Patent ID: 7195652

Claim:
A method of making a compact chemical reactor with high aspect ratio cavities comprising the steps of: a. forming at least two intermediate assemblies, wherein components are chosen from: i. at least one frame comprising: a process layer, a perimeter barrier and at least one low aspect ratio cavity; or ii. at least one frame comprising: a process layer, two perimeter barriers, and at least two low aspect ratio cavities disposed on either side of the process layer, or iii at least one layer comprising a perimeter hater fanned on one side of a process layer with at least one low aspect ratio cavity; or iv. combinations of (i) and (iii) joined together; wherein each low aspect ratio cavity is substantially surrounded by the perimeter barrier thereby leaving an opening on a side; b. joining together at least two intermediate assemblies together each with the low aspect ratio cavity such that the opening of the intermediate assembly is located opposite the opening of an adjacent intermediate assembly to create a unit reactor with at least one high aspect ratio cavity of greater than 1cm/cm; and c. joining the unit reactors by interleaving a first group of unit reactors with a second group of unit reactors to form a compact chemical reactor, wherein the first group on of unit reactors have high aspect ratio cavities in communication with a first reactant plenum through the openings of the first group of unit reactors, and wherein the second group of unit reactors have high aspect ratio cavities in communication with a second reactant plenum through the openings of the second group of unit reactors, thereby enabling a transport process between the reactant plenums and the process layers in the compact chemical reactor formed.