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A rod assembly and method for supporting rods includes opposing end plates for supporting opposing ends of a plurality of solid oxide fuel cell rods with each rod comprising a hollow gas conduit passing there through. Each rod end is supported by an annular flexure configured to provide a gas/liquid

A rod assembly and method for supporting rods includes opposing end plates for supporting opposing ends of a plurality of solid oxide fuel cell rods with each rod comprising a hollow gas conduit passing there through. Each rod end is supported by an annular flexure configured to provide a gas/liquid tight seal between the rod ends and the end plates. Each annular flexure includes a flexible portion surrounding the rod end such that forces imparted to either or both of the rod and the end plate act to elastically deform the annular flexure without damaging the rods. The rod assembly operates and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) with operating temperatures of 500 to 1000° C.

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1. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising a fuel rod assembly comprising: a fuel rod comprising an outer wall enclosing a hollow longitudinal conduit;a cylindrical tube stub extending from each end of the outer wall wherein the hollow longitudinal conduit passes completely through the outer wall and thr

1. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising a fuel rod assembly comprising: a fuel rod comprising an outer wall enclosing a hollow longitudinal conduit;a cylindrical tube stub extending from each end of the outer wall wherein the hollow longitudinal conduit passes completely through the outer wall and through each of the tube stubs and wherein each of the tube stubs has an outside diameter;a first end plate base wall formed with a base wall through hole positioned to receive a first tube stub there through;a second end plate base wall formed with the base wall through hole positioned to receive a second tube stub there through;a first flexure element assembled to the first end plate base wall;wherein the first flexure element comprises an annular flexure boss extending from the respective end plate base wall towards the other end plate base wall, a top wall extending directly from the annular flexure boss, a sleeve wall extending substantially orthogonally from the top wall, a flexure through hole formed by an inside surface of the sleeve wall, wherein the top wall has a mechanical stiffness that is less than a mechanical stiffness of the fuel rod and less than a mechanical stiffness of the end plate base walls;wherein the outside diameter of the first tube stub is engaged with the flexure through hole of the first flexure element. 2. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the first flexure element is formed with an outside diameter of the annular flexure boss sized to install into the base wall through hole of the first end plate base wall with an interference fit and the outside diameter of the first tube stub is engaged with the flexure through hole of the first flexure element. 3. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising: an anode material coated on an inside surface of the longitudinal conduit;a cathode material coated on an outside surface of the outer wall;wherein the anode material reacts with a fuel flowing through the longitudinal conduit and the cathode material reacts with an oxidant flowing over the outside wall and wherein the anode and cathode reactions generate an electrical current extractable from the fuel rod. 4. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising: a cathode material coated on an inside surface of the longitudinal conduit;an anode material coated on an outside surface of the outer wall;wherein the cathode material reacts with an oxidant flowing through the longitudinal conduit and the anode material reacts with a fuel flowing over the outside wall and wherein the anode and cathode reactions generate an electrical current extractable from the fuel rod. 5. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1, wherein each of the first end plate base wall, the second end plate base wall, and the first flexure element comprises the same high temperature, low chromium metal alloy material. 6. The solid oxide fuel cell fuel rod assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the first base wall, the second end plate base wall and the first flexure element is formed from a nickel-copper alloy. 7. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 6 wherein nickel-copper alloy includes a minimum of 63% nickel, 28-34% copper, a maximum of 2.5% iron, and a maximum of 2% manganese and has a linear coefficient of thermal expansion of 13.9 microns per meter per Kelvin. 8. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the fuel rod comprises a ceramic electrolyte. 9. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the annular flexure boss, the top wall and the sleeve wall form a U-shape in cross-section. 10. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the annular flexure boss, the top wall and the sleeve wall form a J-shape in cross-section. 