The compact chemical reactor with a central axis includes at least two unit reactors disposed adjacent to each other to form front and back sides of the compact chemical reactor; a front and back reactant plenum communicating with the front and back side respectively; at least one of the plenums com
The compact chemical reactor with a central axis includes at least two unit reactors disposed adjacent to each other to form front and back sides of the compact chemical reactor; a front and back reactant plenum communicating with the front and back side respectively; at least one of the plenums comprises a reactant; and unit reactors comprising: a front cavity between front and back process layers; a back cavity between back and front process layers of adjacent unit reactors; the process layers facilitate transport processes between reactant plenums; each cavity communicates with one side of the compact chemical reactor; a front and back perimeter barrier on the back and front process layers respectfully, substantially surrounding respective cavities. At least one of the unit reactors comprise at least one frame formed from one of the process layers, at least one of the perimeter barriers, and at least one of the cavities.
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What is claimed is: 1. A compact chemical reactor with a central axis comprising: a. at least a first unit reactor and a second unit reactor, wherein the first and second unit reactors are disposed adjacent each other to form a front side and a back side of the compact chemical reactor; b. a front
What is claimed is: 1. A compact chemical reactor with a central axis comprising: a. at least a first unit reactor and a second unit reactor, wherein the first and second unit reactors are disposed adjacent each other to form a front side and a back side of the compact chemical reactor; b. a front reactant plenum communicating with the front side; c. a back reactant plenum communicating with the back side, wherein at least one of the reactant plenums comprises a reactant; and d. wherein each unit reactors comprises: i. a first process layer; ii. a second process layer; iii. a front cavity formed between the first and second process layers; iv. a back cavity formed between the second process layers and the first process layer of adjacent unit reactors; v. a front perimeter barrier disposed on the second process layer substantially surrounding the back cavity; and vi. a back perimeter barrier disposed on the first process layer substantially surrounding the front cavity and wherein the front cavity is in communication with the front side and the back cavity is in communication with the back side and wherein at least one of process layers facilitates a transport process between the reactant plenums; and wherein at least one of the unit reactors comprise at least one frame formed from one of the process layers, at least one of the perimeter barriers, and at least one of the cavities; and wherein each cavity is in communication with one side of the compact chemical reactor, and wherein the process layer facilitates a transport process between the reactant plenums. 2. The reactor of claim 1, wherein each of the unit reactors comprises a frame formed from one of the process layers, one of the perimeter barriers and one of the cavities. 3. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one unit reactor comprises two frames, each frame formed from a process layer, a perimeter barrier and a cavity. 4. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one unit reactor comprises a frame formed from one of the process layers, two of the perimeter barriers and two of the cavities. 5. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one of the reactant plenums is embedded in one of the reactor frames. 6. The reactor of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of one of the reactant plenums is embedded in one of the reactor frames. 7. The reactor of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of one of the reactant plenums is embedded in one of the reactor frames. 8. The reactor of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of one of the reactant plenums is embedded in one of the reactor frames. 9. The reactor of claim 2, wherein the frame from a first unit reactor connects to a frame of the second unit reactor with a mechanical device. 10. The reactor of claim 1, further comprising an additional process layer, a second perimeter barrier disposed on the additional process layer, and a second cavity formed in at least one reactor frame adjacent to the at least one reactor frame; and wherein the at least one cavity is in communication with one of the sides of the compact chemical reactor and the second cavity is in communication with the other side of the compact chemical reactor and further wherein at least one of the process layers facilitates a transport process between the reactant plenums. 11. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the frame from a first unit reactor connects to a frame of the second unit reactor with a mechanical device. 12. The reactor of claim 11, wherein the frames are held together by a protrusion and corresponding indentation formed from the frame that provides a snap fit connection, a mechanical clip, a tie rod, an adhesive bond, tape, external compression bands, a key, and combinations therein. 13. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the at least one process layer is held in place by a mechanical device coupling the frame from the first unit reactor to a second frame in a second unit reactor. 14. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the transport process is the exchange of reactant between the reactant plenums. 15. The reactor of claim 1, where the reactant comprises: a fuel, an oxidant, water, hydrogen, oxygen, air, liquid phase hydrocarbons, gas phase hydrocarbons, beverages, foodstuffs, byproducts from reaction of reactants, and combinations thereof. 16. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the transport process moves an attribute of the reactant from one of the reactant plenums to the other reactant plenum. 17. The reactor of claim 16, wherein the attribute is heat, moisture content, pressure, concentration, ionic charge, or electrical charge. 18. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the front perimeter barrier completely encloses the back cavity. 19. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the back perimeter barrier completely encloses the front cavity. 20. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the compact chemical reactor is a thin flat construction. 21. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the compact chemical reactor is thin curvilinear construction. 22. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the unit reactors are disposed parallel to each other orthogonal around the central axis. 23. