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 medium compartment” and “cold medium compartment” are interpreted as relative to each other and not limited by any specific temperature ranges, i.e., 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, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10-16, 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), as evidenced by Lai et al (US 2016/0016118).
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 first 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 first 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 sweeping gas membrane distillation (SGMD) 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 SGMD system comprising (see Fig. 1; [0022]):
a feed chamber 122 configured to receive a feed stream comprising water (see [0073]);
a sweeping gas chamber 123 configured to allow a sweeping gas to pass through (inherent to the sweeping gas configuration – see Lai for evidence: Fig. 1D; [0004]) (see [0073]);
a membrane 121 disposed between the feed chamber and the sweeping gas chamber (see [0072]); and
a second condenser,
wherein the membrane comprises a plurality of pores configured to allow water vapors originating from the feed chamber through the membrane to the sweeping gas chamber so that the sweeping gas carries the water vapors to the second condenser to be condensed therein (see [0004]; [0073], evidenced by Lai – [0004], where SGMD arrangement has a separate condenser component where vapor carried by the carrier gas is condensed).
Song discloses that the benefit of MD 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]).
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 SGMD system, as suggested by Song, integrated with the ECC system, in order to provide a more energy efficient desalination system.
Regarding claim 3, Song discloses wherein the evaporator 250 of the heat pump system is configured to provide cooling to the water chamber (second condenser in SGMD configuration, as outlined above) to condense the water vapors therein (see [0057]; [0060]).
Regarding claim 4, Song discloses wherein the SGMD system comprises an external cooling source (evaporator 250) that is configured to provide cooling for the water chamber (second condenser in SGMD configuration) to condense the permeated water vapors therein (see [0057]; [0060]).
Regarding claim 6, 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 7, 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 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 first 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 SGMD 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 SGMD system comprising (see Fig. 1; [0022]):
a feed chamber 122 configured to receive the feed stream comprising water downstream from a cold medium compartment (raw water pipe 21) of the condenser 230 of the heat pump (see [0058]-[0059]; [0073]);
a sweeping gas chamber 123 configured to allow a sweeping gas to pass through (inherent to the sweeping gas configuration – see Lai: Fig. 1D; [0004]) (see [0073]);
a membrane 121 disposed between the cold medium compartment and the sweeping gas chamber (via the raw water tank and the feed chamber) (see [0059]; [0073]); and
a second condenser,
wherein the membrane comprises a plurality of pores configured to allow water vapors originating from the cold medium compartment through the membrane to the sweeping gas chamber so that the sweeping gas carries the water vapors to the second condenser to be condensed therein (see [0004]; [0043]-[0044]; [0073], evidenced by Lai – [0004], where SGMD arrangement has a separate condenser component where vapor carried by the carrier gas is condensed).
Song discloses that the benefit of MD 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]).
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 SGMD system, as suggested by Song, integrated with the ECC system, in order to provide a more energy efficient desalination system.
Regarding claims 12 and 13, housing the hot medium compartment, cold medium compartment, and membrane distillation module (i.e., membrane and sweeping gas 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 SGMD 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, Song discloses wherein the evaporator 250 of the heat pump system is configured to provide cooling to the water chamber (second condenser in SGMD configuration, as outlined above) to condense the water vapors therein (see [0057]; [0060]).
Regarding claim 16, Song discloses wherein the SGMD system comprises an external cooling source (evaporator 250) that is configured to provide cooling for the water chamber (second condenser in SGMD configuration) to condense the permeated water vapors therein (see [0057]; [0060]).
Regarding claim 18, Alkhulaifi discloses wherein the ECC system further comprises a heater 190 that is configured to provide heat for the generator to generate the primary flow of the refrigerant (see [0040]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 20, a person of ordinary skill in the art would determine, by routine experimentation, a suitable shape for the permeate 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.
Claims 5 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alkhulaifi in view of Song, as applied to the claims above, in further view of Hanemaaijer et al (US 2010/0072135).
Regarding claims 5 and 17, Alkhulaifi discloses preheating of the feed stream in the first condenser (see [0011]; [0024]; [0049]).
Alkhulaifi in view of Song does not disclose pre-heating the feed stream in the second condenser prior to the feed stream enters the first condenser.
In this regard, however, Hanemaaijer establishes that it is known in the art of membrane distillation to use the sensible heat of the distillate stream produced to pre-heat the feed stream and condense the vaporized retentate (see [0032]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use the feed stream as the cooling medium in the second condenser of Alkhulaifi in view of Song, which functions to condense the vaporized retentate obtained from membrane distillation, as suggested by Hanemaaijer, in order to provide a more energy efficient system by using readily available heat sources to pre-heat the feed stream. Selection of the order of flow of the feed stream between condensers for preheating thereof would have been an obvious design choice for a person of ordinary skill in the art and arrived at by nothing more than routine experimentation and associated with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alkhulaifi in view of Song, as applied to the claims above, in further view of Ghaffour et al (US 2021/0260532).
Regarding claim 9, Alkhulaifi in view of Song does not disclose wherein the SGMD system is a multi-effect distillation system.
Ghaffour discloses a membrane distillation module that is a multi-effect distillation system which provides for more efficient generation of distilled water (see Abstract; [0014]).
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 by implementing a multi-effect membrane distillation system, as suggested by Ghaffour, in order to provide the capability of efficient generation of purified water.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 8 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:
Regarding claim 2, the cited prior art fails to disclose the claimed integration of the first and second condenser, wherein the first condenser comprises a first hot medium compartment and a cold medium compartment, the second condenser comprises a second hot medium compartment and the cold medium compartment, and an enclosure houses the first hot medium compartment, the cold medium compartment, and the second hot medium compartment. Nor does there appear to be any teachings and/or suggestions which would lead a person of ordinary skill to modify the cited closest prior art references in such a way as to arrive at the claimed embodiment.
Regarding claims 8 and 19, the additional features cited therein, 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, are 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 limitations of claims 8 and 19).
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
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