发明人：
MOHANRAM, ARAVIND | STEELE, JAMES K. | SIOK, MATTHEW
摘要：
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).
权利要求：
CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
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.