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 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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van der Pas-Toornstra (US 4,397,660, referred to as “Van der Pas”) in view of Stewart (US 4,772,298).
With respect to claim 1, Van de Pas discloses a system for treating natural gas comprising:
a column section (10) configured to receive flash gas (9) comprising residual acid gas from a flash drum (8) coupled to the column section
Van de Pas does not disclose wherein the system comprises a pump fluidically coupled to the column section, the pump configured to flow a lean amine stream at a flow rate to the column section, the lean amine stream configured to treat the residual acid gas; and a controller connected to the pump, the controller configured to operate the pump to periodically vary the flow rate of the lean amine stream based, in part, on a rate at which the flash gas flowed from the flash drum through the column section and a concentration of the residual acid gas in the flash gas.
However, In a related system Stewart discloses an absorption process in which an absorption medium is utilized to absorb H.sub.2 S from a feed gas containing H.sub.2 S, the flow rate of the lean absorption medium is manipulated so as to maintain the actual H.sub.2 S concentration in the product gas stream from the absorption process substantially equal to a desired value for the H.sub.2 S concentration (see abstract).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify the system with a pump and controller unit as claimed, as said unit are conventionally used in the art for controlling absorption processes as claimed by the Applicant.
With respect to claim 2, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1. Stewart further discloses wherein flow meters are utilized in conjunction with the controller to modify the system (see col 3 lines 10-55).
With respect to claim 6, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1. The prior combination does not teach wherein the controller is configured to operate the pump to periodically vary the flow rate of the lean amine stream according to the claimed equation.
However, Stewart discloses wherein the control elements of the system can be implemented using electrical analog, digital electronic, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical or other similar types of equipment or combinations of one or more such equipment types and the format of the various signals can be modified substantially in order to accommodate signal format requirements of the particular installation, safety factors, the physical characteristics of the measuring or control instruments and other similar factors (see col 3 lines 10-45).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system in view of Stewart, with the claimed set point of lean amine, as the claimed setpoint is just a calculation of the lean amine mass required for the claimed parameters.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van der Pas and Stewart as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Zink et al (CA 2,906,820).
With respect to claim 3, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 2.
The prior combination does not disclose wherein the system comprises a flash gas analyzer, as claimed.
However, in a related auxiliary sour gas treatment system for treating a stream of sour gas during a time wherein a primary gas treatment facility is unavailable, malfunctioning, inadequate or inoperable, wherein a control system 56 may include flow sensor 66 to measure the flow of the stream(s) of gases directed to the invention scrubber and flow sensor 66 in conjunction with a gas analyzer 62 may be used to monitor and control the flow of gas into scrubber 16, but may also be used to vary the feed of lean solvent into scrubber 16 to match the incoming, uncontrolled contaminant load (see page 23, lines 25-30).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system in view of Zink with a gas analyzer as claimed, as said gas analyzer are conventionally used in the control of scrubbers.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-5 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:
With respect to claims 4-5, the prior combination teaches the limitations of claim 1.
The closest prior art, Van der Pas-Toorsntra (US 4,397,660) and Stewart (US 4,772,298) do not teach or suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the System with the prior combination does filtering column configured to receive treated flash gas exiting the column section, the filtering column configured to filter benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) and particulates in the treated flash gas, wherein the filtering column comprises: an activated charcoal bed to filter the BTX; and a mechanical filter to filter the particulates.
Conclusion
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/JUAN C VALENCIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1771
/PREM C SINGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1771
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