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
“Hot stream” and “cold stream” and “hot medium compartment” and “cold medium compartment”, respectively, are interpreted as relative to each other and not limited by any specific temperature ranges, i.e., the hot stream has a temperature higher than the cold stream and the hot medium compartment contains a medium at a temperature higher than the medium in the cold medium compartment.
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-6, 8-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alkhulaifi et al (US 2022/0135439) in view of Song et al (US 2021/0077952) and Lawal et al (US 2022/0144671).
Regarding claim 1, Alkhulaifi discloses a desalination and cooling system, comprising (see Abstract; Fig. 1A):
an ejector cooling cycle (ECC) system 170 comprising (see [0037]; [0039]):
a generator 171 configured to generate a primary flow of refrigerant (see [0039]);
an evaporator 173 configured to provide cooling and provide a secondary flow of the refrigerant (see [0039]);
an ejector 175 configured for the primary flow and the secondary flow to pass through to obtain a superheated stream of the refrigerant (see [0039]); and
a condenser 177 configured to cool the superheated stream of the refrigerant (see [0039]); and
a desalination system 160 configured to receive a feed stream 127 comprising water (see [0024]; [0039]),
wherein the ECC system and the desalination system are connected at the condenser so that the feed stream is heated by the superheated stream of the refrigerant at the condenser before entering the desalination system (see [0011]; [0024]; [0049]).
Alkhulaifi differs from the instant claimed invention in that the desalination system is a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) system rather than a permeate gap membrane distillation (PGMD) system.
Song, similar to Alkhulaifi, is directed to a desalination system integrated with a heat pump, where the desalination system and the heat pump system are connected at a condenser of the heat pump system to preheat a feed stream (see [0003]; [0017]; [0019]; [0059]). Song specifically discloses a membrane distillation system, including air gap membrane distillation, where the benefit of such is that it does not require heating water up to the boiling point, so a lower operating temperature contributes to energy cost savings (see [0005]; [0022]; [0072]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the instant claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Alkhulaifi to implement a membrane distillation system, as suggested by Song, integrated with the ECC system, in order to provide an energy efficient desalination system.
Song discloses membrane distillation, including air gap membrane distillation, as discussed above, but does not specifically disclose PGMD.
Lawal is directed to a PGMD system comprising (see Abstract; Fig. 1A):
a feed chamber (hot medium compartment 110) configured to receive a hot stream comprising water (see [0035]-[0036]);
a coolant chamber (cold medium compartment 150) configured to receive a cold stream comprising water (see [0041]);
a permeate gap chamber 130 disposed between the feed chamber and the coolant chamber (see [0038]); and
a membrane 120 disposed between the feed chamber and the permeate gap chamber, the membrane comprising a plurality of pores configured to allow water vapors originating from the hot stream to pass from the feed chamber through the membrane and to the permeate gap chamber (see [0037]).
Lawal discloses that PGMD provides advantages over air gap membrane distillation, including enhanced permeate flux (see [0033]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the instant claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Alkhulaifi in view of Song to specifically implement a PGMD system for desalination, as suggested by Lawal, in order to provide enhanced permeate flux as compared to air gap membrane distillation.
Regarding claim 2, Lawal discloses wherein the coolant chamber and the permeate gap chamber are configured to allow heat exchange so that the coolant chamber pre-heats the cold stream (see [0041]-[0042], describing the flow of the cold medium stream and heat transfer, as well as the thermally conductive plate 140).
Regarding claim 3, Song discloses wherein an outlet of the evaporator 250 of the heat pump system is fluidly connected to an inlet of the coolant chamber 123 of the MD system (via line 22, tank 130, line 13) so that the evaporator is configured to provide cooling for the cold stream before the cold stream enters the coolant chamber (see Fig. 2; [0057]; [0060]; [0073]).
Regarding claim 4, Alkhulaifi discloses wherein the ECC system further comprises a heater 161, 190 that is configured to provide heat for the generator to generate the primary flow of the refrigerant (see [0040]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 5, Alkhulaifi discloses wherein the heater is configured to further heat the feed stream after the condenser and before feeding to the desalination system (line 140 connecting condenser 177 to heater 161) (see [0040]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 6, Lawal discloses the PGMD system comprising a cold wall (thermally conductive plate 140) disposed between the coolant chamber and the permeate gap chamber (see Fig. 1A; [0035]).
Regarding claim 8, Lawal discloses wherein the PGMD system is a multi-effect distillation system (see Fig. 1B; [0047]).
Regarding claim 9, Lawal discloses an external chiller that is configured to cool the cold stream before the cold stream enters the coolant chamber (see [0041], “cooled for use as a coolant”).
Regarding claim 10, Alkhulaifi discloses wherein the ECC system further comprises a solar collector 190 that is configured to provide heat for the generator to generate the primary flow of refrigerant (see [0040]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 11, Alkhulaifi discloses a desalination and cooling system, comprising (see Abstract; Fig. 1A):
an ejector cooling cycle (ECC) system 170 comprising (see [0037]; [0039]):
a generator 171 configured to generate a primary flow of refrigerant (see [0039]);
an evaporator 173 configured to provide cooling and provide a secondary flow of the refrigerant (see [0039]);
an ejector 175 configured for the primary flow and the secondary flow to pass through to obtain a superheated stream of the refrigerant (see [0039]); and
a condenser 177 configured to cool the superheated stream of the refrigerant (see [0039]); and
a desalination system 160 configured to receive a feed stream 127 comprising water (see [0024]; [0039]),
wherein the ECC system and the desalination system are connected at the condenser so that the feed stream is heated by the superheated stream of the refrigerant at the condenser before entering the desalination system (see [0011]; [0024]; [0049]).
