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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [002] recites “The present disclosure relates to a mobile liquefied national gas (“LNG”)” ”)”, which appears to include a typographical error, as LNG is a known term of the field to be liquefied natural gas. As such, it is suggested the claim be amended to - - The present disclosure relates to a mobile liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) - -.
Paragraph [017] recites “The present disclosure relates to a mobile liquefied national gas (“LNG”)” ”)”, which appears to include a typographical error, as LNG is a known term of the field to be liquefied natural gas. As such, it is suggested the claim be amended to - - The present disclosure relates to a mobile liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) - -.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites in the preamble, “A mobile liquefied national gas (“LNG”)”, which appears to include a typographical error, as LNG is a known term of the field to be liquefied natural gas. As such, it is suggested the claim be amended to - - A mobile liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) - -.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7-9, 14, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WAIT (US 2017/0240251 A1 – published 24 August, 2017).
As to claim 1, WAIT discloses a mobile liquefied national gas (“LNG”) regasification and storage unit (“MSRU”) comprising:
a LNG storage tank (202; par. 36); and
a secondary containment unit (204 with 600; par. 42-47) housing regasification equipment operatively coupled to the LNG storage tank (par. 43 and 45);
wherein the LNG storage tank is elevated above and supported by the secondary containment unit (figure 6, wherein the LNG tank, 202, is provided at an elevated location to at least, 204, of the secondary containment unit, 204 with 600).
As to claim 2, WAIT discloses wherein the secondary containment unit comprises an inlet line operatively coupled to the LNG storage tank (par. 43 and 45) for delivery of LNG by a tanker truck (MPEP § 2114 – II, wherein delivery of LNG by a tanker truck is merely an operational intended use/application, wherein the system of WAIT includes connection to onshore systems/facilities which are capable of including tanker trucks, par. 18, 21, 31, 47, 49, 52, 61, and 63).
As to claim 3, WAIT discloses wherein the secondary containment unit comprises a control room housing computer equipment to control the operation of the MSRU (par. 26 and 48)
As to claim 4, WAIT discloses wherein the computer equipment comprises an operator interface with a display (par. 26).
As to claim 7, WAIT discloses wherein the secondary containment unit comprises an air vent (par. 54).
As to claim 8, WAIT discloses further comprising a forced air fan disposed in the air vent (par. 54, wherein the location of the air vent is at the position of the fan, such that the fan used to move air is in the air vent).
As to claim 9, WAIT discloses further comprising a second LNG storage tank elevated above and operatively coupled to the LNG storage tank (par. 42-47; figure 6, wherein the LNG tank, 202, is provided at an elevated location to at least, 204, of the secondary containment unit, 204 with 600).
As to claim 14, WAIT discloses a power generation application comprising the MSRU of claim 1 (MPEP § 2114 – II, wherein the power generation application is merely an operational intended use/application of the MSRU of claim 1 for which the invention of WAIT is capable, in view of par. 61).
As to claim 16, WAIT discloses a heating application comprising the MSRU of claim 1 (MPEP § 2114 – II, wherein the heating application is merely an operational intended use/application of the MSRU of claim 1 for which the invention of WAIT is capable, in view of par. 20 and 24).
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.
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WAIT (US 2017/0240251 A1 – published 24 August, 2017), in view of SHAABAN (US 2015/0136043 A1 – published 21 May, 2015)
As to claim 5, WAIT discloses the regasification equipment in general (see rejection of claim 1), but does not specify the regasification equipment as set forth by the claim.
SHABAAN is within the field of endeavor provided a mobile LNG regasification and storage unit (figure 1). SHABAAN teaches regasification equipment which includes at least one vaporizer (31; par. 17) and a pressure build pump operatively coupled to the at least one vaporizer (28; par. 17; figure 1), which necessarily provides the necessary pressure along the LNG discharge line from the LNG tank (par. 17) and vaporizes the LNG to a compressed natural gas to be used (par. 17). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill within the art, prior to the date the invention was effectively filed, to modify WAIT, in view of the teachings of SHABAAN to include the at least one vaporizer and pressure build pump operatively coupled thereto, to provide sufficient pressure along the LNG discharge line and vaporizes the LNG to a compressed natural gas to be used (par. 17).
