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 .
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“a thermal energy storage system” in claim 1 is understood to be the thermal energy storage system 21, that is, any art-recognized thermal store into which thermal energy rejected by the liquefaction facility is collected at a temperature higher than the rejection temperature (see ¶ 0045; figs. 1–4);
“a carbon dioxide capture facility” in claim 1, and “the carbon dioxide capturing facility” in claim 8, are understood to be the carbon dioxide capture facility 41, that is, any suitable post-combustion carbon dioxide capturing system or equivalent system aimed at separating and concentrating carbon dioxide generated by hydrocarbon combustion (see ¶ 0081–0082; fig. 4);
“a processing facility” in claim 3 is understood to be a gas pre-treatment facility that includes any one of a sweetening system, a gas dehydration system, a heavy-hydrocarbons (HHC) removal system, a natural gas liquids (NGL) removal system, or combinations thereof (see claim 4; see also ¶ 0038);
“a gas pre-treatment facility” in claim 4 is understood to be any one of a sweetening system, a gas dehydration system, a heavy-hydrocarbons (HHC) removal system, a natural gas liquids (NGL) removal system, or combinations thereof (see ¶ 0038);
“a thermal energy conversion system” in claim 5 is understood to be the thermodynamic system 35, that is, an internal combustion engine, in particular a gas turbine engine, and/or a closed thermodynamic cycle such as a Rankine cycle (see ¶ 0020, 0057–0058);
“an energy storage facility” in claim 13 is understood to be the energy storage facility 81, that is, any art-recognized energy storage (see ¶ 0073);
“a renewable energy collector” in claim 14 is understood to be the concentrated solar power plant 71, the photovoltaic panels 77, and/or the wind turbines 83 (see ¶ 0072–0074);
“renewable energy source” in claim 14 is understood to be solar energy and/or wind energy (see ¶ 0072, 0074);
“offloading facility” in claim 16 is understood to be the liquefied natural gas storage and offloading facility 19, including the LNG storage tank 22 and the cryogenic pump 20 (see ¶ 0044).
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites “a first heat exchanger coupled to the thermal energy storage system” in line 15 and “wherein a heat transfer fluid circulates between the thermal energy storage system and the first heat exchanger and the carbon dioxide capture facility” in line 20-21 introduces a new mater. The specification supports a heat transfer fluid circuit 43 that circulates a heat transfer fluid to transfer heat from the thermal energy storage system 21 to the carbon dioxide capturing facility 41 (¶ 0082; fig. 4). It does not, however, support a first heat exchanger coupled to the thermal energy storage system, nor a single heat transfer fluid that circulates between the thermal energy storage system and both that first heat exchanger and the carbon dioxide capture facility. The specification instead discloses a set of separate, dedicated heat transfer circuits, each serving one user: circuit 23B between the hot side of the heat pump 23 and the thermal energy storage system 21 (¶ 0046; fig. 1); circuit 27 between the thermal energy storage system 21 and the gas pre-treatment facility 5 (¶ 0051, 0066; figs. 1, 3); circuit 37 between the thermodynamic system 35 and the thermal energy storage system 21 (¶ 0059; fig. 2); circuit 55 between the thermal energy storage system 21 and the boiler and evaporator 53 (¶ 0068; fig. 3); circuit 107 between the auxiliary waste heat recovery heat exchanger 103 and the thermal energy storage system 21 (¶ 0079; fig. 4); and circuit 43 between the thermal energy storage system 21 and the carbon dioxide capturing facility 41 (¶ 0082; fig. 4). No element of the disclosure is identified as a “first heat exchanger,” and no disclosed circuit places a heat exchanger and the carbon dioxide capture facility on a common heat transfer fluid path with the thermal energy storage system. The written description therefore does not reasonably convey possession of a first heat exchanger coupled to the thermal energy storage system with a heat transfer fluid circulating between the thermal energy storage system, that first heat exchanger, and the carbon dioxide capture facility. See MPEP § 2163.02. Applicant is requested to identify the passage or passages relied upon as support, without the introduction of new matter.
