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 .
The preliminary amendment filed January 15, 2024 has been entered and fully considered.
Claims 1-12 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 4 is 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 4 recites the limitation "the first or downstream ….compressor stage" in claim 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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, 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a1/a2) as being anticipated by LANGFORD III, US 5,106,035.
LANGFORD III teaches an aircraft propulsion system which includes a propeller, an electric motor for driving the propeller and an electromechanical fuel cell for receiving an oxidizer and providing propulsion power to the electric motor (abstract). As can be seen in Figure 2 of LANGFORD III and as described at low altitudes, air is passed through inlet 206 and passed through a heat exchanger condenser 207 where liquid nitrogen from cryogenic liquid fuel tank 205 is used to condense the oxygen in the ambient air. Pump 208 then compresses the condensed product and provides liquid air to separator 209 which separates out oxygen and nitrogen wherein nitrogen is used to cool the fuel cell (column 4, lines 28-45).
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The control processor is referenced as 219 and described in column 4, line 57 - column 5, line 3. This arrangement meets the present limitations for the same. It is noted the second embodiment depicted in Figure 5 and described in column 6, lines 34-53 also meet the limitations for the same.
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Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a2) as being clearly anticipated by LIPPOLD et al., US 2022/0333497 A1.
LIPPOLD et al. teaches a system configured to compress air that is to be used by a power generation system (for an aircraft [0014]) including a first compressor stage 210 (with compressor 216) that is configured to be driven by exhaust air from the power generation system 180 and a second compressor stage 220 (with compressor 226) configured to be driven by the electrical power generated by the power generation system (abstract). Heat exchanger 230 and controllers 224 and 260 are depicted in Figure 2 ([0016], [0023]-[0024]).
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Air discharged from compressor 226 can travel to heat exchanger 230 which may be configured to cool the air which many include cooling subsystems. ([0020]). The dual compressors meet the current limitations for the compressor arrangement having at least two stages. The humidifier 230 is supplied with the air exiting the heat exchanger. Heat sink 284 is also envisioned ([0021]-[0025]). Water separation is depicted downstream from at least one fuel cell when water from it can be routed back to the humidifier.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
In US 2026/0015095, STONHAM et al. teaches an aircraft propulsion system comprising a fuel cell arrangement with multiple embodiments comprising multiple compressors.
In US 8,623,566, WESTENBERGER et al. teaches an aircraft fuel cell system comprising an oxidant inlet wherein the supply line thereof has first and second ends with specific arrangement (abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BARBARA GILLIAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1330. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM & 2nd Friday 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Srilakshmi Kumar can be reached at 571-272-7769. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BARBARA L GILLIAM
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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