DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office Action regarding application number 18/759,344, filed on 06/28/2024, which is a DIV of 17/404,607, now U.S. Patent No. 12,062,462, filed on 08/17/2021.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending.
No claim is allowed.
Claim Objections
Claims 8, 10, and 13 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.
The prior art reviewed by this examiner is not understood to teach or suggest “a first subset of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to a second subset of the plurality of first heat pipes positioned at a first location, a third subset of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to a fourth subset of the plurality of first heat pipes positioned at a second location, the second subset of the plurality of first heat pipes being configured to absorb a different amount or character of heat from the fourth subset of the plurality of first heat pipes” (claim 8), “the first heat pipe comprises a first region positioned at least partially inside the vessel and a second region positioned at least partially outside the vessel” (claim 10), or that “at least one of number or capacity of a first subset of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to the one or more first heat removal mechanisms is greater than at least one of number or capacity of a second subset of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to the one or more second heat removal mechanisms” (claim 13).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Indefiniteness
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(B) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “configured to transfer heat away from the thermophotovoltaic cell to at least one of one or more first heat removal mechanisms or one or more second heat removal mechanisms being a different type from the one or more first heat removal mechanisms”. The examiner determines that this limitation is unclear, confusing, and fails to sufficiently define the metes and bounds of the claimed invention. Further, the limitation does not clearly state whether both of the first and second heat removal mechanisms are required to be present, and therefore the scope of the invention claimed cannot be determined with certainty. The applicant should amend the claim and also clarify on the record exactly how many heat removal mechanisms are required.
Claims 2 and 20 recite “selected to receive heat from the second heat pipe based at least in part on temperature, quality, priority, purpose, or origin location of heat received”. The examiner determines that this limitation includes terms that do not clearly define the scope of the invention claimed, and do not allow to ordinary skilled artisans the ascertain whether a comparable product potentially infringes on the claim language. How is one to determine whether the “quality, priority, purpose” of “heat received” influences the selection of the heat removal mechanisms? The applicant shall clarify on the record what it means by this language.
Claim 8 recites “character of heat”. The examiner determines that this limitation includes terms that do not clearly define the scope of the invention claimed, and do not allow to ordinary skilled artisans the ascertain whether a comparable product potentially infringes on the claim language. How is one to determine whether the “character” of heat? The applicant shall clarify on the record what it means by this language.
All dependent claims are similarly rejected as they each incorporate the indefinite language of the above rejected claims.
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 1-5, 7-9, 11, 12, and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LOGINOV (RU 2650885 C1; English machine translation provided).
Regarding claim 1, LOGINOV teaches a power generation system, comprising:
a power generation core within a vessel (“Heat generating element 19 comprises at least one nuclear fuel”);
a first heat pipe (“high temperature heat pipe 5”) configured to receive heat from the power generation core and radiate heat, as thermal radiation, to a thermophotovoltaic cell (“thermophotomotive transducer” 23, “serves to convert the heat flux emitted by the heat pipe, into electrical energy”); and
a second heat pipe (“low-temperature heat pipe”) coupled to the thermophotovoltaic cell, the second heat pipe configured to transfer heat away from the thermophotovoltaic cell to at least one of one or more first heat removal mechanisms or one or more second heat removal mechanisms being a different type from the one or more first heat removal mechanisms (“cooling system contains at least one heat exchanger 21, at least one lifting channel 12, at least one lowering channel 11 and at least one radiator 17 and is designed to remove unused heat outside the nuclear reactor vessel”).
PNG
media_image1.png
574
296
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 2, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or one or more second heat removal mechanisms is selected to receive heat from the second heat pipe based at least in part on temperature, quality, priority, purpose, or origin location of heat received from the first heat pipe or the second heat pipe (functional limitation does not add any structure or other patentable weight; also satisfied by the purpose to remove waste decay heat).
Regarding claim 3, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein the power generation core comprises a nuclear reactor core (core is nuclear).
Regarding claim 4, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first heat removal mechanisms comprises an active heat removal mechanism and the one or more second heat removal mechanisms comprises a passive heat removal mechanism (claim 1 does not positively require both a first and second heat removal mechanism, only either/or; thus the second heat removal mechanism 17 is passive heat removal to atmospheric air is construed as passive).
Regarding claim 5, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein at least one of i) the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or ii) the one or more second heat removal mechanisms is configured to direct a coolant to flow past a portion of the second heat pipe (Fig. 1 illustrates the claimed arrangement).