Claim 7 recites “a second heat exchanger coupled to the first heat exchanger, wherein the second heat exchanger is adapted to recover waste heat from the internal combustion engine and transfer waste heat to the thermal energy storage system” introduces a new matter. The specification discloses a waste heat recovery heat exchanger 101 and an auxiliary waste heat recovery heat exchanger 103 arranged along the flue gas path of the gas turbine engine 91, the waste heat recovered in the auxiliary heat exchanger 103 being delivered through the heat transfer circuit 107 to the thermal energy storage system 21 (¶ 0078–0080; fig. 4). Neither of those heat exchangers is described as being coupled to any other heat exchanger of the system, and the specification does not otherwise disclose a coupling between the waste-heat-recovering heat exchanger and a heat exchanger coupled to the thermal energy storage system. The written description therefore does not reasonably convey possession of the recited coupling.
Claims 2-6 and 8-16 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) for being dependent upon a rejected claim.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “a heat exchanger adapted to receive a flow of natural gas from the natural gas feed and remove heat therefrom through heat exchange against the refrigerant fluid” in line 8-9 and later recites “a first heat exchanger coupled to the thermal energy storage system” line 15, renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “first heat exchanger” is the previously recited “heat exchanger” or an additional and distinct heat exchanger. The ambiguity is compounded by claim 7, which recites “a second heat exchanger,” thereby implying an ordinal series in which the heat exchanger first recited in claim 1 is neither the first nor the second member. Claim 1 recites this language directly; claims 2–16 recite it by dependency. For purposes of examination, the “first heat exchanger” is read as a heat exchanger distinct from the natural gas heat exchanger recited earlier in claim 1.
Claim 1 recites “wherein the heat pump transfers the low-temperature thermal energy rejected from the refrigerant to the thermal energy storage system” in line 17-18 renders the claim indefinite because the limitation “the refrigerant” lacks proper antecedent basis; claim 1 earlier recites “a refrigerant fluid.” It is unclear whether “the refrigerant” and “the refrigerant fluid” denote the same fluid, particularly because the same wherein clause goes on to refer separately to “the low-temperature thermal energy [that] has been rejected from the refrigerant fluid.” The limitation should read --the refrigerant fluid--.
Claim 1 recites “wherein a heat transfer fluid circulates between the thermal energy storage system and the first heat exchanger and the carbon dioxide capture facility” line 21-22 renders the claim indefinite because it cannot be determined from the claim whether a single heat transfer fluid is required to circulate on a common path serving both the first heat exchanger and the carbon dioxide capture facility, or whether the limitation is satisfied by two separate circuits carrying the same kind of heat transfer fluid, one to the first heat exchanger and one to the carbon dioxide capture facility. The two readings differ in scope, and the specification does not resolve which is intended. See the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) above.
Claim 7 recites that the second heat exchanger is “adapted to recover waste heat from the internal combustion engine and transfer waste heat to the thermal energy storage system.” The second recitation of “waste heat” is not definite as to whether it refers to the waste heat recovered from the internal combustion engine or to waste heat from some other source. The limitation should read ––transfer the waste heat––.
Claim 8 recites “wherein the carbon dioxide capturing facility is adapted to receive flue gas from the internal combustion engine and remove carbon dioxide therefrom.” The limitation “the carbon dioxide capturing facility” lacks proper antecedent basis; claim 1 recites “a carbon dioxide capture facility.” It is unclear whether claim 8 further limits the carbon dioxide capture facility of claim 1 or introduces a second, distinct facility. For purposes of examination, the limitation is read as ––the carbon dioxide capture facility––.
