DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Application Status
This office action is in response to amendments/arguments filed on October 1, 2025. Applicant has amended Claims 1, 3 – 7, and 9 – 16. Claims 1 – 16 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered.
Previous Title objections stand. The title is too broad. A suggested title is shown below.
Previous drawing objections are withdrawn. Applicant’s arguments are persuasive and examiner agrees that Figure 4 depicts the features of Claims 4 and 13.
Previous claim objections are withdrawn due to applicant’s amendment.
Previous 112f interpretations are withdrawn due to applicant’s amendment.
Previous 112b rejections are withdrawn due to applicant’s amendment. New 112b rejections are shown below, necessitated by amendment.
Applicant amended Claim 1 by incorporating partial features of Claim 3, arguing that the Matsuno reference does not teach the steam injector heating and compressing any geothermal steam as claimed, but rather decompressing the steam. Examiner respectfully disagrees. Applicant is misunderstanding the reference. A steam injector (20) as shown in Matsuno operates by receiving the driving steam (27) and mixing it with the low pressure steam (28) to create an intermediate pressure and intermediate temperature steam (27a). By receiving a high pressure steam (28) in suction line (21), a vacuum is generated in line (23) and its associated circuit. In other words, the line (23) and its associated circuit (i.e. evaporator 36) is “decompressed” when the steam injector is operating. This decompression of the line (21) and evaporator (36) allows for water to boil at a lower temperature than atmospheric (see e.g. abstract: “the inner portion of the solar heat-collector (22) which is decompressed according to a decrease in pressure of the inlet port (20b), water with a temperature increased by irradiation of the sunlight (24) is boiled and evaporated at less than 100.degree. C., and low-pressure and low-temperature steam (28) is generated”). This may also be seen in the description of Figure 4 in Paragraph 100 – 105, wherein the temperature of the panel outlet is decreased after the steam injector starts working. That is to say, the low pressure steam (28) coming from the geothermal panel does not decrease in pressure and temperature at the jet compressor. Rather, that whole side of the circuit is decompressed to a lower value during operation in order to reduce the boiling point of water and aid in steam generation. Once the generated low pressure steam enters the jet compressor, it mixes with the high temperature steam to yield an intermediate pressure and intermediate temperature steam, i.e. it is simultaneously compressed and heated. Previous 102 rejections stand and the rejection below is modified to account for the amendments.
New grounds of rejection are also presented below, necessitated by amendment, to account for the other embodiment of Claim 3 using a turbo-compressor instead of a jet compressor.
Claims 4, 5, and 13 remain objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but otherwise allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Title
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. Examiner suggests amending the title to incorporate upgrading the steam by compression and heat.
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.
Claims 11 – 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 11 recites the compressor. Claim 1 recites a steam jet compressor in addition to a compressor. It is unclear which compressor is being referred to.
Claim 12 recites a compressor comprising a turbine driven by the upgrading steam. These components are already included in Claim 1, and it unclear whether their recitation require additional components. Examiner suggests amending to the compressor and the turbine.
Claims 13 – 16 are rejected by virtue of their dependence on Claim 11.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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, 2, 6 – 9, 11, 12, and 14 – 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsuno et al. (hereafter “Matsuno” – US 2012/0097151).
With regards to Claims 1 and 11:
Matsuno discloses a process engineering plant (Figure 3) and, in its natural use, a method (Figure 3) for providing process steam (process steam 27a) for a process (steam utilizing equipment 25) using geothermal heat (Paragraph 96) from a geothermal station (geothermal collector, Paragraph 96), in which the geothermal heat of a thermal fluid (heating medium 35, note Paragraph 96 describes replacing the solar heat collector 34 with a geothermal one, such that a heating medium would still be present) heated in an underground geothermal heat source is used to provide a geothermal steam (low temperature steam 28, see Paragraph 96: “water is boiled and evaporated even at normal temperatures in the inner portion of the geothermal heat-collector which is decompressed according to the pressure decrease of the inlet port 20b. Thereby, the steam generated by boiling and evaporation of water in the geothermal heat-collector”), in which an upgrading steam (high temperature steam 27) is used to upgrade the geothermal steam, and in which the geothermal steam is simultaneously compressed and heated in an upgrading device / compressor (steam injector 20) during the upgrading (Paragraph 96: “the steam generated by boiling and evaporation of water in the geothermal heat-collector is introduced to the steam injector 20 and mixed with the high-pressure and high-temperature steam 27 generated by the high-pressure steam-generating boiler 19, and therefore, intermediate pressure and intermediate temperature steam which is increased in amount can be generated”);
wherein the geothermal steam is heated and compressed by the upgrading steam in a steam jet compressor by means of direct heat exchange (steam injector 20, as shown in Figure 1 and described in Paragraph 96) and/or by means of a compressor comprising a turbine driven by the upgrading steam.
