) an 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) an 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) an 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.

A tubular fuel cell comprising:

• an inner current collector;
• a membrane-electrode assembly including (i) an 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) an electrolyte membrane that is provided on the inner catalyst layer and has a third axial end face that is located on one side of an axial center of the tubular fuel cell where the first axial end face is located and is substantially aligned with the first axial end face and a fourth axial end face that is located on the other side of the axial center of the tubular fuel cell where the second axial end face is located and is substantially aligned with the second axial end face;
• and (iii) an outer catalyst layer that is provided on the electrolyte membrane and has a fifth axial end face that is located on the one side of the axial center of the tubular fuel cell and is substantially aligned with the first axial end face and a sixth axial end face that is located on the other side of the axial center of the tubular fuel cell and is substantially aligned with the second axial end face;
• a first seal portion which is provided at one of end portions of the membrane-electrode assembly and in which the first axial end face, the third axial end face, and the fifth axial end face are arranged;
• and
• a second seal portion which is provided at the other of the end portions of the membrane-electrode assembly and in which the second axial end face, the fourth axial end face, and the sixth axial end face are arranged.