Claims 2-6 and 9-16 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for being dependent upon a rejected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huntington et al. (US 2014/0250911 A1) in view of Laughlin et al. (US 2019/0195571 A1) and further in view of Mokheimer et al. (US 2017/0314466 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Huntington teaches a natural gas liquefaction system (system 400 for integrating low emissions power generation with LNG production) comprising:
a natural gas feed (the supply of the natural gas stream 370 delivered at about 6895 kPa and about 49 °C) (¶ 0083, 0096; figs. 4, 5); and
a refrigeration circuit, comprising:
a refrigeration compressor (420) adapted to compress a refrigerant fluid (warm nitrogen refrigerant stream 418) (¶ 0080, 0094; figs. 4, 5);
a refrigerant cooler (second heat exchanger 408) adapted to remove low-temperature thermal energy from the refrigerant fluid (recirculated high pressure nitrogen refrigerant stream 410 leaving at about 10170 kPa and about –51 °C) (¶ 0078–0079, 0093; figs. 4, 5);
a driver (shaft 422 driven by the first expander 406 and the second expander 412, together with the additional drivers, e.g., motors, steam turbines and expander turbines, disclosed for the same purpose) adapted to drive the refrigeration compressor (420) (¶ 0081; figs. 4, 5); and
a heat exchanger (cold box 416) adapted to receive a flow of natural gas from the natural gas feed (370) and remove heat therefrom through heat exchange against the refrigerant fluid (low pressure cryogenic nitrogen refrigerant stream 414), producing the liquefied natural gas (372) (¶ 0079, 0083; figs. 4, 5).
Huntington further teaches a carbon dioxide capture facility (CO2 separation system 350, operating by an amine separation process, a potassium carbonate separation process, or any other suitable separation process) that receives the gas mixture (346) extracted from the expander turbine (322) after combustion and cooled in the purge cooler (348), and that separates a low pressure CO2 stream (352) therefrom (¶ 0065–0067, 0077; figs. 4, 5).
Huntington does not explicitly teach a heat pump adapted to recover low-temperature thermal energy rejected from the refrigerant fluid, a thermal energy storage system coupled to the heat pump, or the heat pump transferring the rejected low-temperature thermal energy to the thermal energy storage system at a temperature higher than the temperature at which the low-temperature thermal energy has been rejected from the refrigerant fluid.
However, Laughlin teaches a pumped thermal system which, in its charge mode, is a heat pump (compressor 1, hot side counter-flow heat exchanger 2, turbine 3, cold side counter-flow heat exchanger 4 and motor/generator 11 on common shaft 10) adapted to recover low-temperature thermal energy (heat Q2 taken from the cold side thermal storage medium 22 at the low temperatures T0 and T1) and to transfer that thermal energy (heat Q1) to a thermal energy storage system (first and second hot side thermal storage tanks 6, 7 holding the hot side thermal storage medium 21) at a temperature (T1+) higher than the temperature at which the thermal energy was rejected, a network input W1 – W2 being consumed to move the heat from the cold body to the hot body (¶ 0007, 0068, 0100–0103, 0110; figs. 2A, 3A, 4A, 4B). Laughlin further teaches that the hot side thermal storage medium (21) is a heat transfer fluid — a molten salt or other low viscosity liquid of high heat capacity — that circulates between the hot side thermal storage tanks (6, 7) and the hot side heat exchanger (2) by way of the pipes at positions 32 and 33 under the control of the valve (13) (¶ 0007, 0074, 0076, 0110, 0112; figs. 4A, 4B). Laughlin also teaches that the pumped thermal system may make use of waste heat sources and waste cold sources from other facilities, such as through co-location with a liquefied natural gas import or export terminal, and that heat rejected within the system may be provided to an external process requiring low grade heat (¶ 0006, 0117, 0196).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the natural gas liquefaction system of Huntington to include a heat pump that recovers the low-temperature thermal energy rejected from the nitrogen refrigerant fluid and transfers it to a thermal energy storage system at a temperature higher than the rejection temperature as taught by Laughlin, in order to accept a waste heat stream that would otherwise be discarded and to raise it to a grade at which it can be delivered to an external process requiring heat. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification because Huntington rejects a substantial low-temperature heat duty from the nitrogen refrigerant in the second heat exchanger (408) and vents the spent nitrogen stream (362) to atmosphere at about 103 kPa and 35 °C with no disclosed further use for the rejected energy (Huntington ¶ 0078–0079). See MPEP § 2143(I)(x).
