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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1 – 13, in the reply filed on May 19, 2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1 – 3, 5 – 7, 9, and 11 – 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 115779623 to Sun et al. (hereinafter referred to as Sun) in view of US Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0127859 to Voice et al. (hereinafter referred to as Voice) and US Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0160293 to Nguyen et al. (hereinafter referred to as Nguyen).
In regard to claim 1, as shown in figure 1, Sun discloses a system capable of capturing a target species from an exhaust gas stream generated by at least one engine at a surface of a wellbore utilized in reservoir stimulation for subsurface energy recovery. The first stage cooler (1) can be considered to form a heat exchange system capable of cooling the exhaust gas stream to a predetermined temperature. The gas-liquid separator (2) can be considered to form a water separation unit capable of separating a liquid from the cooled exhaust gas stream. At least one of the PSA adsorption towers (11) can function as a target species (CO2) capture module capable of capturing the target species from the cooled exhaust gas stream. Another of the PSA adsorption towers (11) can function as a target species regeneration module that can extract the captured target species. The compressor (13) can be considered to form a target species compression module capable of liquefying the captured target species. Sun discloses a liquid CO2 product that can be output form the rectifying tower (17), but does not specifically disclose a target species storage module that can store the liquefied CO2. Sun also does not disclose the system being mounted on a mobile platform capable of transportation to and from a surface of a wellbore.
As discussed in the abstract and shown in figure 1, Voice discloses a similar system that results in a compressed CO-2 product. Voice includes an onboard storage module (15) to store the compressed CO2. This allows the CO2 -to be stored until a time that it can be utilized. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sun to further include a target species storage module as suggested by Voice in order to be able to store the liquefied CO2- until a time that is can be utilized.
As discussed in the abstract and shown in figure 1, Nguyen is also directed to a system that captures CO2. As discussed in paragraphs [0020] and [0043], the system of Nguyen can be formed on a truck or skid, which are mobile platforms and inherently allow for portability of the system. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sun to mount the system on a mobile platform for transportation as suggested by Nguyen in order to form a portable system that can be transported where needed.
In regard to claim 2, the coalescing filter (7) in Sun can be considered to form a particulate matter removal system that can treat the cooled exhaust stream prior to being routed to the target species capturing module.
In regard to claim 3, the membrane modules (8, 9) can be considered to form a sweetening module, as broadly recited in the claim, that can treat the cooled exhaust gas prior to being routed to the target species capturing module.
In regard to claim 5, the separation modules (8, 9) in Sun can be considered to concentrate the target species (CO-2) before the cooled exhaust stream enters the target species capturing module.
In regard to claim 6, the one or more engines are not positively recited to be part of the system. Thus, the limitation directed to further structure of the one or more engines is not considered to further limit the system.
In regard to claim 7, the PSA adsorption tower (11) forming the target species capture module inherently includes a solid target species capturing media.
In regard to claims 9 and 11, Sun discloses a PSA adsorption tower (11) that forms the target species capture module. As discussed in paragraph [0028] of Nguyen, various units, including an amine unit, can be used for CO-2 separation. As discussed in paragraphs [0003] – [0005] of Voice, MEA, DEA, TEA, and piperazine are commonly used as solvents for capturing CO2. Figure 4 shows an example of the CO2 capturing system. The system includes an absorber (33) where the solvent (44) is used to capture CO2 and a stripper (38) where CO2 the solvent is regenerated and CO2 is released. The absorber forms a CO2 capture module and the stripper forms a regeneration module where the CO2 is extracted. It would further have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sun to substitute the PSA adsorption towers for an amine unit having a liquid MEA, DEA, TEA, or piperazine solvent to capture the CO2 target species as suggested by Voice and Nguyen as this represents an equivalently known type of system for capturing CO2.
In regard to claim 12, where the system is installed does not affect its structure. The system is capable of being installed on a pumping unit.
In regard to claim 13, as discussed above, Nguyen suggests the use of a truck (that inherently has a chassis), skid, or trailer as the mobile platform in the combination.
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun, Voice, and Nguyen as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0147875 to Arefi (hereinafter referred to as Arefi).
The combination of Sun, Voice, and Nguyen is discussed above in section 5. In regard to claim 3, the membrane modules in Sun are considered to form the sweetening module. Sun, however, does not specifically disclose what membrane material is used. Assuming for the sake of argument the membrane module of Sun cannot be considered a sweetening module, Arefi discloses a similar carbon capturing system that uses a membrane to remove hydrogen sulfide from carbon dioxide. The removal of hydrogen sulfide can be considered sweetening of the CO2. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sun, Voice, and Nguyen to include a membrane that can remove hydrogen sulfide as suggested by Arefi in order remove a known impurity of the CO2 target species.
Additionally, in regard to claim 4, Sun is used as the primary reference and does not disclose a catalytic convertor that can treat the cooled exhaust stream prior to being routed to the target species capturing module. As discussed above, Arefi is also directed to a system for capturing CO2. As discussed in paragraph [0102], Arefi can include a catalytic converter that is able to convert impurities such as particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide into CO2. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sun, Voice, and Nguyen to include a catalytic converter upstream of the target species capturing module as suggested by Arefi in order to remove additional impurities and convert them to CO2 to be captured.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun, Voice, and Nguyen as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0173555 to Seo et al. (hereinafter referred to as Seo).
The combination of Sun, Voice, and Nguyen is discussed above in section 5. Sun is used as the primary reference disclosing a PSA adsorption tower as the target species capture module. Sun does not specifically disclose the adsorbent used in the PSA adsorption tower. Seo relates to carbon dioxide adsorbents. As discussed in paragraph [0033], zeolites are well suited to adsorb CO2 in PSA processes.
Thus, it would further have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sun, Voice, and Nguyen to include a zeolite as the solid capturing media in Sun, Voice, and Nguyen as suggested by Seo as this is a known material that is suited to adsorb CO2 in PSA processes.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun, Voice, and Nguyen as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0220771 to Lefebvre et al. (hereinafter referred to as Lefebvre).
The combination of Sun, Voice, and Nguyen is discussed above in section 5. Voice and Nguyen are used as secondary references disclosing a target species capturing module with a liquid capturing media. Voice discloses a single absorption tower (33) that functions as the target species capture module. Voice does not disclose a plurality of the absorption towers arranged in series. As shown in figure 1, Lefebvre discloses a similar CO2 capturing system with an absorption tower (10) and a stripper (13). As discussed in paragraph [0063], multiple absorber units can equivalently be provided in series instead of a single unit.
Thus, it would further have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sun, Voice, and Nguyen to form the target capture module as a plurality of absorption towers arranged in series as suggested by Lefebvre as a plurality of absorption towers in series is known to be used equivalently to a single absorption tower.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2025/0050266 discloses a similar system with an absorber and stripper for capturing and extracting a target species that uses a similar liquid capturing media, see figure 1 and paragraph [0042].
US 2024/0198279 discloses a similar carbon capture system that can be mounted on a vehicle, see figures 1 and 2.
WO 2020/089186 discloses a similar carbon dioxide capture system that can capture carbon dioxide from an engine exhaust, see figure 3.
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/ROBERT CLEMENTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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