Patent ID: 8486585

Claim:
An assembly for a solid oxide fuel cell, said assembly comprising: a porous ceramic oxide matrix having a labyrinth of reinforcing walls; an array of fluid conduits, each of said fluid conduits comprising said porous ceramic oxide matrix and having an external surface with a plurality of struts projecting outwardly therefrom and an internal surface defining a first passage for flowing a first fluid therethrough; said struts being configured to connect said fluid conduits to one another; and said external surfaces and said struts defining a second passage around said fluid conduits for flowing a second fluid therethrough, wherein said reinforcing walls have a diffusion barrier coated thereon for inhibiting migration of atoms from said porous ceramic oxide matrix, wherein a portion of said diffusion barrier has an electrically conductive coating applied thereto and said struts electrically insulate said fluid conduits from one another; and wherein said porous ceramic oxide matrix has a coefficient of thermal expansion of about zero to about 3×10 −6 /° K.