Huntington in view of Laughlin does not explicitly teach a first heat exchanger coupled to the thermal energy storage system, a carbon dioxide capture facility coupled to the thermal energy storage system, or a heat transfer fluid that circulates between the thermal energy storage system and the first heat exchanger and the carbon dioxide capture facility.
However, Mokheimer teaches a thermal energy storage system (720), a first heat exchanger (712) coupled to the thermal energy storage system (720), and a carbon dioxide capture facility (carbon capture system 700 comprising the absorber 702, the heat exchanger 704, the stripper 706 and the reboiler 708) coupled to the thermal energy storage system (720), the energy stored in the thermal energy storage system (720) being added to the first heat exchanger (712) and to the reboiler (708) at a later time (¶ 0041, 0044; fig. 7A). Mokheimer further teaches that a heat transfer fluid circulates between the thermal energy storage system (720) and the first heat exchanger (712) and the carbon dioxide capture facility (700), the working fluid being routed from the thermal energy storage system (720) through the first heat exchanger (712) and pumped back into the thermal energy storage system (720) by the pump (714) so as to form a closed loop, and the condensate of the heat exchange circuit being routed by the pump (710) from the reboiler (708) to the first heat exchanger (712), converted into steam by heat transferred from the working fluid, routed through the reboiler (708) to heat the lean carbon dioxide solvent returning to the stripper (706), and returned as condensate to the first heat exchanger (712) by the pump (710) (¶ 0045–0046; fig. 7A). Mokheimer further teaches that the thermal energy storage system (720) extends the time over which the carbon capture system (700) can function by decoupling the time of collection of the energy from the time of its use (¶ 0044), and that the capture facility can be operated using only thermal energy stored in the thermal energy storage system (720) by closing the proportioning valves (728, 732a, 732b) and opening the proportioning valves (730, 732c) (¶ 0047–0048; fig. 7A).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have coupled a first heat exchanger and the carbon dioxide capture facility of Huntington to the thermal energy storage system of the modified Huntington and to have circulated a heat transfer fluid between them as taught by Mokheimer, in order to decouple the time at which the thermal energy is collected from the time at which it is consumed in regenerating the carbon dioxide solvent, so that the capture facility can continue to operate when the recovered energy is not then being produced.
In regard to claim 2, the modified Huntington in view of Laughlin teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the heat pump (Laughlin’s compressor 1, hot side counter-flow heat exchanger 2, turbine 3, cold side counter-flow heat exchanger 4 and motor/generator 11 operating in the charge mode) is adapted to recover low-temperature thermal energy rejected by the refrigerant cooler (Huntington’s second heat exchanger 408, at which thermal energy is removed from the recirculated high pressure nitrogen refrigerant stream 410 and carried away in the chilled nitrogen stream 407 vented as the nitrogen vent stream 362) (Huntington ¶ 0078–0079, 0093; figs. 4, 5; Laughlin ¶ 0100–0103; figs. 2A, 3A).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have taken the low-temperature heat recovered by the heat pump from the refrigerant cooler (408) of Huntington as taught by Laughlin, in order to accept as the cold side duty of the pumped thermal system a waste heat stream that would otherwise be discarded.
In regard to claim 5, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 1, wherein Huntington teaches the driver comprises an electric motor (the motors disclosed as additional drivers for the compressor 420, with generators used to electrically couple the machinery and simplify the balance of power among the individual machines), and an electric generator (326) configured to generate electric energy (electricity 328) to power the electric motor, and a thermal energy conversion system (gas turbine engine 302, comprising the combustor 310 and the expander turbine 322) adapted to convert thermal energy (hot exhaust gas 314) into mechanical energy (rotation of the shaft 324) and to drive the electric generator (326) therewith (see Huntington ¶ 0056, 0060, 0081; figs. 3–5).
