US 7,566,509 B2
Tubular fuel cell and method of producing the same
Yasuo Kaga, Tsukuba (Japan)
Assigned to National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Nov. 17, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/989,419.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-388532 (JP), filed on Nov. 18, 2003; and application No. 2004-143215 (JP), filed on May 13, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2005/0208355 A1, Sep. 22, 2005
Int. Cl. H01M 8/12 (2006.01); H01M 8/24 (2006.01); H01M 4/86 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 429—31  [429/32; 429/40; 429/44] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
3. A tubular fuel cell in which each of cells comprises a first porous inter-connector membrane, a first electrode, a solid electrolyte membrane, a second electrode, and a second porous inter-connector membrane laminated in this order from a lower layer, wherein the first porous inter-connector membrane and the second porous inter-connector membrane between adjacent cells are connected to each other through an intermediate inter-connector membrane that comprises at least one layer composed of a dense electrically conductive membrane;
wherein an exfoliation preventing membrane comprising a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the first and second porous inter-connector membranes is formed on the second porous inter-connector membrane so as to cover at least the intermediate inter-connector membrane.