Fluid reactor and fluid reactor component manufacturing

A reactor core component comprising:

• a reactor core frame including a first frame piece assembled with a second frame piece, the reactor core frame having a plurality of pairs of windows, each pair of windows of the plurality of pairs of windows defined by a first window in the first frame piece, and a second window in the second frame piece, the reactor core frame defining a secondary fluid cavity;
• and
• a plurality of reactor core stacks each having a primary fluid input surface, a primary fluid output surface, and a sidewall, each reactor core stack of the plurality of reactor core stacks being secured to the reactor core frame between a respective pair of windows of the plurality of pairs of windows via one or more fluid tight seals, at least one side of at least one of the first or second windows of each pair of windows of the plurality of pairs of windows being larger in width or length than the corresponding width or length of the respective reactor core stack secured therein, wherein for each reactor core stack of the plurality of reactor core stacks:
• at least a portion of the primary fluid input surface is exposed through the first window, at least a portion of the primary fluid output surface is exposed through the second window, and at least a portion of the reactor core stack sidewall is positioned within the secondary fluid cavity;
• and
• the primary fluid input surface includes a plurality of fluid channels extending through the reactor core stack to the primary fluid output surface, each channel of the plurality of fluid channels:
• being surrounded by an open-pore cellular network material having a bi-continuous tortuous phase structure;
• and
• defining a sidewall that allows a secondary fluid to pass through the sidewall of the channel while restricting the flow of at least one component of a primary fluid through the sidewall of the channel.

A method of making a fluid reactor for compositionally changing a primary input fluid into a primary output fluid with at least one secondary fluid comprising:

• securing a reactor core component within a fluid tight fluid reactor housing, the reactor core component being prepared by:
• loading a reactor core element into a window of a reactor core frame, where the reactor core frame has a secondary fluid cavity, the reactor core element having:
• a sidewall and a plurality of fluid channels surrounded by an open-pore cellular network material having a bi-continuous tortuous phase structure that is configured to be transmissive to a secondary fluid, and
• at least one side of the window is larger in width and length than the reactor core element;
• and
• bonding the reactor core element to the window such that at least a portion of the reactor core element sidewall is not sealed.

A method of compositionally transforming a primary fluid, the method comprising:

• flowing a primary input fluid through at least one first input port of a fluid reactor and into and through a primary fluid input manifold, where the primary fluid input manifold includes at least one primary fluid line and at least one primary fluid input cavity;
• flowing the primary input fluid over a reactor core component containing at least one reactor core element located in fluid communication with the primary fluid cavity such that the primary input fluid enters at least one fluid channel located within the at least one reactor core element;
• flowing a secondary input fluid through at least one second input port of the fluid reactor and into and through a secondary fluid input manifold, where the secondary fluid input manifold includes at least one secondary fluid line and at least a portion of at least one secondary fluid cavity;
• guiding the secondary input fluid from the secondary fluid cavity across the at least one reactor core element in a manner perpendicular to a direction of flow of the primary input fluid;
• interacting the primary input fluid with the secondary input fluid whereby the primary input fluid is compositionally changed into a primary output fluid and the secondary input fluid is compositionally changed into a secondary output fluid;
• flowing a primary output fluid out of the at least one fluid channel and into and through a primary fluid output manifold, where the primary fluid output manifold includes at least one primary fluid line and at least one primary fluid output cavity;
• flowing the primary output fluid from the primary fluid output manifold through at least one primary fluid output port from where it exists the fluid reactor;
• flowing a secondary output fluid out of the at least one reactor core element and into and through a secondary fluid output manifold, where the secondary fluid output manifold includes at least one secondary fluid line and at least a portion of at least one secondary fluid output cavity;
• and
• flowing the secondary output fluid from the secondary fluid output manifold through at least one secondary fluid output port from where it exits the fluid reactor.