DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of the Claims
The status of the claims as filed in the reply dated 7/25/2025 are as follows:
Claim 1 is amended,
Claims 13-36 are withdrawn,
Claims 1-36 are currently pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muir et al. (US 2017/0211849, herein Muir, previously cited) in view of Hamid et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0252997, herein Hamid).
In regards to claim 1, Muir discloses
A method comprising:
pumping, via an extraction well (120), heated water (paragraph 17) from an extraction depth of a hot sedimentary aquifer (110);
extracting, via a power generation unit (140), heat from the heated water to generate power and transform the heated water into cooled water; and
injecting, via an injection well (100), the cooled water at an injection depth of the HSA,
wherein a convective heat transfer coefficient of the HSA satisfies a threshold convective heat transfer coefficient (paragraphs 3 and 45, the length of the interwell run 110 takes into account the heat transfer coefficient of the circulating fluid, so it is understood that the threshold is satisfied).
However, Muir does not explicitly disclose wherein the threshold convective heat transfer coefficient is measured in watts per meter-squared kelvin. However, it is old and well known in the art of heat transfer to measure convective heat transfer coefficients in watts per meter-squared kelvin. For example, Hamid teaches measuring convective heat transfer coefficients in watts per meter-squared kelvin (fig 2, ¶0011). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Muir to measure the convective heat transfer coefficients in watts per meter-squared kelvin such as taught by Hamid in order to provide a known unit of measurement.
In regards to claim 2, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses stimulating a convective flow field within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth, wherein the convective flow field satisfies a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraphs 31, 33 and 35).
In regards to claim 3, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the pumping the heated water comprises pumping, via the extraction well, the heated water from the extraction depth at an extraction rate that stimulates a convective flow field, and wherein the injecting the cooled water comprises injecting, via the injection well, the cooled water at the injection depth at an injection rate that stimulates the convective flow field (paragraphs 27, 33 and 35).
In regards to claim 4, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a gravity-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a gravitational field within the HSA (Fig.1 and paragraph 33).
In regards to claim 5, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the extraction well comprises an extraction lateral disposed within a first region of the HSA (portion of interwell run 110 connected to the production well 120); the injection well comprises an injection lateral disposed within a second region of the HSA (portion of interwell run 110 connected to the injection well 100); and a depth difference between the extraction lateral and the injection lateral is equal to or greater than a threshold depth difference that satisfies, based on the gravity-driven convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraphs 31 and 35).
In regards to claim 6, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a pressure-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a natural pressure gradient within the HSA (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 7, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the natural pressure gradient is equal to or greater than a threshold natural pressure gradient that satisfies, based on the pressure-driven convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 8, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a dipolar pressure gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 9, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the dipolar pressure gradient is equal to or greater than a threshold dipolar pressure gradient that satisfies, based on the convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 10, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a temperature-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a temperature gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 11, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the temperature gradient is equal to or greater than a threshold temperature gradient that satisfies, based on the temperature-driven convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 12, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the convective heat transfer comprises a multi-mode heat transfer within the HSA indicative of two or more of: a gravity-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a gravitational field within the HSA; a pressure-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a natural pressure gradient within the HSA: a convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a dipolar pressure gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth; and a temperature-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a temperature gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth (paragraphs 31, 33 and 35).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/25/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues (page 11) that Muir does not teach measuring the threshold convective heat transfer coefficient in watts per meter-squared kelvin. However, newly cited Hamid is now being relied upon to teach this limitation.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/JIANYING C ATKISSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763