Systems and methods for reaction and transport engineering via cellular fluidics

1 . A computer aided design (CAD) manufactured lattice structure for taking in and routing a fluid using a capillary action, the lattice structure comprising:

a plurality of tessellated cells formed from a plurality of interconnected struts, the interconnected struts having first length sections associated with different ones of a plurality of parallel, elongated columns, and second length sections, with the first length sections being longer than the second length sections, and the Interconnected struts being formed from a curable resin; and

at least a subplurality of the interconnected struts being such that the first length sections extend a full length of their associated said column, and are oriented parallel to one another to form the plurality of parallel, elongated columns of the tessellated cells, and such that the second length sections are arranged perpendicular to the first length sections and spaced apart along a length of each one of said first length section to form a plurality of voids having a common dimension within each one of the plurality of parallel, elongated columns, and wherein a dimension of the volds in adjacent ones of the parallel, elongated columns differ from one said parallel, elongated column to another due to different cross-sectional dimensions of the first length sections;

the voids within each said cell configured to receive the fluid, the voids communicating with one another, and at least a subplurality of adjacent ones of the first length sections being non-uniform in the cross-sectional dimension, relative to one or more of the adjacent ones of the first length sections, to create the voids as three-dimensional voids which vary in volume in a predetermined manner, such that the three-dimensional voids created by a combination of the first length sections being non-uniform in the cross-sectional dimension and spacings of the first length sections creates a varying porosity within the lattice structure, with the varying porosity designed to one of increase or decrease from a first portion to a second portion of the lattice structure, to control how the fluid is taken in by the capillary action and how the fluid is channeled by the capillary action into and through selected ones of the three-dimensional voids, such that the fluid propagates through the plurality of tessellated cells along at least one predetermined flow path through the three-dimensional voids;

wherein the varying porosity is such as to create a non-uniform capillary flow action across or through the three-dimensional voids of the lattice structure, from the first portion to the second portion of the lattice structure, to achieve the flow along the at least one predetermined flow path; and

wherein the lattice structure has a porosity that creates a plurality of separate capillary flow paths in at least one plane for the fluid entering a designated point of the lattice structure.

2 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the separate capillary flow paths are formed generally parallel to one another such that the fluid entering the designated point is split into the plurality of separate capillary flow paths after entering the lattice structure.

3 . The lattice structure of claim 2 , wherein the separate capillary flow paths form linear flow paths.

4 . The lattice structure of claim 2 , wherein the separate capillary flow paths are created in first and second non-parallel planes within the lattice structure.

5 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined flow path forms a spiral flow path extending within an internal three dimensional volume of the lattice structure.

6 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the varying porosity is such as to create an increasing capillary flow action across a dimension of the lattice structure.

7 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the lattice structure is carbonized.

8 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure forms a plurality of liquid-gas interfaces.

9 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure is constructed using a catalyst to form a plurality of solid-liquid-gas interfaces.

10 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure comprises a lattice fluidic device for evaporative mass transport, which is formed to create at least one of:

a first plurality of occurrences of liquid-gas interfaces throughout at least a portion of the lattice structure, the occurrences of liquid-gas interfaces being optimized for transport of species from a liquid phase to a gas phase;

a second plurality of occurrences of liquid-gas interfaces occurring throughout at least a portion of the lattice structure which are optimized for efficient dissolution of gas molecules into the liquid phase; or

a lattice fluidic liquid-liquid extraction device, in which two liquids are brought into contact without mixing within the lattice structure, and a species of interest is transported by chemical potential driven diffusion from one phase to the other, at maximum occurrences of liquid-liquid interfaces within the lattice structure.

11 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure comprises a lattice fluidic heat exchanger, which enables two immiscible fluids of different temperatures to be brought into contact within the lattice structure to facilitate heat transfer.

12 . The lattice structure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure forms a lattice fluidic thermal element, in which the lattice is made of a thermally conductive material and provides at least one of selective heating or cooling of the fluid.

13 . A computer aided design (CAD) manufactured lattice structure for taking in and routing a fluid using a capillary action, the lattice structure comprising:

a plurality of tessellated cells formed from a plurality of interconnected struts, the interconnected struts having first length sections associated with different ones of a plurality of parallel, elongated columns, and second length sections, with the first length sections being longer than the second length sections, and the interconnected struts being formed from a curable resin; and

at least a subplurality of the interconnected struts being such that the first length sections extend a full length of their associated said column, and are oriented parallel to one another to form the plurality of parallel, elongated columns of the tessellated cells, and such that the second length sections are arranged perpendicular to the first length sections and spaced apart along a length of each one of said first length section to form a plurality of voids having a common dimension within each one of the plurality of parallel, elongated columns, and wherein a dimension of the voids in adjacent ones of the parallel, elongated columns differ from one said parallel, elongated column to another due to different cross-sectional dimensions of the first length sections;

the voids within each said cell configured to receive the fluid, the voids communicating with one another, and at least a subplurality of adjacent ones of the first length sections being non-uniform in the cross-sectional dimension, relative to one or more of the adjacent ones of the first length sections, to create the voids as three-dimensional voids which vary in volume in a predetermined manner, such that the three-dimensional voids created by a combination of the first length sections being non-uniform in the cross-sectional dimension and spacings of the first length sections creates a varying porosity within the lattice structure, with the varying porosity designed to one of increase or decrease from a first portion to a second portion of the lattice structure, to control how the fluid is taken in by the capillary action and how the fluid is channeled by the capillary action into and through selected ones of the three-dimensional voids, such that the fluid propagates through the plurality of tessellated cells along at least one predetermined flow path through the three-dimensional voids;

the varying porosity is such as to create a non-uniform capillary flow action across or through the three-dimensional voids of the lattice structure, from the first portion to the second portion of the lattice structure, to achieve the flow along the at least one predetermined flow path; and

the at least one predetermined flow path forms a spiral flow path extending within an internal three dimensional volume of the lattice structure.