Modular surface-mount fluid-flow system

1. A fluid-flow system comprising a first stick having

a first plurality of substantially identical first-stick blocks, each first-stick block being a plate having a front face, a back face, an edge face, and at least two fluid-flow through-passages extending between the front face and the back face, the first-stick blocks being attached to each other by a first-stick-block attachment including a fastener that extends through an attachment bore, the attachment bore extending through a first step and a second step when the first step and the second step are conformably positioned;

at least one fluid component affixed to the front face of each of the plurality of first-stick blocks, each fluid component having ports thereon, the ports of each fluid component being in fluid communication with the respective fluid-flow through-passages of the first-stick block to which it is affixed; and

a second plurality of first-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes external to the first-stick blocks, each first-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tube being affixed to the back face of a first first-stick block with a first end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the first first-stick block, and also affixed to the back face of a second first-stick block with a second end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the second first-stick block.

2. The fluid-flow system of claim 1 , wherein the first-stick blocks are connected together in a linear array.

3. The fluid-flow system of claim 1 , wherein the through-passages in each first-stick block all lie along a single line extending between two opposite ends of the first-stick block.

4. The fluid-flow system of claim 1 , further including

a mounting plate, and

a set of mounting feet affixing the first-stick blocks to the mounting plate.

5. The fluid-flow system of claim 1 , further including

a second stick comprising

a third plurality of substantially identical second-stick blocks, the second-stick blocks being substantially identical to the first-stick blocks, the second-stick blocks being connected to each other along their edge faces,

at least one fluid component affixed to the front face of each of the plurality of second-stick blocks, each fluid component having ports thereon, the ports of each fluid component being in fluid communication with the respective fluid-flow through-passages of the second-stick block to which it is affixed,

a fourth plurality of second-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes external to the second-stick blocks, each second-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tube being affixed to the back face of a first second-stick block with a first end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the first second-stick block, and also affixed to the back face of a second second-stick block with a second end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the second second-stick block, and

a fluid-flow stick-to-stick interconnection tube extending between the first stick and the second stick.

6. The fluid-flow system of claim 1 , further including

an adapter plate disposed between one of the fluid components and the respective block to which it is affixed, the adapter plate having fluid-flow passages therethrough providing fluid communication between one of the ports on the fluid component and one of the fluid-flow through passages of the respective block.

7. The fluid-flow system of claim 6 , wherein the adapter plate comprises an auxiliary active device.

8. A fluid-flow system comprising

a first stick having

a first plurality of substantially identical first-stick blocks, each first-stick block being a rectangular plate having a front face, a back face, a first pair of oppositely disposed edge faces, and a second pair of oppositely disposed edge faces, and three fluid-flow through-passages extending between the front face and the back face and lying on a stick axis extending between the first pair of oppositely disposed edge faces midway between the second pair of oppositely disposed edge faces, the first-stick blocks being attached to each other in a linear array by a first-stick-block attachment, wherein the first-stick-block attachment further comprises

a step on each first-stick block of an attached pair of first-stick blocks;

an attachment bore extending through the steps when the steps are conformably position; and

a fastener extending through the attachment bore;

one fluid component affixed to the front face of each of the plurality of first-stick blocks, each fluid component having ports thereon, the ports of each fluid component being in fluid communication with the respective fluid-flow through-passages of the first-stick block to which it is affixed;

a second plurality of first-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes external to the first-stick blocks, each first-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tube being affixed to the back face of a first first-stick block with a first end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the first first-stick block, and also affixed to the back face of a second first-stick block with a second end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the second first-stick block;

a mounting plate; and

a set of first-stick mounting feet affixing the first-stick blocks to the mounting plate.

9. The fluid-flow system of claim 8 , wherein the mounting plate comprises a set of rectangularly arranged mounting holes to which the first-stick mounting feet are affixed.

10. The fluid-flow system of claim 8 , wherein each of the second plurality of fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes is selected from

a first fluid-flow block-interconnection tube having a length sufficient to interconnect adjacent fluid-flow through passages, and

a second fluid-flow block-interconnection tube having a length sufficient to interconnect two fluid-flow passages separated by another fluid-flow passage.

11. The fluid-flow system of claim 8 , further including

an adapter plate disposed between one of the fluid components and the respective first-stick block to which it is affixed, the adapter plate having fluid-flow passages therethrough providing fluid communication between one of the ports on the fluid component and one of the fluid-flow through passages of the respective first-stick block.

