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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I and species A in the reply filed on 7/8/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 9-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. § 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bouwman et al., W.O. Int’l Pub No. 2021/130261 A1 [hereinafter Bouwman].
The body of the claim is generally written with parentheses following the limitations indicating the prior art's teachings and/or examiner notes.
1. Bouwman teaches a hydrogen production system (system to produce hydrogen; Bouwman abstract, fig. 2), comprising:
at least one first osmosis device (osmosis unit 10; Bouwman [0051]-[0053], fig. 2) including a semipermeable membrane (forward osmosis membrane 11; Bouwman [0053], fig. 2) which separates a first chamber to which water to be treated is supplied (feed compartment 13; Bouwman [0051]-[0052], fig. 2) and a second chamber (permeate/first compartment 12; id.) to which an alkaline aqueous solution (alkaline electrolyte solution; Bouwman [0037], fig. 2) having a higher osmotic pressure than that of the water to be treated is supplied, and which permeates water in the water to be treated from the first chamber to the second chamber (extract water from liquid feed solution of feed compartment 13 to permeate compartment 12 through a difference in osmotic pressure; Bouwman [0051]-[0052], fig. 2);
a circulation flow path which is connected to the second chamber and through which the alkaline aqueous solution is circulated (loop 120; Bouwman [0051], fig. 2); and
an alkaline water electrolyzer that is provided in the circulation flow path, and electrolyzes water in the alkaline aqueous solution supplied from the second chamber and produces hydrogen (electrochemical cell 2; Bouwman [0050], fig. 2).
2. The hydrogen production system according to claim 1, wherein the water to be treated is seawater or brackish water (seawater or brackish water). Bouwman [0040], [0058], fig. 2)
3. The hydrogen production system according to claim 1, wherein the alkaline water electrolyzer includes an anode chamber (anode electrolyte compartment 8; Bouwman [0050], fig. 2) that houses an anode (anode 3; id.), a cathode chamber (cathode electrolyte compartment 9; id.) that houses a cathode (cathode 4; id.), and a separation membrane that separates the anode chamber and the cathode chamber (separator membrane 7; id.).
4. The hydrogen production system according to claim 3, wherein the circulation flow path includes a flow path connected to an outlet of the second chamber and to an inlet of the anode chamber and an inlet of the cathode chamber (flow path through loops 120, 180, and 190). Bouwman [0050]-[0051], fig. 2.
5. The hydrogen production system according to claim 3, further comprising:
an oxygen gas-liquid separator that is connected to the anode chamber and separates oxygen produced through electrolysis at the anode from the alkaline aqueous solution (second electrolyte compartment 19; Bouwman [0052], fig. 2); and
a hydrogen gas-liquid separator that is connected to the cathode chamber and separates the hydrogen produced through electrolysis at the cathode from the alkaline aqueous solution (first electrolyte compartment 18; id.),
wherein the alkaline aqueous solution to be supplied to the second chamber includes the alkaline aqueous solution separated by the oxygen gas-liquid separator and the alkaline aqueous solution separated by the hydrogen gas-liquid separator (solution supplied through loops 180 and 190; Bouwman [0050], fig. 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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 of this title, 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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Bouwman as applied to claim 1 previously, and further in view of Choi, KR 101893790 B1. A machine translation was used for Choi.
6. The hydrogen production system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first tank provided upstream of the second chamber and downstream of the alkaline water electrolyzer in the circulation flow path; and
a second tank provided downstream of the second chamber and upstream of the alkaline water electrolyzer in the circulation flow path,
wherein a salt concentration of the alkaline aqueous solution in the first tank is higher than that of the alkaline aqueous solution in the second tank.
Bouwman is silent on this.
However, Choi teaches:
a first tank provided upstream of the second chamber and downstream of [other processes] in the circulation flow path (induction liquid supply tank 300 upstream of forward osmosis membrane/unit 400; Choi [0034], fig. 1); and
a second tank provided downstream of the second chamber and upstream of [other processes] in the circulation flow path (diluted seawater storage tank 900 downstream of forward osmosis membrane/unit 400; id.),
wherein a salt concentration of the alkaline aqueous solution in the first tank is higher than that of the alkaline aqueous solution in the second tank (concentration of salts lowered through forward osmosis membrane 400 and then stored in seawater storage tank 900; Bouwman [0056], fig. 1).
Choi also teaches that induction liquid supply tank 300 stores seawater. Choi claim 1, fig. 1. A person having ordinary skill in the art would have also recognized that these tanks would also serve to smooth out any surges to continuously feed downstream processes.
Therefore, it would have been obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior art’s system with Choi’s tanks upstream and downstream of the osmosis device(s) in order to store fluid and/or smooth out any surges.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Bouwman as applied to claim 1 previously, and further in view of Peschel et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2023/0332302 A1 [hereinafter Peschel].
7. The hydrogen production system according to claim 1, further comprising: a heat exchanger that exchanges heat of the alkaline aqueous solution to be supplied to the alkaline water electrolyzer with heat of the alkaline aqueous solution discharged from the alkaline water electrolyzer. Bouwman is silent on this.
However, Peschel teaches a heat exchanger W that exchanges the heat of feed stream 2 supplied to the electrolysis unit E with the heat of extraction stream 3 discharged from electrolysis unit E. Peschel [0040]-[0041], fig. 2. Peschel teaches that this not only applies to extraction stream 3 which comprises oxygen but also to extraction stream 4 which comprises hydrogen. Peschel [0034]-[0035], [0040]-[0041], fig. 2. Peschel teaches that this recovers waste heat from the extraction stream 3 and helps to have less water in the separator S1 transition to the gas phase leading to a low-moisture product stream 7. Id.
Therefore, it would have been obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior art’s system with Peschel’s heat exchanger(s) to recover waste heat from the extraction stream 3 and/or help to have less water in the separator(s) transition to the gas phase leading to (a) low-moisture product stream(s).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Bouwman as applied to claim 1 previously, and further in view of Wang et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2022/0339584 A1 [hereinafter Wang].
8. The following references teach the claim.
I. Bouwman
The hydrogen production system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first osmosis device includes a plurality of first osmosis devices, the hydrogen production system further includes a treated water flow path through which the water to be treated flows, the treated water flow path includes a plurality of first parallel flow paths that are each connected to first chambers of the plurality of first osmosis devices and are arranged in parallel, the circulation flow path includes a plurality of second parallel flow paths that are each connected to second chambers of the plurality of first osmosis devices and are arranged in parallel (two osmosis units and all of their associated loops/piping are arranged in parallel; Bouwman [0054]-[0055], fig. 2)
… .
II. Stops - Wang
A first stop portion is provided upstream of each of the first chambers in each of the plurality of first parallel flow paths, the first stop portion stopping supply of the water to be treated to the first chamber, and a second stop portion is provided upstream of each of the second chambers in each of the plurality of second parallel flow paths, the second stop portion stopping supply of the alkaline aqueous solution to the second chamber. Bouwman is silent on this.
However, Wang teaches an apparatus comprising three-way valves 32, 32’, 33, and 33’ surrounding the nanofiltration membrane assembly 2. Wang [0030], [0034]-[0035], fig. 1. Wang teaches that closing and opening these valves allow cleaning of the pipes and/or membrane in clean and/or flush modes. Id.
Therefore, it would have been obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior art’s system with Wang’s apparatus comprising valves around the alkaline water electrolyzer to allow for the cleaning of the pipes and/or membrane.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hosung Chung whose telephone number is (571) 270-7578. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Wednesday, 9 AM - 6 PM CT.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Lin can be reached on (571) 272-8902. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/HOSUNG CHUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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