DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 16-28 are presented for examination. Claims 1-15 are canceled.
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly
indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/10/24 was considered by the examiner. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
5. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
6. Claims 16-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Brogan (Brogan), US publication no. 2024/0151208 A1.
As per claim 16, Brogan teaches a method for operating a wind farm, the wind farm including a plurality of wind turbines connected to a wind farm grid, the wind farm grid connectable to a utility grid [figure 1, para 51], the method comprising:
operating one or more first wind turbines of the plurality of wind turbines to generate electrical power with predetermined electrical characteristics when the wind
farm grid is disconnected from the utility grid, the predetermined electrical characteristics identifying that the wind farm grid is disconnected from the utility grid [para 10, 11];
delivering the electrical power with the predetermined electrical characteristics to the wind farm grid [para 57]; and
one or more second wind turbines of the plurality of wind turbines detecting the electrical power delivered to the wind farm grid with the predetermined electrical characteristics, and determining that the wind farm is disconnected from the utility grid by identifying the predetermined electrical characteristics [para 33, 55, 56, 58].
Brogan teaches:
[0010] In the present context, the term "black start enabled wind turbine" may in particular denote a wind turbine that is capable of operating ( at least for a certain period of time) in the absence of external power, e.g., in situations where the
public utility grid is down or where the wind turbine (possibly as part of wind park with multiple wind turbines) is disconnected from the public utility grid. A black start
enabled wind turbine may in particular have its own auxiliary generator (such as a diesel generator, a solar panel, or any other kind of generator) and/or energy storage (such as a battery or capacitor bank, an uninterrupted power supply, UPS, or the like) capable of providing enough power to operate the wind turbine on its own for some time.
[0057] At 230, the at least one secondary black start enabled wind turbine T2, T3 is started in black start mode in order to supply voltage to the wind farm grid when the
monitored electric parameter value meets a predetermined condition which may be individual for each secondary black start enabled wind turbine T2, T3. The predetermined condition may for example be met when the voltage level in the wind farm grid 120, 122 is above a predetermined voltage threshold value, or when the voltage frequency in the wind farm grid is above or below a predetermined frequency
threshold value, or when a code modulated onto the grid voltage is determined to correspond to a predetermined code. The predetermined condition may be different or
identical for each of the secondary black start enabled wind turbines T2, T3. Alternatively, the predetermined condition may be a first predetermined condition for a first group of secondary black start enabled wind turbines 110 while the predetermined condition is a second predetermined condition for a second group of secondary black start enabled wind turbines 110.
As per claim 17, Bragon teaches the first wind turbines are grid forming wind turbines configured to energize the wind farm grid when the wind farm grid is disconnected from the utility grid, and wherein the second wind turbines are non-grid forming wind turbines that do not energize the wind farm grid when the wind farm grid is
disconnected from the utility grid [figure 1; para 10, 11, 51, 52].
As per claim 18, Bragon teaches the second wind turbines perform the detection and the determination after losing communication with a wind farm controller [para 33, 55-58].
As per claim 19, Bragon teaches the predetermined electrical characteristics comprise a ripple [para 7, 13, 14, 57].
As per claim 20, Bragon teaches the predetermined electrical characteristics comprise a frequency different from a frequency of the utility grid [para 51, 55].
As per claim 21, Bragon teaches the predetermined electrical characteristics comprise a non-fundamental harmonic that is not present in the utility grid [para 51, 55].
As per claim 22, Bragon teaches the predetermined electrical characteristics comprise a predetermined voltage level [para 14, 51, 55].
As per claim 23, Bragon teaches the predetermined electrical characteristics comprise a predetermined time-varying voltage level [para 14, 51, 55].
As per claim 24, Bragon teaches the one second wind turbines do not generate electrical power upon identifying the predetermined electrical characteristics [para 54-56].
As to claims 25-28, basically are the corresponding elements that are
carried out the method of operating step in claims 16-24. Accordingly, claims 25-28 are
rejected for the same reason as set forth in claims 16-24.
7. Examiner's note: Examiner has cited particular paragraphs and columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner. MPEP 2141.02 VI: “PRIOR ART MUST BE CONSIDERED IN ITS ENTIRETY, INCLUDING DISCLOSURES THAT TEACH AWAY FROM THE CLAIMS."
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Huang et al,, US publication no. 2017/0074244, teaches a method for black starting a wind turbine and a wind farm following islanding operation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUN CAO whose telephone number is (571)272-3664. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7:30 am-4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kamini Shah can be reached on 571-272-2279. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHUN CAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115
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