12. The fluid-flow system of claim 1 , wherein the adapter plate comprises an auxiliary active device.

13. The fluid-flow system of claim 8 , further including

a second stick comprising

a third plurality of substantially identical second-stick blocks, the second-stick blocks being substantially identical to the first-stick blocks, the second-stick blocks being connected to each other along their edge surfaces,

at least one fluid component affixed to the front face of each of the plurality of second-stick blocks, each fluid component having ports thereon, the ports of each fluid component being in fluid communication with the respective fluid-flow through-passages of the second-stick block to which it is affixed, and

a fourth plurality of second-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes external to the second-stick blocks, each second-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tube being affixed to the back face of a first second-stick block with a first end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the first second-stick block, and also affixed to the back face of a second second-stick block with a second end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the second second-stick block,

a fluid-flow stick-to-stick interconnection between the first stick and the second stick, and

a second set of second-stick mounting feet affixing the second-stick blocks to the mounting plate.

14. A fluid-flow system comprising

a first stick having

a first plurality of substantially identical first-stick blocks, each first-stick block being a rectangular plate having a front face, a back face, a first pair of oppositely disposed edge faces, and a second pair of oppositely disposed edge faces, and three fluid-flow through-passages extending between the front face and the back face and lying on a stick axis extending between the first pair of oppositely disposed edge faces midway between the second pair of oppositely disposed edge faces, the first-stick blocks being attached to each other in a linear array by a first-stick-block attachment wherein the first-stick-block attachment comprises

a step on each first-stick block of an attached pair of first-stick blocks,

an attachment bore extending through the steps when the steps are conformably positioned, and

a fastener extending through the attachment bore;

one fluid component affixed to the front face of each of the plurality of first-stick blocks, each fluid component having ports thereon, the ports of each fluid component being in fluid communication with the respective fluid-flow through-passages of the first-stick block to which it is affixed;

a second plurality of first-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes external to the first-stick blocks, each first-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tube being affixed to the back face of a first first-stick block with a first end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the first first-stick block, and also affixed to the back face of a second first-stick block with a second end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the second first-stick block; mounting plate comprising a set of rectangularly arranged mounting holes;

a set of first-stick mounting feet affixing the first-stick blocks to the mounting holes of the mounting plate;

a second stick comprising

a third plurality of substantially identical second-stick blocks, the second-stick blocks being substantially identical to the first-stick blocks, wherein pairs of the second-stick blocks are attached to each other by fasteners extending through attachment bores,

at least one fluid component affixed to the front face of each of the plurality of second-stick blocks, each fluid component having ports thereon, the ports of each fluid component being in fluid communication with the respective fluid-flow through-passages of the second-stick block to which it is affixed, and

a fourth plurality of second-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes external to the second-stick blocks, each second-stick fluid-flow block-interconnection tube being affixed to the back face of a first second-stick block with a first end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the first second-stick block, and also affixed to the back face of a second second-stick block with a second end of the fluid-flow block-interconnection tube in fluid communication with one of the fluid-flow through-passages on the second second-stick block,

a fluid-flow stick-to-stick interconnection between the first stick and the second stick, and

a second set of second-stick mounting feet affixing the second-stick blocks to the mounting holes of the mounting plate.

15. The fluid-flow system of claim 14 , wherein each of the second plurality of fluid-flow block-interconnection tubes is selected from

a first fluid-flow block-interconnection tube having a length sufficient to interconnect adjacent fluid-flow through passages, and

a second fluid-flow block-interconnection tube having a length sufficient to interconnect two fluid-flow passages separated by another fluid-flow passage.

16. The fluid-flow system of claim 14 , further including

an adapter plate disposed between one of the fluid components and the respective first-stick block to which it is affixed, the adapter plate having fluid-flow passages therethrough providing fluid communication between one of the ports on the fluid component and one of the fluid-flow through passages of the respective first-stick block.

17. The fluid-flow system of claim 16 , wherein the adapter plate comprises an auxiliary active device.

18. The fluid-flow system of claim 6 , wherein the component has a port pattern that is different from a port pattern of the block, and the adapter plate provides a continuous port connection between the port pattern of the component and the port pattern of the block.

19. The fluid-flow system of claim 11 , wherein the component has a port pattern that is different from a port pattern of the block, and the adapter plate provides a continuous port connection between the port pattern of the component and the port pattern of the block.

20. The fluid-flow system of claim 16 , wherein the component has a port pattern that is different from a port pattern of the block, and the adapter plate provides a continuous port connection between the port pattern of the component and the port pattern of the block.