In regard to claim 6, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 5, wherein Huntington teaches the thermal energy conversion system comprises an internal combustion engine (gas turbine engine 302) fueled with natural gas (fuel gas 308) directly or indirectly delivered by the natural gas feed, the gas flashed off the liquefied natural gas (372) produced from the natural gas stream (370) being recompressed and used as the fuel gas (308) for the expander turbine (322) (see Huntington ¶ 0057, 0072, 0083, 0096; figs. 3–5).
In regard to claim 8, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 6, wherein Huntington teaches the carbon dioxide capture facility (CO2 separation system 350) is adapted to receive flue gas (gas mixture 346, extracted from the expander turbine 322 after the fuel gas 308 has been burned in the combustor 310 and cooled in the purge cooler 348) from the internal combustion engine (302) and remove carbon dioxide (low pressure CO2 stream 352) therefrom (see Huntington ¶ 0065–0067, 0077; figs. 4, 5).
In regard to claim 9, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 5, wherein Huntington teaches the thermal energy conversion system comprises a thermodynamic circuit (the Rankine cycle circuit of the combined cycle power plant, comprising the HRSG 304, the water stream 330 and the steam 332) (see Huntington ¶ 0056, 0060–0061; figs. 3–5). The modified Huntington does not explicitly teach that the thermodynamic circuit is adapted to receive thermal energy from the thermal energy storage system.
However, Mokheimer teaches a thermodynamic circuit (the waste heat recovery boiler system 300, comprising the steam boilers 308, 316, the economizer 318, the evaporator 320 and the super heater 322, and supplying steam to the high pressure turbine 402, the intermediate pressure turbine 404 and the low pressure turbine 406 of the combined heat and power generation system 400, which drive the electric generator 408) (¶ 0025–0028; figs. 3, 4), and further teaches that a thermal energy storage system (720) is connected so as to allow storage of thermal energy for later use by that circuit, thermal energy being stored for later use by at least one of the subsystems, such as the gas turbine system (200), the waste heat recovery boiler system (300) and the combined heat and power generation system (400) (¶ 0058). Mokheimer further teaches that heat energy is stored in the thermal energy storage system for supplemental use in the waste heat recovery boiler system and the combined heat and power generation system, and that solar power and stored thermal energy are redirected among those subsystems (¶ 0022, 0083; claims 12, 14).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have adapted the thermodynamic circuit of Huntington to receive thermal energy from the thermal energy storage system of the modified Huntington as taught by Mokheimer, in order to make the stored thermal energy available to the steam cycle at times when the energy that charged the store is not then being collected (Mokheimer ¶ 0058, 0083). One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification because the HRSG (304) of Huntington boils the water stream (330) to raise the steam (332) that drives the steam turbine, and any preheating of that circuit from stored heat directly reduces the exhaust duty the circuit must otherwise draw (Huntington ¶ 0061).
In regard to claim 10, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 9, wherein Huntington teaches the thermodynamic circuit comprises a steam or vapor turbine drivingly coupled to the electric generator, the steam (332) generated in the HRSG (304) being used to drive the steam turbine, which spins a shaft that provides mechanical energy to an electric generator to generate additional electricity, the expander turbine and the steam turbine being couplable, directly or indirectly, to one common electric generator (See Huntington ¶ 0051, 0061; figs. 2–5).
In regard to claim 11, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 6, wherein Huntington teaches the thermal energy conversion system further comprises a low-temperature thermodynamic circuit (the Rankine cycle of the combined cycle power plant, comprising the HRSG 304, the water stream 330 and the steam 332) configured to receive waste heat (hot exhaust gas 314 flowed from the expander turbine 322 to the HRSG 304) from the internal combustion engine (302), and wherein the low-temperature thermodynamic circuit comprises a steam or vapor turbine drivingly coupled to the electric generator (326) (See Huntington ¶ 0051, 0060–0061; figs. 3–5).