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the unit reactors are disposed parallel to each other parallel to the central axis. 24. The reactor of claim 1, wherein each unit reactor is disposed at a different angle to the adjacent unit reactor. 25. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the unit reactors are formed into groups of parallel unit reactors and each group is disposed at an arbitrary angle to adjacent groups. 26. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the overall length of the compact chemical reactor is between 1 millimeter and 100 centimeters and the overall width of the compact chemical reactor is between 1 millimeters and 50 centimeters and the overall thickness between the front face and the back face of the compact chemical reactor is between 100 nanometers and 5 centimeters. 27. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the compact chemical reactor has a shape selected from the group consisting of rectangle, square, cylinder, triangle, octagon, pentagon, and irregular shape. 28. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the first and second unit reactors are oriented to form the back reactant plenum. 29. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the front reactant plenum is enclosed by a structure. 30. The reactor of claim 29, wherein the structure is open to ambient atmosphere. 31. The reactor of claim 29, wherein the structure is a closed container. 32. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the back reactant plenum is enclosed by a device. 33. The reactor of claim 32, wherein the device is open to ambient atmosphere. 34. The reactor of claim 32, wherein the device is a closed container. 35. The reactor of claim 1, wherein more than two unit reactors are used in the compact chemical reactor. 36. The reactor of claim 1, wherein between 2 unit reactors and 50,000 unit reactors are used in the compact chemical reactor. 37. The reactor of claim 1, wherein between 2 unit reactors and 500 unit reactors are used in the compact chemical reactor. 38. The reactor of claim 1, wherein between 2 unit reactors and 100 unit reactors are used in the compact chemical reactor. 39. The reactor of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of unit reactors, wherein adjacent unit reactors connect adjacent front perimeter barriers and first process layers. 40. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the process layers comprise an electrolyte, an ion exchange membrane a filtration membrane, a separation membrane, a micro-structured diffusion mixer, a heater, a catalyst, electrical conductors, thermal conductors, and combinations thereof. 41. The reactor of claim 40, wherein the process layers comprise a filled metal composite, a filled microstructure of polymer, a filled epoxy composite, a graphite composite, and combinations thereof. 42. The reactor of claim 1, wherein one of the process layers performs a function different from the function of the other process layer. 43. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one cavity is at least partially filled with a material to aid in the transport of reactant or attributes of reactant or byproducts of the reaction. 44. The reactor of claim 1 wherein at least one cavity is at least partially filled with a catalyst to promote the function of the reactor. 45. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the each perimeter barrier comprises a material that prevents reactant from one reactant plenum from moving into the other reactant plenum. 46. The reactor of claim 45, wherein the material comprises a metal, a silicone, a rubber, a polyamide, a synthetic rubber, an epoxy, a polytetrafluoroethylene, a polyvinyldiflouride, composites of thereof, laminates thereof, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof. 47. The reactor of claim 1, wherein each perimeter barrier comprises a structural form that prevents reactant from one reactant plenum from moving into another reactant plenum. 48. The reactor of claim 47, where the structural form can be a microstructure or a three dimensional structure creating a tortuous path. 49. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the process layers comprise at least one thin sheet. 50. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the process layers has a thickness between 1 nanometer and 2 centimeters. 51. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one process layer comprises a thickness different from another process layer. 52. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the transport of reactant from reactant plenum to process layers is by diffusion. 53. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one cavity has an aspect ratio greater than 1 cm/cm. 54. The reactor of claim 53, wherein at least one cavity has an aspect ratio between 1 cm/cm and 100 cm/cm. 55. The reactor of claim 53, wherein at least one cavity has an aspect ratio between 2.5 cm/cm and 15 cm/cm. 56. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the front and back perimeter barriers each comprise a height ranging from 100 nanometers to 10 millimeters and a width ranging from 10 nanometers to 5 millimeters. 57. The reactor of claim 1, wherein each front and back perimeter barrier comprise a width which can vary from being less on one portion of the perimeter barrier to greater on another portion of the perimeter barrier. 58. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the first process layer is an undulating first process layer, the second process layer is an undulating second process layer, the front cavity is an undulating front cavity, the back cavity is an undulating back cavity, the front perimeter barrier is an undulating front perimeter barrier, and the back perimeter barrier is an undulating back perimeter barrier. 59. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the compact chemical reactor is a fuel cell comprising a plurality of unit reactors, each comprising at least one process layer of electrolyte, at least one cavity comprises a first catalyst to form an anode contacting the electrolyte, and at least one other cavity comprises a second catalyst to form a cathode contacting the electrolyte, and at least one reactant plenum comprising an oxidant and at least one reactant plenum comprising a fuel. 60. An electrical appliance, comprising as a source of power, the compact chemical reactor of claim 59. 61. The reactor of claim 1, wherein each unit reactor has a frame integrally formed from at least one process layer between at least one perimeter barrier and a second perimeter barrier and disposed on the frame is an additional process layer. 62. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the reactor forms a micro-structured fuel cell layer. 63. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the reactor forms a micro-structured electrolyzer layer. 64. The reactor of claim 1, wherein a process layer is formed from two or more thin process layers that are placed in contact with each other.
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