As to claim 6, WAIT, as modified, further discloses wherein the regasification equipment further comprises a system of radiant heaters (par. 20, 24, and 27).
Claim(s) 10-13, 15, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WAIT (US 2017/0240251 A1 – published 24 August, 2017), in view of LEE (WO 2021/096049A1 – published 20 May, 2021; see provided English machine translation for citations) and SHAABAN (US 2015/0136043 A1 – published 21 May, 2015)
As to claim 10, WAIT discloses the regasification equipment in general (see rejection of claim 1), but does not specify the regasification equipment as set forth by the claim.
LEE, however, is within the field of endeavor provided a mobile LNG regasification and storage unit (par. 1; figure 1). LEE teaches regasification equipment which includes at least one ethylene glycol heat exchanger (200 and 500; par. 34; figure 1), a glycol pump (figure 1 between the outlet of the G.W. tank and the G.W heater), a glycol tank (figure 1 with G.W tank). This is strong evidence that modifying WAIT as claimed was well within the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art and would produce predictable results to one skilled in the art, (i.e., utilizing an intermediate fluid, such as ethylene glycol, to vaporize the liquid LNG ( par. 18 and 29), while further, providing cooling to an engine associated with the system (par. 4 and 34)). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed, to modify WAIT by LEE such that the regasification equipment includes the at least one ethylene glycol heat exchanger, glycol pump, and glycol tank, since all claimed elements were known in the art, and one having ordinary skill in the art could have modified the prior art as claimed by known methods with no changes in their respective functions and the combination would have yielded the predictable result of utilizing an intermediate fluid, such as ethylene glycol, to vaporize the liquid LNG ( par. 18 and 29), while further, providing cooling to an engine associated with the system (par. 4 and 34).
Second, SHABAAN is within the field of endeavor provided a mobile LNG regasification and storage unit (figure 1). SHABAAN teaches regasification equipment which includes an LNG pump (24 or 28; par. 17), which necessarily provides the necessary pressure along the LNG discharge line from the LNG tank (par. 17). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill within the art, prior to the date the invention was effectively filed, to modify WAIT, in view of the teachings of SHABAAN to include the LNG pump, to provide sufficient pressure along the LNG discharge line (par. 17).
As to claim 11, WAIT, as modified, further discloses wherein the secondary containment unit comprises an inlet line operatively coupled to the LNG storage tank (par. 43 and 45) for delivery of LNG by a tanker truck (MPEP § 2114 – II, wherein delivery of LNG by a tanker truck is merely an operational intended use/application, wherein the system of WAIT includes connection to onshore systems/facilities which are capable of including tanker trucks, par. 18, 21, 31, 47, 49, 52, 61, and 63).
As to claim 12, WAIT, as modified, further discloses wherein the secondary containment unit comprises a control room housing computer equipment to control the operation of the MSRU (par. 26 and 48)
As to claim 13, WAIT, as modified, further discloses wherein the computer equipment comprises an operator interface with a display (par. 26).
As to claim 15, WAIT, as modified, further discloses a power generation application comprising the MSRU of claim 10 (MPEP § 2114 – II, wherein the power generation application is merely an operational intended use/application of the MSRU of claim 10 for which the invention of WAIT is capable, in view of par. 61).
As to claim 17, WAIT, as modified, further discloses a heating application comprising the MSRU of claim 10 (MPEP § 2114 – II, wherein the heating application is merely an operational intended use/application of the MSRU of claim 10 for which the invention of WAIT is capable, in view of par. 20 and 24).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENNA M MARONEY whose telephone number is (571)272-8588. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7AM to 4PM, EST.
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/JENNA M MARONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763 3/30/2026
JENNA M. MARONEY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3763
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