PURPOSE: To mitigate the stress at a periphery section and prevent the occurrence of cracks by holding the outer periphery of a solid electrode fuel cell element with a porous material between a gas feed chamber and an exhaust gas combustion chamber, and covering the surface of the porous material with an airtight material.

CONSTITUTION: The end section of an SOFC element 11 is inserted into a through hole 24a provided on an airtight bulkhead 24. A porous material 23 is filled in a gap between the through hole 24a and the outer periphery of the SOFC element 11, and the outer periphery of the SOFC element 11 is softly held by the porous material 23. An airtight wall section 25 is provided on the oxidizing gas feed chamber 21 side of the airtight bulkhead 24, and the surface of the porous material 23 is covered by the airtight wall section 25 so that the surface is not exposed to the oxidizing gas feed chamber 21 side. Distortion stress is mitigated, and the breakage of the solid electrolyte fuel cell element 11 is prevented.