Element for construction of a mass- and/or heat-exchange device, assembly of two elements and exchange method using an assembly

A modular stackable element for construction of a device for exchange of mass and/or heat comprising:

• a parallelepipedal box having a length, a width and a height;
• the box comprising opposite horizontal upper and lower faces, two opposite vertical end faces and two opposite vertical lateral faces;
• the upper and lower faces of the box being defined by the length and the width of the box,
• the two opposite vertical end faces of the box being defined by the length and the height of the box, and
• the two opposite vertical lateral faces of the box being defined by the width and the height of the box;
• the box containing at least one layer of thermal insulation with a thickness less than one third of the width of the box;
• the layer of insulation disposed within the box and covering at least the lateral and end faces of the box,
• the layer of insulation surrounding at least one chamber of parallelepipedal volume inside the box such that the layer of insulation is configured to reduce heat transfer between the box and the at least one chamber, and
• the at least one chamber having a length, a width and a height,
• the at least one chamber having opposite horizontal upper and lower faces,
• the upper face and/or the lower face of the at least one chamber being at least partially open,
• two opposite vertical end faces and two opposite vertical lateral faces, the upper and lower faces of the at least one chamber being defined by the length and the width of the chamber,
• the two end faces of the at least one chamber by the length and the height of the at least one chamber and the two lateral faces of the chamber by the width and the height of the at least one chamber;
• the at least one chamber containing at least one body of material enabling the exchange of at least one of mass and of heat,
• the body of material being of parallelepipedal shape and filling at least a first part of the at least one chamber,
• the at least one chamber extending to an upper opening on the upper face of the box and a lower opening on the lower face of the box, wherein the height of the at least one chamber is substantially equal to the height of the box such that the at least one chamber is configured to fluidly connect the upper opening on the upper face of the box with the lower opening on the lower face of the box.