Contactor for thermal transfer, mixing and chemical reaction operations between fluids, comprises two arborescent networks of pipes tangled together by interleaving respective pipes, where each networks comprise successive subdivisions

摘要

The contactor comprises two arborescent networks of pipes (A, B) tangled together by interleaving respective pipes. Each arborescent networks consists of successive subdivisions of principal pipe (CP(A), CP(B)) each leading to a higher number of smaller pipes to generate a multi-scale pipes. The contactor is present in the form of alternating subdivision stages (ES 1-ES 4) of pipes forming different networks, and interlacing stages (EL 1-EL 3) of the pipes. The structure of each network of pipes is obtained by iterative application of principal pipe of basic operations. The contactor comprises two arborescent networks of pipes (A, B) tangled together by interleaving respective pipes. Each arborescent networks consists of successive subdivisions of principal pipe (CP(A), CP(B)) each leading to a higher number of smaller pipes to generate a multi-scale pipes. The contactor is present in the form of alternating subdivision stages (ES 1-ES 4) of pipes forming different networks, and interlacing stages (EL 1-EL 3) of the pipes. The structure of each network of pipes is obtained by iterative application of principal pipe of basic operations. The pipes of two networks are in thermal contact between each other. The entanglement between the two pipes is achieved by symmetrically angled sections of the pipes, and between the two adjacent pipes is achieved by continuous rotation of a wall separating the pipes, where the wall is helical in shape. The contactor includes a first and a second supply contactor (S 2) connected in series with opposed orientation. The second supply contactor is: configured to recombine subdivided fluids interleaved between pipes by the first supply contactor (S 1); and does not mix the fluid in different network constituting the first supply contactor or allows homogenization of fluid flow flowing within different pipes thus compensating for differences in fluid loss between different paths through the network. The first and second supply contactors are separated by a section comprising parallel and non-interleaved channels and by a mixing section in which the pipes belonging to the different networks are merged. The mixing section is constituted of outlined pipes to promote mixing of fluids circulating in the section. An independent claim is included for a stereo lithographic process for fabricating the contactor.