In regard to claim 12, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 5, wherein Huntington teaches the electric generator (326) is driven by the shaft (324) of the expander turbine (322) and generates electricity (328) (See Huntington ¶ 0060; figs. 3–5), but Huntington does not explicitly teach that the electric generator is electrically connected to the heat pump.
However, Laughlin teaches that the mechanical work input to the heat pump is converted from electrical work by a motor/generator (11) carried on the common shaft (10) with the compressor (1) and the turbine (3), and that electric power received from an external power source is used to operate the pumped thermal system in the heat pump mode, the turbomachinery and motor/generator being matched to the frequency of the network with which the system exchanges power (¶ 0007, 0083–0084, 0110; figs. 4A, 4B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have electrically connected the electric generator of Huntington to the heat pump of the modified Huntington as taught by Laughlin, in order to supply the electrical work that the heat pump consumes in transferring heat from the cold side to the hot side. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification because Huntington already generates electricity (328) on site with the electric generator (326) and expressly contemplates using generators to electrically couple the machinery of the plant and to simplify the balance of power among the individual machines (Huntington ¶ 0060, 0081).
Claim(s) 3, 4 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huntington, Laughlin and Mokheimer as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Van der Walt et al. (US 2022/0065161 A1).
In regard to claim 3, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 1, including the thermal energy storage system, the first heat exchanger and the circulating heat transfer fluid, as set out above, but does not explicitly teach a processing facility powered by thermal energy from the thermal energy storage system.
However, Van der Walt teaches a liquefied natural gas production facility (100) comprising a processing facility (acid gas removal unit 104 having an amine absorber and a liquid amine absorbent, dehydration unit 106 having a three-bed molecular sieve solid adsorbent, and heavies removal unit 108) powered by thermal energy carried in a heat medium of hot oil or steam heated in a waste heat recovery unit (124), the waste heat recovery unit (124) communicating with the acid gas removal unit (104), the dehydration unit (106) and the heavies removal unit (108) to provide the heat those components require, the dehydration regeneration gas being heated with hot oil that is itself heated from the waste heat recovery units (¶ 0082–0083, 0096–0097; fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have powered a processing facility of Huntington with thermal energy from the thermal energy storage system of the modified Huntington as taught by Van der Walt, in order to supply the amine regeneration and adsorbent regeneration duties of the gas treating units from heat recovered within the plant rather than from a separately fired source.
In regard to claim 4, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 3 as set out above, but does not explicitly teach that the processing facility comprises a gas pre-treatment facility adapted to receive raw natural gas and pretreat the raw natural gas prior to delivery of the natural gas to the natural gas liquefaction system.
However, Van der Walt teaches a gas pre-treatment facility (acid gas removal unit 104, dehydration unit 106 and heavies removal unit 108) adapted to receive raw natural gas (raw feed gas from the pipeline 102) and pretreat the raw natural gas prior to delivery of the natural gas to the natural gas liquefaction system, the acid gas removal unit (104) accepting the natural gas from the pipeline (102) and generating an acid gas stream, a flash gas stream and a purified natural gas stream, the purified natural gas stream passing to the dehydration unit (106), which reduces the water content to less than 0.5 ppmv to prevent water freeze-out in the downstream cryogenic processing and provides a dry purified natural gas stream to the heavies removal unit (108), whose vapor product is then sent to the liquefaction unit (110) that condenses it into LNG (¶ 0078–0086; fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the processing facility of the modified Huntington as a gas pre-treatment facility receiving and pretreating raw natural gas upstream of liquefaction as taught by Van der Walt, in order to remove the acid gas, water and heavy components that would otherwise freeze out in the cryogenic section.
In regard to claim 16, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the liquefied natural gas (372) exiting the cold box (416) is flashed to near ambient pressure prior to storage in tankage (¶ 0072; figs. 3–5), but Huntington does not explicitly teach an offloading facility powered by electric energy generated by an electric generator.
