Systems and methods for thermally actuated flow control

A thermally actuated flow control system disposed within a reactor, the control system comprising:

• a first linear array of bimetallic strips disposed on a first wall of a channel;
• and
• a second linear array of bimetallic strips disposed on a second wall of the channel, the first and second walls being opposite and in a facing relationship with each other relative to a fluid flow path through the channel,
• wherein:
• the first wall and/or the second wall comprises a catalyst layer, the catalyst layer enabling a combustible reaction of a fuel flowing through the channel,
• each bimetallic strip comprises a fixed end and a free end,
• the fixed ends of the bimetallic strips in the first array are coupled to the first wall,
• the fixed ends of the bimetallic strips in the second array are coupled to the second wall,
• each bimetallic strip comprises a first metal strip having a first thermal expansion coefficient and a second metal strip having a second thermal expansion coefficient, the first and second metal strips being fixedly coupled together, and the first thermal expansion coefficient being higher than the second thermal expansion coefficient, wherein the first metal strip is coupled to the wall, and the second metal strip extends towards the fluid flow path through the channel, and
• a deflection of the free ends of the bimetallic strips first array away from the first wall and the free ends of the bimetallic strips of the second array away from the second wall increases as a temperature of the fuel flowing through the channel increases, which decreases a flowrate of the fuel flowing through the channel and reduces the rate of heat generation by the combustion reaction, and the deflection of the free ends of the bimetallic strips of the first array and the second array decreases as the temperature of the fuel flowing through the channel decreases, which increases the flowrate of the fuel flowing through the channel and increases the rate of heat generation by the combustion reaction.