11. A solid oxide fuel cell fuel rod assembly, comprising: a plurality of fuel rods each comprising an outer wall enclosing a hollow longitudinal conduit and a cylindrical tube stub extending from each end of the outer wall wherein the hollow longitudinal conduit passes completely through the outer wall and through each of the tube stubs and wherein each of the tube stubs has an outside diameter;a first end plate base wall formed from a plurality of base wall through holes positioned to receive a first tube stub of one of the plurality of fuel rods there through;a second end plate base wall formed with a plurality of base wall through holes positioned to receive a second tube stub of one of the plurality of fuel rods there through;a first flexure element assembled to the first end plate base wall about each of the plurality of base wall through holes of the first end plate base wall;wherein the first flexure element comprises a flexure boss extending from the respective end plate base wall, a top wall extending directly from the flexure boss, a sleeve wall extending substantially orthogonally from the top wall, a flexure through hole formed by an inside surface of the sleeve wall, wherein the top wall has a mechanical stiffness that is less than a mechanical stiffness of the fuel rod and less than a mechanical stiffness of each of the first and second end plate base walls;wherein the outside diameter of the first tube stub is engaged with the flexure through hole of the first flexure element. 12. A solid oxide fuel cell, comprising: an end plate forming a hole;an elongated fuel rod assembly having a first end extending into the hole; anda flexure assembly for coupling the first end to the end plate, the flexure assembly including: a flexure boss extending from the end plate around the hole along an axis of the elongated fuel rod assembly;a top wall extending directly from the flexure boss perpendicular to the axis;a sleeve wall extending from the top wall concentric with the flexure boss, the sleeve wall forming a bore coupled to the first end,wherein the top wall has a mechanical stiffness that is less than a mechanical stiffness of the fuel rod assembly and less than a mechanical stiffness of the end plate. 13. The solid oxide fuel cell as recited in claim 12, wherein the flexure assembly is integral with the end plate and the bore is sized to capture the first end in an interference fit. 14. The solid oxide fuel cell as recited in claim 12, wherein the flexure boss and the sleeve wall are annular. 15. The solid oxide fuel cell as recited in claim 12, wherein the flexure boss is formed as a flexure insert sized and configured to couple to the hole by at least one of bonding or brazing or an interference fit. 16. The solid oxide fuel cell as recited in claim 15, wherein the flexure insert further includes a top annular outer wall extending from and surrounding the flexure boss, forming a surface that mates with the end plate to prevent the flexure assembly from passing through the hole. 17. The solid oxide fuel cell as recited in claim 12, wherein the first end is a tube stub. 18. The solid oxide fuel cell as recited in claim 12, wherein the flexure boss, the top wall and the sleeve wall form a U-shape in cross-section. 19. The solid oxide fuel cell as recited in claim 12, wherein the flexure boss, the top wall and the sleeve wall form a J-shape in cross-section. 20. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the top wall and the sleeve wall are formed with 25-50% less material thickness than the end plate. 21. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising a fuel rod assembly comprising: a fuel rod comprising an outer wall enclosing a hollow longitudinal conduit;a cylindrical tube stub extending from each end of the outer wall wherein the hollow longitudinal conduit passes completely through the outer wall and through each of the tube stubs and wherein each of the tube stubs has an outside diameter;a first end plate base wall formed with a base wall through hole positioned to receive a first tube stub there through;a second end plate base wall formed with the base wall through hole positioned to receive a second tube stub there through;a first flexure element assembled to the first end plate base wall;wherein the first flexure element flexure element comprises an annular flexure boss extending from the respective end plate base wall towards the other end plate base wall, a top wall extending directly from the annular flexure boss, a sleeve wall extending substantially orthogonally from the top wall, a flexure through hole formed by an inside surface of the sleeve wall,wherein the top wall forms an annular flexure extending between the flexure boss and the sleeve wall,wherein the top wall has a mechanical stiffness that is less than a mechanical stiffness of the fuel rod and less than a mechanical stiffness of each of the first and second end plate base walls;wherein the outside diameter of the tube stub is engaged with the flexure through hole of a corresponding one of the first flexure elements. 22. A solid oxide fuel cell, comprising: an end plate forming a hole;an elongated fuel rod assembly having a first end extending into the hole; anda flexure assembly for coupling the first end to the end plate, the flexure assembly including a unibody flexure boss extending from the end plate around the hole along an axis of the elongated fuel rod assembly, the unibody flexure boss having a top wall extending perpendicular to the axis and a sleeve wall extending from the top wall concentric with the flexure boss, the sleeve wall forming a bore coupled to the first end, wherein the top wall has a mechanical stiffness that is less than a mechanical stiffness of the fuel rod assembly and less than a mechanical stiffness of the end plate.