The condenser 177 in Alkhulaifi is a heat exchanger that provides indirect heat exchange between the superheated stream of refrigerant and the feed stream. A suitable heat exchanger is a plate-type heat exchanger (see [0049]-[0050]), i.e., considered to teach a condenser comprising a wall separating a hot medium compartment configured to receive the superheated stream of refrigerant and a cold medium compartment configured to receive a feed stream comprising water, as claimed.
Alkhulaifi differs from the instant claimed invention in that the desalination system is a humidification-dehumidification (HDH) system rather than a permeate gap membrane distillation (PGMD) system.
Song, similar to Alkhulaifi, is directed to a desalination system integrated with a heat pump, where the desalination system and the heat pump system are connected at a condenser of the heat pump system to preheat a feed stream (see [0003]; [0017]; [0019]; [0059]). Song specifically discloses a membrane distillation system, including air gap membrane distillation, where the benefit of such is that it does not require heating water up to the boiling point, so a lower operating temperature contributes to energy cost savings (see [0005]; [0022]; [0072]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the instant claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Alkhulaifi to implement a membrane distillation system, as suggested by Song, integrated with the ECC system, in order to provide an energy efficient desalination system.
Song discloses membrane distillation, including air gap membrane distillation, as discussed above, but does not specifically disclose PGMD.
Lawal is directed to a PGMD system comprising (see Abstract; Fig. 1A):
a feed chamber (hot medium compartment 110) configured to receive a hot stream comprising water (see [0035]-[0036]);
a coolant chamber (cold medium compartment 150) configured to receive a cold stream comprising water (see [0041]);
a permeate gap chamber 130 disposed between the feed chamber and the coolant chamber (see [0038]); and
a membrane 120 disposed between the feed chamber and the permeate gap chamber, the membrane comprising a plurality of pores configured to allow water vapors originating from the hot stream to pass from the feed chamber through the membrane and to the permeate gap chamber (see [0037]).
Lawal discloses that PGMD provides advantages over air gap membrane distillation, including enhanced permeate flux (see [0033]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the instant claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Alkhulaifi in view of Song to specifically implement a PGMD system for desalination, as suggested by Lawal, in order to provide enhanced permeate flux as compared to air gap membrane distillation.
Regarding claims 12 and 13, housing the hot medium compartment, cold medium compartment, and membrane distillation module (i.e., membrane, permeate gap chamber, and coolant chamber) in a common enclosure is considered to be an obvious engineering choice in light of the combination of references. Integrating the heat exchanger and DCMD module together amounts to use of one piece of construction instead of multiple and would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art and associated with a reasonable expectation of success. MPEP 2144.04 V B.
Regarding claim 14, Alkhulaifi discloses wherein the generator, the ejector, and the condenser are configured to define a power cycle of the ECC system, and the evaporator, the ejector, and the condenser are configured to define a refrigeration cycle of the ECC system (see [0016]).
Regarding claim 15, Lawal discloses wherein the coolant chamber and the permeate gap chamber are configured to allow heat exchange so that the coolant chamber pre-heats the feed stream (see [0041]-[0042], describing the flow of the cold medium stream and heat transfer, as well as the thermally conductive plate 140).
Regarding claim 16, Song discloses wherein an outlet of the evaporator 250 of the heat pump system is fluidly connected to an inlet of the coolant chamber 123 of the MD system (via line 22, tank 130, line 13) so that the evaporator is configured to provide cooling for the feed stream before the feed stream enters the coolant chamber (see Fig. 2; [0057]; [0060]; [0073]).
Regarding claim 17, Alkhulaifi discloses wherein the ECC system further comprises a heater 161, 190 that is configured to provide heat for the generator to generate the primary flow of the refrigerant (see [0040]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 18, Lawal discloses the PGMD system comprising a cold wall (thermally conductive plate 140) disposed between the coolant chamber and the permeate gap chamber (see Fig. 1A; [0035]).
Regarding claim 20, a person of ordinary skill in the art would determine, by routine experimentation, a suitable shape for the coolant chamber, the permeate gap chamber, the membrane, the cold medium compartment, and the hot medium compartment. The claimed cylindrical shape is not considered to provide a patentable distinction over the cited prior art. MPEP 2144.04 IV B.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the additional features of claims 7 and 19, including a heater that is configured to further heat the super-heated stream of the refrigerant before the super-heated stream of refrigerant enters the condenser, is considered to distinguish over the prior art.
Alkhulaifi does not disclose a heater intermediate the ejector and the condenser (the structural connections implied by the claim limitations).
Al-Sulaiman et al (US 2022/0135438) is directed to a cooling and desalination system and is also relevant to the claimed invention. Al-Sulaiman discloses an ECC system 370 comprising a generator 371, an evaporator 373, an ejector 375, and a condenser 377 (see Figs. 3A, 3B). In addition, Al-Sulaiman discloses a heater 361 which is intermediate the ejector and the condenser (via lines 303, 303c), through which a super-heated stream of refrigerant flows prior to entering the condenser. However, contrary to the claimed configuration, the heater in Al-Sulaiman is configured to cool the super-heated stream prior to entering the condenser, i.e., the super-heated stream provides heat to the heater to pre-heat saline water feed stream (see [0064]).
There does not appear to be any teachings and/or suggestions which would lead a person of ordinary skill in the art to configure the heater to operate in the manner claimed, entailing further heating the super-heated stream prior to entering the condenser instead of removing heat, which is opposite to that disclosed in the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RENEE ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-7371. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8:00a-5:00p and Friday 8:00a-2:00p.
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/Renee Robinson/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772