However, Van der Walt teaches an offloading facility (LNG loading infrastructure 114, by which the LNG is pumped out of the LNG storage tanks 112 and loaded into the LNG vessels 116 by way of loading arms, cranes, forklifts and other transportation means) and one or more electric generators coupled to the gas turbine (122), the facility (100) thereby further serving as a natural gas power generation facility, and the electricity so generated being used in other parts of the facility (100) (¶ 0086, 0088, 0094, 0097; fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have powered an offloading facility of the modified Huntington with electric energy generated by the electric generator as taught by Van der Walt, in order to serve the loading equipment from electricity that the plant itself produces rather than importing it.
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huntington, Laughlin and Mokheimer as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Pang et al. (US 2014/0165572 A1).
In regard to claim 7, Huntington in view of Laughlin and Mokheimer teaches the system of claim 6, including the internal combustion engine (Huntington’s gas turbine engine 302), the thermal energy storage system and the first heat exchanger, as set out above. The modified Huntington does not explicitly teach a second heat exchanger coupled to the first heat exchanger, wherein the second heat exchanger is adapted to recover waste heat from the internal combustion engine and transfer waste heat to the thermal energy storage system.
However, Pang teaches a second heat exchanger (energy storage charge heat exchanger 160, located within the heat recovery steam generator 116) adapted to recover waste heat from an internal combustion engine (gas turbine engine 108, the exhaust energy of which the HRSG 116 recovers by way of the exhaust conduit 154) and to transfer that waste heat to a thermal energy storage system (thermal storage unit 110, having a cold tank 156 containing the thermal storage working medium in a cold state and an insulated hot tank 158 containing it in a heated state), the energy storage charge heat exchanger (160) facilitating the transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid generated in the HRSG (116) and the thermal storage working medium in the cold tank (156) and discharging that medium in a heated state into the hot tank (158) (¶ 0010, 0017, 0026–0028, 0032; figs. 1, 2). Pang further teaches that this second heat exchanger (160) is coupled to a further heat exchanger (cold-start fuel gas heater 114) through the circuit of the thermal storage working medium, the medium being drawn from the hot tank (158) to the cold-start fuel gas heater (114), where it gives up its heat, and thereafter distributed to the cold tank (156), which supplies it in the cold state back to the energy storage charge heat exchanger (160) for recharging (¶ 0030, 0032, 0035; figs. 1, 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the modified Huntington with a second heat exchanger, coupled to the first heat exchanger through the heat transfer fluid circuit, that recovers waste heat from the internal combustion engine and transfers it to the thermal energy storage system as taught by Pang, in order to store the exhaust energy of the engine instead of releasing it and thereby to raise the total efficiency of the plant (Pang ¶ 0012, 0028).
Claim(s) 13, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huntington, Laughlin and Mokheimer as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Domnick et al. (AU 2010/246499 A1).
In regard to claim 13, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 5, wherein Huntington teaches the electric generator (326) generates electricity (328) from the mechanical energy of the shaft (324) (see Huntington ¶ 0060; figs. 3–5), but does not explicitly teach that the electric generator is functionally coupled to an energy storage facility adapted to store surplus energy generated by the electric generator.
