Monocrystalline silicon flow connector and microfluidic system modularly built thereon for feeding a fuel solution to an energy converting device

A flow connector for a microfluidic system through which a solution is fed to a feed manifold of an energy converting electrochemical device having a flat coupling area with the flow connector, the flow connector comprising:

• a monocrystalline silicon platform having a bottom side and an opposing top side, and a plurality of through holes extending therethrough, said monocrystalline silicon platform comprising
• a first channel defined on the bottom side for communicating with a first portion of the plurality of through holes,
• a second channel defined on the bottom side for communicating with a second portion of the plurality of through holes, with the second portion of through holes being different from the first portion of through holes, and
• said second channel forming an inlet for the feed manifold of the energy converting electrochemical device when the bottom side of said silicon platform is coupled to the flat coupling area of the device;
• a micropump module coupled to the top side of said monocrystalline silicon platform, and having a suction port coinciding with a first one of the through holes in the first channel and a delivery port coinciding a first one of the through holes in the second channel;
• a first supply cartridge coupled to the top side of said monocrystalline silicon platform, and comprising a first solvent release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to said first channel through a second one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of said micropump module via the first channel;
• and
• a second supply cartridge coupled to the top side of said monocrystalline silicon platform, and comprising a second oxidable compound release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to said first channel through a third one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of said micropump module via the first channel.

A microfluidic feed system of a solution for an energy converting electrochemical device having a flat coupling area that includes a feed solution distributing manifold inlet and a depleted solution discharge manifold outlet, the microfluidic feed system comprising:

• a monocrystalline silicon platform having a bottom side and an opposing top side, and a plurality of through holes extending therethrough, said monocrystalline silicon platform comprising
• a first channel defined on the bottom side for communicating with a first portion of the plurality of through holes,
• a second channel defined on the bottom side for communicating with a second portion of the plurality of through holes, with the second portion of through holes being different from the first portion of through holes, and
• said first channel coinciding with the depleted solution discharge manifold outlet, and said second channel coinciding with the feed solution distributing manifold inlet when the bottom side of said silicon platform is coupled to the flat coupling area of the device;
• a micropump module coupled to the top side of said monocrystalline silicon platform, and having a suction port coinciding with a first one of the through holes in the first channel and a delivery port coinciding a first one of the through holes in the second channel;
• a first supply cartridge coupled to the top side of said monocrystalline silicon platform, and comprising a first solvent release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to said first channel through a second one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of said micropump module via the first channel;
• and
• a second supply cartridge coupled to the top side of said monocrystalline silicon platform, and comprising a second oxidable compound release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to said first channel through a third one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of said micropump module via the first channel.

A microfluidic system comprising:

• an energy converting electrochemical device having a flat coupling area that includes a feed solution distributing manifold inlet and a depleted solution discharge manifold outlet;
• and
• a microfluidic feed system for providing a solution to said energy converting electrochemical device, said microfluidic feed system comprising
• a silicon platform having a bottom side and an opposing top side, and a plurality of through holes extending therethrough, said silicon platform comprising
• a first channel defined on the bottom side for communicating with a first portion of the plurality of through holes,
• a second channel defined on the bottom side for communicating with a second portion of the plurality of through holes, with the second portion of through holes being different from the first portion of through holes, and
• said first channel coinciding with the depleted solution discharge manifold outlet, and said second channel coinciding with the feed solution distributing manifold inlet when the bottom side of said silicon platform is coupled to the flat coupling area of said device;
• a micropump module coupled to the top side of said silicon platform, and having a suction port coinciding with a first one of the through holes in the first channel and a delivery port coinciding a first one of the through holes in the second channel;
• a first supply cartridge coupled to the top side of said silicon platform, and comprising a first solvent release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to said first channel through a second one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of said micropump module via the first channel;
• and
• a second supply cartridge coupled to the top side of said silicon platform, and comprising a second oxidable compound release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to said first channel through a third one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of said micropump module via the first channel.

A method for making a flow connector for a microfluidic system through which a solution is fed to a feed manifold of an energy converting electrochemical device having a flat coupling area with the flow connector, the method comprising:

• providing a monocrystalline silicon platform having a bottom side and an opposing top side, and a plurality of through holes extending therethrough;
• forming a first channel on the bottom side of the monocrystalline silicon platform for communicating with a first portion of the plurality of through holes;
• forming a second channel on the bottom side of the monocrystalline silicon platform for communicating with a second portion of the plurality of through holes, with the second portion of through holes being different from the first portion of through holes;
• forming an inlet via the second channel for the feed manifold of the energy converting electrochemical device when the bottom side of the silicon platform is coupled to the flat coupling area of the device;
• coupling a micropump module to the top side of the monocrystalline silicon platform, the micropump module having a suction port coinciding with a first one of the through holes in the first channel and a delivery port coinciding a first one of the through holes in the second channel;
• coupling a first supply cartridge to the top side of the monocrystalline silicon platform, the first supply cartridge comprising a first solvent release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to the first channel through a second one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of the micropump module via the first channel;
• and
• coupling a second supply cartridge coupled to the top side of the monocrystalline silicon platform, the second supply cartridge comprising a second oxidable compound release microvalve module having an outlet port coupled to the first channel through a third one of the through holes in the first portion of through holes so that the outlet port is coupled to the suction port of the micropump module via the first channel.