METHANE REFORMING REACTION SYSTEM

DETAILED ACTION The present application is a 371 national stage entry of PCT/CN2023/070442. 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 . Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e). Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement filed June 21, 2024 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(i) because it does not include a concise explanation of the relevance, as it is presently understood by the individual designated in 37 CFR 1.56(c) most knowledgeable about the content of the information, of each reference listed that is not in the English language. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered. Response to Preliminary Amendment The Applicant’s preliminary amendment, filed June 14, 2024, has been fully considered. Claims 13-20 are newly added. Specification The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains improper language in line 1. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b). Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details. The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided. 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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hao et al. (CN 105776133 A) (hereinafter Hao ‘133) in view of Hao et al. (CN 104192795 A) (hereinafter Hao ‘795). Claim 1. Hao ‘133 discloses A methane reforming reaction system, comprising: a hydrogen separation device (i.e. hydrogen gas separation chamber), a heat exchanger (i.e. reaction chamber), a carbon dioxide separation device (i.e. carbon dioxide separation chamber), and a solar light concentration device; wherein an inner chamber of the hydrogen separation device is divided into two types of regions by means of a hydrogen-permeable membrane: a first­type region on a separation side of the hydrogen-permeable membrane, and a second-type region on a raw material gas supply side of the hydrogen-permeable membrane, wherein the hydrogen partial pressure in the first-type region is less than the hydrogen partial pressure in the second-type region during the reforming reaction of methane and water vapor; wherein an inner chamber of the carbon dioxide separation device is divided into two types of regions by a carbon dioxide-permeable membrane: a third-type region on a separation side of the carbon dioxide-permeable membrane, and a fourth-type region on a raw material gas supply side of the carbon dioxide-permeable membrane, wherein the carbon dioxide partial pressure in the third-type region is less than the carbon dioxide partial pressure in the fourth-type region during reforming of methane and water vapor (Fig. 1; [0025] – [0046]; Claims 1-9). Hao ‘133 discloses that the first region and the third region may be connected to a vacuum pump or have an inert gas introduced thereto to reduce the hydrogen partial pressure; each of the hydrogen separation device and the carbon dioxide separation device is provided with an outlet; and a hydrogen adsorbing substance, such as activated carbon, can be added to the inner chamber of the hydrogen separation device, and a carbon dioxide adsorbing substance can be added to the carbon dioxide separation device, wherein the material of the hydrogen-permeable membrane is selected from: ZrO2-TiO2-Y2O3, SrCexTm1-xO3-δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1, 0 ≤ δ < 3), and SrCexYb1-xO3-α (0 ≤ x ≤ 1, 0 ≤ α < 3), but Hao ‘133 does not disclose: a carbon dioxide permeable membrane is provided between the carbon dioxide separation chamber and the reaction chamber; and the carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide separation chamber has a chemical potential less than that of the carbon dioxide in the reaction chamber under the chemical equilibrium state of the methane reforming reaction. However, Hao ‘795 teaches a device for manufacturing hydrogen by cooperative decomposition of water using an oxygen­permeable membrane and a hydrogen-permeable membrane, the device comprising: a reaction chamber; and a three-layer sleeve structure located in the reaction chamber, and defining a steam chamber in the middle and an oxygen permeation chamber and a hydrogen permeation chamber located on two sides of the steam chamber, the oxygen permeation chamber and the steam chamber being separated by a sleeve made of an oxygen permeable membrane material, and the hydrogen permeation chamber and the steam chamber being separated by a sleeve made of a hydrogen permeable membrane material, wherein the oxygen partial pressure in the oxygen permeation chamber is lower than the oxygen partial pressure reached when thermal equilibrium is achieved during water decomposition at the operating temperature, and the hydrogen partial pressure in the hydrogen permeation chamber is lower than the hydrogen partial pressure reached when thermal equilibrium is achieved during water decomposition at the operating temperature; by means of a potential difference, a chemical potential difference can be generated (Fig. 1; [0026] – [0030]; [0054] – [0056]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system in Hao ‘133 by connecting the reaction chamber to a product separation membrane, as taught by Hao ‘795, in order to promote the reaction and improve produce efficiency. Claims 2-4. Hao ‘133 discloses that the first region and the third region may be connected to a vacuum pump and/or have an inert gas introduced thereto to reduce the hydrogen partial pressure; wherein each of the hydrogen separation device and the carbon dioxide separation device is provided with an outlet (Fig. 1; Claim 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the orientation of the outlet in Hao ‘133 to optimize production requirements since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention in a manner which does not alter its operation involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. Claim 5. Hao ‘133 discloses that reacting gas is entered by reaction gas inlet (7) (Fig. 1). Claims 6-7. Hao ‘795 teaches that the hydrogen partial pressure in the hydrogen permeation chamber is lower than the hydrogen partial pressure reached when thermal equilibrium is achieved during water decomposition at the operating temperature; by means of a potential difference, a chemical potential difference can be generated (Fig. 1; [0026] – [0030]; [0054] – [0056]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the electric potential of the hydrogen permeable membrane in Hao ‘133 as modified by Hao ‘795 to the range as claimed, because it has been held that “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.” In re Aller, 220 F. 2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). Claims 8-11. Hao ‘133 discloses that the first region and the third region may be connected to a vacuum pump or have an inert gas introduced thereto to reduce the hydrogen partial pressure; each of the hydrogen separation device and the carbon dioxide separation device is provided with an outlet; and a hydrogen adsorbing substance, such as activated carbon, can be added to the inner chamber of the hydrogen separation device, and a carbon dioxide adsorbing substance can be added to the carbon dioxide separation device. Hao ‘133 further discloses wherein the hydrogen-permeable membrane material is selected from: ZrO2-TiO2-Y2O3, SrCexTm1-xO3-δ (0≤x≤1, 0≤δ<3), and SrCexYb1-xO3-α (0≤x≤1, 0≤α<3); and wherein the carbon dioxide membrane material is selected from: the La of doping fused carbonate (molten carbonate, lower same)1-xSrxCo1-yFeyO3-δ(0≤x≤1,0≤δ<3); doping Y2O3ZrO with fused carbonate2; doping Gd2O3CeO with fused carbonate2. Claims 12-20. Hao ‘133 discloses a heating device that provides heat needed for the reforming reaction in the hydrogen separation device, wherein the heating device may be solar energy, nuclear energy, fossil energy or industrial waste heat. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Niitsuma et al. (US 8,911,519 B2) discloses an apparatus of hydrogen production and carbon dioxide recovery for producing hydrogen and recovering carbon dioxide from a carbon-containing fuel, the apparatus comprising: a reformer provided with a hydrogen-permeable membrane (A1) for a steam reforming reaction of the carbon-containing fuel and simultaneously separating hydrogen; a carbon dioxide separation membrane (A3) for separating the reformer off-gas into a carbon dioxide-enriched gas and a carbon dioxide separation membrane off-gas; a hydrogen separation membrane (A4) for separating the carbon dioxide separation membrane off-gas into a hydrogen-enriched gas and a hydrogen separation membrane off-gas; and a recycle line for recycling the hydrogen-enriched gas upstream of the hydrogen-permeable membrane in the reformer (Abstract; Fig. 1; Claim 1). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Crystal J. Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-6242. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 9:00am - 5:00pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sally Merkling can be reached at (571) 272-6297. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /CRYSTAL J LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1738