POROUS ASSEMBLIES AND RELATED METHODS OF FABRICATION AND USE
The present disclosure provides advantageous porous assemblies, and improved systems and methods for utilizing and/or fabricating the porous assemblies. More particularly, the present disclosure provides porous assemblies fabricated at least in part by additive manufacturing (e.g., via a 3D printing process, such as, for example, via an electron beam additive manufacturing process, via a laser additive manufacturing technology, via an inkjet or a binder jet additive manufacturing process, etc.), the porous assemblies including a porous monolith support structure or substrate for a sensitive or active layer of a multi-layer application (e.g., for sensitive/active layers in fuel cell/electrolyzer/battery and other multi-layer applications).
1 . A porous assembly comprising:
a porous monolith substrate that extends from a first end to a second end; and
a sensitive or active layer positioned on the porous monolith substrate; and
wherein the porous monolith substrate is fabricated at least in part by additive manufacturing.
2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensitive or active layer is a porous or solid catalytic, electro-chemically active or electrically conductive or filter or flow membrane.
3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate takes the form of a screen or 3D printed lattice substrate.
4 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate includes homogenous or graded porosity.
5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate has a range of pore sizes from 0.1 microns to greater than 1 mm, and a range of porosities from 5 to 95%.
6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate has a range of dimensions from 0.1 inch to the maximum size of additive manufacturing machines, and wherein the porous monolith substrate is of any shape.
7 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate is fabricated from titanium 6-4 (Grade 5) or CP Titanium (Grade 1).
8 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate comprises a plurality of rings.
9 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate comprises a plurality of polygonal structures.
10 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous monolith substrate comprises a first level, a second level, a third level, a fourth level and a fifth level, each level including a plurality of holes or passages therethrough.
11 . A method for fabricating a porous assembly comprising:
providing a porous monolith substrate that extends from a first end to a second end; and
positioning a sensitive or active layer on the porous monolith substrate; and
wherein the porous monolith substrate is fabricated at least in part by additive manufacturing.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate is fabricated at least in part by a 3D printing process.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate is fabricated at least in part by an electron-beam additive manufacturing process or a laser additive manufacturing process.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensitive or active layer is a porous or solid catalytic, electro-chemically active or electrically conductive or filter or flow membrane.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate takes the form of a screen or 3D printed lattice substrate.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate includes homogenous or graded porosity.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate has a range of pore sizes from 0.1 microns to greater than 1 mm, and a range of porosities from 5 to 95%.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate is fabricated from titanium 6-4 (Grade 5) or CP Titanium (Grade 1).
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate comprises a plurality of rings.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous monolith substrate comprises a plurality of polygonal structures.