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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Hirata et al(10010828).
Hirata et al in figure 1 teaches a carbon dioxide separation apparatus, comprising: an absorption apparatus(absorption tower 1004); and a desorption apparatus(regeneration tower 1006); wherein the absorption apparatus includes a gas inlet (exhaust gas inlet 1001A) for the gas to be purified and a gas outlet(gas outlet 1001C) for the purified gas; wherein the absorption apparatus includes an absorption solvent inlet(solvent inlet 1005) and a solution outlet(solution outlet to rich solution supply line L12); wherein the desorption apparatus includes a first solution inlet(rich solution inlet 1005A), an absorption solvent outlet(lean solution outlet 1005B), a hot solvent inlet(unnumbered line downstream of reboiler 1020) and a carbon dioxide outlet(outlet to C02 gas conduit 1007) ; wherein the solution outlet is connected to the first solution inlet via a first solution conduit(rich solution supply line L12); wherein the first solution conduit includes a first heat exchanger(heat exchanger 1016); wherein the absorption solvent outlet is connected to the absorption solvent inlet via an absorption solvent conduit(lean solution supply line L13); wherein the absorption solvent conduit includes the first heat exchanger so that the first heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the absorption solvent conduit to the first solution conduit; wherein the absorption solvent conduit includes a branch(unnumbered branch shown in figure 1) to a hot solvent conduit; wherein the hot solvent conduit is connected to the hot solvent inlet; wherein the hot solvent conduit includes a second heat exchanger(reboiler 1020 receiving saturated water vapor 1021); wherein a pressure of a solvent in the second heat exchanger is 0.2 bar to 5 bar higher than a pressure in the desorption apparatus at the absorption solvent outlet(noting pump P3, wherein pump establishes an overpressure of 0.2 bar to 5 bar higher than a pressure in the desorption apparatus at the absorption solvent outlet.).
With regards to claim 9, Hirata et al further teaches wherein the pressure of the solvent in the second heat exchanger is 0.2 bar to 5 bar higher than the pressure in the desorption apparatus at the absorption solvent outlet because a pump(pump P3) for producing positive pressure is arranged upstream of the second heat exchanger(reboiler 1020).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 10-12 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.
Claim 8 recites “wherein the pressure of the solvent in the second heat exchanger is 0.2 bar to 5 bar higher than the pressure in the desorption apparatus at the absorption solvent outlet because the second heat exchanger is arranged at least 1 meter below the absorption solvent outlet so that the pressure is produced by the hydrostatic pressure of the solvent.”. Hirata et al teaches a pump to provide pressure of the solvent in the second heat exchanger is 0.2 bar to 5 bar higher than the pressure in the desorption apparatus at the absorption solvent outlet, however Hirata et al does not teach or suggest wherein the pressure of the solvent in the second heat exchanger is 0.2 bar to 5 bar higher than the pressure in the desorption apparatus at the absorption solvent outlet because the second heat exchanger is arranged at least 1 meter below the absorption solvent outlet so that the pressure is produced by the hydrostatic pressure of the solvent.
Claim 10 recites “wherein the first solution conduit includes an evaporation apparatus arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger, wherein the evaporation apparatus separates a liquid phase within the first solution conduit from a gaseous phase within the first solution conduit, wherein the liquid phase is passed through the first solution conduit into the desorption apparatus, wherein the desorption apparatus includes a vapor inlet, wherein the evaporation apparatus includes a vapor outlet, wherein the vapor outlet and the vapor inlet are connected to a gas solution conduit for transfer of the gaseous phase.”. Hirata et al teaches a first solution conduit leading to a first heat exchanger, however Hirata et al does not teach or suggest wherein the first solution conduit includes an evaporation apparatus arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger, wherein the evaporation apparatus separates a liquid phase within the first solution conduit from a gaseous phase within the first solution conduit, wherein the liquid phase is passed through the first solution conduit into the desorption apparatus, wherein the desorption apparatus includes a vapor inlet, wherein the evaporation apparatus includes a vapor outlet, wherein the vapor outlet and the vapor inlet are connected to a gas solution conduit for transfer of the gaseous phase. Claim 11 depends on claim 10 and hence would also be allowable upon incorporation of claim 10 into claim 7.
Claim 12 recites “wherein a second solution conduit branches off from the first solution conduit between the absorption apparatus and the first heat exchanger, wherein the second solution conduit leads directly into the top of the desorption apparatus.”. Hirata et al teaches a first solution conduit, however Hirata et al does not teach or suggest wherein a second solution conduit branches off from the first solution conduit between the absorption apparatus and the first heat exchanger, wherein the second solution conduit leads directly into the top of the desorption apparatus.
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/ROBERT A HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
June 4, 2026
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