However, Domnick teaches, in a system for cooling and liquefying a gaseous hydrocarbon stream (10) to a liquefied hydrocarbon stream (20), an electric generator (27) driven by the expansion turbine (35) through the generator drive shaft (25) to deliver electric power (13) (p. 12, l. 28 – p. 13, l. 5; fig. 3), the electric power (13) being supplied to the electromotor (21) that drives the chilling cycle compressor (32) of the cold generator (14) (p. 12, ll. 15–23; fig. 2), and an energy storage facility (chilled coolant storage tank 311) functionally coupled thereto and adapted to store the surplus so generated, chilled coolant fluid (320) being passed directly from the cold generator (14) to the heat exchanger (4) at times that cold generation capacity is available, any excess cold generation compared to the demand of chilling duty by the heat exchanger (4) being used to produce excess chilled coolant fluid that is passed to the chilled coolant storage tank (311), and chilled coolant fluid being supplemented from that tank at times when cold generation is insufficient to satisfy the demand, a warm coolant storage tank likewise being provided to hold the warm return stream (p. 17, ll. 9–20; p. 18, ll. 4–19; fig. 6). Domnick further teaches an energy storage facility in the form of a heat storage unit in which the thermal energy of the heated expansion stream (37) or the heated heat transfer fluid stream (87) is stored, the heat being passed to a cold salt stream from a cold salt storage tank to generate a hot salt stream that is passed to a hot salt storage tank where it is stored until the thermal energy of the hot salt is required, a sixteen hour molten-salt storage system allowing the plant to be run on a twenty-four hour basis (p. 18, ll. 20–31).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have functionally coupled the electric generator of Huntington to an energy storage facility adapted to store surplus generated energy as taught by Domnick, in order to hold the output that exceeds the instantaneous demand of the plant and to draw upon it at the times when generation is insufficient to satisfy that demand (Domnick, p. 18, ll. 4–19).
In regard to claim 14, the modified Huntington teaches the system of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach a renewable energy collector adapted to collect energy from a renewable energy source.
However, Domnick teaches a renewable energy collector (solar power system 11, comprising a receiver 12 arranged to capture the solar power 17 emitted by the sun S, the receivers 12 being provided in the form of photovoltaic elements that directly produce electric power; and concentrated solar power unit 9, comprising one or more concentrators and one or more receivers in the form of parabolic trough concentrators with trough-shaped mirrors and receiver tubes, a linear Fresnel reflector array, a central receiver solar tower with a circular array of individually tracking heliostats, or parabolic dish concentrators) adapted to collect energy from a renewable energy source (solar power 17 emitted by the sun) (p. 7, ll. 18–27; p. 12, ll. 24–27; p. 19, l. 17 – p. 21, l. 20; figs. 1–5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the modified Huntington with a renewable energy collector as taught by Domnick, in order to meet part of the plant’s power demand from the sun so that the generated power is maintained, or the decline in it reduced, without integrating a further power source.
In regard to claim 15, the modified Huntington in view of Domnick teaches the system of claim 14, wherein Domnick further teaches the renewable energy collector (Domnick’s solar power system 11 with its receivers 12, and concentrated solar power unit 9) is adapted to convert energy from the renewable energy resource into a storageable energy comprising one of thermal energy and electric energy, the solar power system (11) containing the equipment that transforms the captured solar power into a transportable form of power such as electricity or a heated fluid stream, and the concentrated solar power unit (9) heating a heat transfer fluid (89) selected from water, liquid sodium, molten salt, natural oil, synthetic oil and air to provide the heated heat transfer fluid (87); and wherein the renewable energy collector is functionally coupled to at least one of the thermal energy storage system and an additional energy storage system, the thermal energy of the heated expansion stream (37) or of the heated heat transfer fluid stream (87) being stored in a heat storage unit by passing the heat to a cold salt stream from a cold salt storage tank to generate a hot salt stream that is held in a hot salt storage tank until required, and the excess output of the cold generator (14) being stored as excess chilled coolant fluid in the chilled coolant storage tank (311) (p. 7, ll. 22–27; p. 16, ll. 12–24; p. 18, ll. 4–31; figs. 5, 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have functionally coupled the renewable energy collector of the modified Huntington to the thermal energy storage system as taught by Domnick, in order to hold the collected energy until it is required and so allow the plant to be run on a twenty-four hour basis (Domnick, p. 18, ll. 26–31). One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification because the modified Huntington already maintains a thermal store charged by the heat pump, into which a second charging source can be admitted without alteration of the store itself (Huntington ¶ 0060; Laughlin ¶ 0081). See MPEP § 2143(I)(x).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the amended claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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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/W.M/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/FRANTZ F JULES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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