Substrate-Free Multichannel Reactor Core Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid reactors face challenges in efficiency, volume efficiency, and component degradation, particularly in applications requiring high surface area and processing power per reactor volume, such as blood oxygenation and reverse osmosis.
Innovation Solution
The development of novel fluid reactor designs incorporating substrate-free, multichannel reactor core elements with open-pore cellular network materials and asymmetric permeable sidewalls, which enhance the active area to volume ratio and facilitate efficient fluid processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional filter module reactor cores are used, then fluid separation is achieved, but flow performance continuously decays as filter media loads up with increasing pressure drop
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor core is divided into multiple hollow fiber bundles arranged in parallel, with each bundle containing numerous hollow fibers. This segmentation allows the total flow capacity to be distributed across many independent pathways, so that loading in one bundle does not completely block flow through the entire reactor core, maintaining more stable overall flow performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Hollow fibers are nested within bundle structures, which are in turn nested within the reactor core housing. This hierarchical nesting creates a multi-scale porous structure where fluid can flow through multiple levels of pathways, providing redundancy and maintaining flow performance as individual pathways become loaded.
2Reliability
If spiral wound or hollow fiber modules are used for cross-flow operation, then steady filtering operation is achieved, but device complexity increases with additional ports and secondary fluid removal systems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for secondary fluid ports and complex cross-flow control systems by utilizing the natural permeation properties of hollow fiber membranes. Primary fluid flows through the hollow fibers, and separation occurs through the fiber walls, requiring only simple inlet and outlet ports for the primary fluid stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow fiber membrane structure performs separation automatically based on its inherent selective permeability properties. The membrane itself provides the filtering function without requiring external control systems, secondary fluid removal mechanisms, or complex port configurations, making the system self-regulating and simpler to operate.
3Productivity
If conventional reactor core designs are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but active area to volume ratio is limited, reducing processing power per reactor volume
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor core utilizes hollow fiber membranes with controlled porous structures that provide extremely high surface area to volume ratios. The bundled arrangement of numerous thin-walled hollow fibers creates vast active membrane surface area within a compact volume, dramatically increasing processing capacity per unit volume while maintaining manufacturability through established hollow fiber fabrication techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These designs achieve higher processing capacity, reduced fluid volume requirements, and improved fluid component handling, leading to more efficient and durable fluid reactors suitable for a wide range of applications.
Implementation Method 1
an open-pore cellular network material having a bi-continuous tortuous phase structure
Implementation Method 2
asymmetric permeable sidewalls
Data Source
AI summary
Fluid reactors include a sealed housing enclosing a reactor core that includes at least one substrate-free multichannel reactor core element. Each reactor core element is made from a non-substrate mounted, open pore cellular network material having an asymmetric, tortuous, bi-continuous two-phase material structure and contains multiple perforating fluid channels. Multiple reactor core elements can be serially and/or parallelly piped in a sealed manner to form a reactor core for a fluid reactor with a higher production capacity.