With regards to Claims 2 and 12:
Matsuno discloses the upgrading steam with a higher pressure and higher temperature than the pressure and temperature of the geothermal steam is used to upgrade the geothermal steam and/or wherein the upgrading steam and the geothermal steam are mixed during upgrading (see Figure 1, low temperature steam 28 and high temperature steam 27 are mixed in injector 20 to create intermediate temperature steam 27a, see Paragraph 96: “the steam generated by boiling and evaporation of water in the geothermal heat-collector is introduced to the steam injector 20 and mixed with the high-pressure and high-temperature steam 27 generated by the high-pressure steam-generating boiler 19, and therefore, intermediate pressure and intermediate temperature steam which is increased in amount can be generated”).
With regards to Claims 6 and 14:
Matsuno discloses the thermal fluid (heating medium 35) delivers geothermal heat to water via indirect heat exchange (via heat exchanger 38) and wherein, the water is at least partially evaporated by the indirect heat exchange with the thermal fluid to form geothermal steam (Paragraph 96: “water is boiled and evaporated even at normal temperatures in the inner portion of the geothermal heat-collector”).
With regards to Claims 7, 14, and 15:
Matsuno discloses the thermal fluid or the water is heated and/or partially evaporated by the geothermal heat is evaporated in an evaporator (heat exchanger 38 of evaporator 36) to form geothermal steam (Paragraph 96: “water is boiled and evaporated even at normal temperatures in the inner portion of the geothermal heat-collector”).
With regards to Claims 8 and 16:
Matsuno discloses the upgrading steam is generated by combustion of fossil fuels, biogas, biomass, and/or residual materials (Paragraph 100: “a boiler which burns fossil fuels and generates steam is used as the high-pressure steam-generating boiler 19”).
With regards to Claim 9:
Matsuno discloses the heated thermal fluid with a temperature of at least 60 °C, and/or of at most 220 °C, is used to provide a geothermal steam and/or in which the geothermal steam has a temperature of at least 60 °C, and/or of at most 220 °C, before upgrading (Paragraph 96: “water is boiled and evaporated even at normal temperatures in the inner portion of the geothermal heat-collector which is decompressed according to the pressure decrease of the inlet port 20b” – a reading of other Paragraphs, e.g. Paragraph 85, teach that the heat collector is “decompressed”, thereby allowing boiling of the water at less than 100 degrees C, i.e. when water what typically boil in atmospheric conditions, after which the water would boil at ~ 80 degrees C as disclosed in Paragraph 104, which meets claim requirements, see also panel temperature (outlet) in Figure 4).
Claims 1, 3, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bronicki et al. (hereafter “Bronicki” – US 2002/0178723).
With regards to Claims 1 and 11:
Bronicki discloses a process engineering plant (Figure 6) and, in its natural use, a method (Figure 6) for providing process steam (water vapor exiting vapor compressor 52E) for a process (heating evaporator 40E) using geothermal heat (from production well shown upstream of separator 13E) from a geothermal station (production well shown in Figure 6), in which the geothermal heat of a thermal fluid (geothermal liquid exiting condenser/evaporator 22E) heated in an underground geothermal heat source is used to provide a geothermal steam (in line supplying vapor compressor 52E), in which an upgrading steam (high temperature steam 14E directed to steam turbine 21E) is used to upgrade the geothermal steam (by driving the vapor compressor 52E mechanically via a shaft, see Paragraph 24 and Figure 6), and in which the geothermal steam is simultaneously compressed and heated in an upgrading device / compressor (vapor compressor 52E) during the upgrading (Figure 6, Paragraph 24);
wherein the geothermal steam is heated and compressed by the upgrading steam in a steam jet compressor by means of direct heat exchange and/or by means of a compressor (vapor compressor 52E) comprising a turbine (steam turbine 21E) driven by the upgrading steam (steam 14E).
With regards to Claim 3:
Bronicki discloses a turbo-compressor (vapor compressor 52E, Figure 6) of a turbocharger driven by the turbine is used as the compressor (vapor compressor 52E driven by steam turbine 21E, see Figure 6 and Paragraph 24).
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 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 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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuno et al. (hereafter “Matsuno” – US 2012/0097151).
With regards to Claim 10:
Matsuno does not explicitly disclose the geothermal steam is heated by at least 20 °C during the upgrading and/or in which the geothermal steam is compressed by at least 1 bar during the upgrading. However, as per MPEP 2144.05, in the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. Matsuno discloses that the steam leaving the geothermal collector is at “normal” temperatures, suggesting that these temperatures are at ~80 degrees C. Matsuno further teaches that the fossil fuel boiler (19) outputs steam at 180 degrees C and that less than 30% of the process steam is from the geothermal collector (Paragraph 109, Figure 5). Using Richmann’s Law and the highest geothermal share disclosed by Matsuno, a final temperature of the output steam would be T = ((30%)(80 deg C) + (70%)(180 deg C)) / (100%) = 150 deg C, meaning that the temperature of the geothermal steam would increase 70 deg C.
MPEP 2144.05 also teaches "where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." Applicant has shown no evidence of criticality of unexpected results in the values recited, and one of ordinary skill would seek to optimize the output process steam parameters based on desired parameters of the end user.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but otherwise allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAERT DOUNIS whose telephone number is (571)272-2146. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon. - Thurs: 10a - 4:30p.
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/Laert Dounis/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
Monday, October 13, 2025