Regarding claim 6, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein at least one of i) the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or ii) the one or more second heat removal mechanisms is configured to absorb heat by at least one of dirt, a pool of fluid, air interface, or heat sink (the heat of the pooled vessel fluid is removed from the vessel and dumped by radiator 17, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein the one or more second heat removal mechanisms is configured to remove heat without an active heat control system (the second heat removal mechanism 17 is passive heat removal to atmospheric air is construed as passive).
Regarding claim 9, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein the thermophotovoltaic cell provides at least one of a primary power generation or a decay heat removal based at least in part on an association between the second heat pipe and i) the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or ii) the one or more second heat removal mechanisms (functional limitation does not add any structure or other patentable weight; also satisfied by the purpose to remove waste decay heat).
Regarding claim 11, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or one or more second heat removal mechanisms is at least partially outside the vessel (second mechanism 17 is partially outside the vessel, see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 12, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of first heat pipes comprising the first heat pipe (“at least one high-temperature heat pipe”, so this is interpreted to plainly mean that there may be a plurality of first high temperature heat pipes); and
a plurality of second heat pipes comprising the second heat pipe (“at least one low-temperature heat pipe”, so this is interpreted to plainly mean that there may be a plurality of second low temperature heat pipes), individual second heat pipes of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or the one or more second heat removal mechanisms (Fig. 1 shows an individual second low temp heat pipe corresponding to a heat removal mechanism 21/17).
Regarding claim 14, LOGINOV teaches the power generation system of claim 1, wherein the thermophotovoltaic cell is spaced apart from the first heat pipe (element 23 is spaced apart from high temperature heat pipe 5, see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 15, LOGINOV teaches a method of generating power, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first heat pipe (“high temperature heat pipe 5”), heat from a power generation core within a vessel (“Heat generating element 19 comprises at least one nuclear fuel”), the first heat pipe radiating a portion of heat as thermal radiation to a thermophotovoltaic cell (“thermophotomotive transducer” 23, “serves to convert the heat flux emitted by the heat pipe, into electrical energy”); and
transferring, by a second heat pipe coupled to the thermophotovoltaic cell, heat from the thermophotovoltaic cell to at least one of one or more first heat removal mechanisms or one or more second heat removal mechanisms being a different type from the one or more first heat removal mechanisms (“cooling system contains at least one heat exchanger 21, at least one lifting channel 12, at least one lowering channel 11 and at least one radiator 17 and is designed to remove unused heat outside the nuclear reactor vessel”; claim 15 does not positively require both a first and second heat removal mechanism, only either/or).
Regarding claim 16, LOGINOV teaches the method of claim 15, further comprising:
actively removing, by the one or more first heat removal mechanisms, heat from the thermophotovoltaic cell; and
passively removing, by the one or more second heat removal mechanisms, heat from the thermophotovoltaic cell. (“coolant filling the reactor casing, to the heat exchanger 21, is transmitted through the lifting channel 12 to the radiator 17 and dissipated in the atmospheric air”; claim 15 does not positively require both a first and second heat removal mechanism, only either/or).
Regarding claim 17, LOGINOV teaches the method of claim 15, further comprising:
directing a coolant to flow past a portion of the second heat pipe by the one or more first heat removal mechanisms (“vessel filled with a liquid that acts as a coolant”; also please note that claim 15 does not positively require both a first and second heat removal mechanism, only either/or); and
absorbing, by the one or more second heat removal mechanisms, heat by at least one of dirt, a pool of fluid, air interface, or heat sink (the heat of the pooled vessel fluid is removed from the vessel and dumped by radiator 17, Fig. 1; also please note that claim 15 does not positively require both a first and second heat removal mechanism, only either/or).
Regarding claim 18, LOGINOV teaches the method of generating power of claim 15, further comprising:
performing, by the thermophotovoltaic cell, at least one of primary power generation or heat decay removal (elements 23 perform both power generation and also heat removal, so both options are satisfied by the prior art).
Regarding claim 19, LOGINOV teaches the method of claim 15, further comprising:
transferring heat from the power generation core by a plurality of first heat pipes (“at least one high-temperature heat pipe”, so this is interpreted to plainly mean that there may be a plurality of first high temperature heat pipes); and
transferring heat to the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or the one or more second heat removal mechanisms by a plurality of second heat pipes, individual second heat pipes of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to i) the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or ii) the one or more second heat removal mechanisms (there are multiple fuel elements 19 and multiple heat pipes of both types).
Regarding claim 20, LOGINOV teaches the method of claim 15, further comprising:
transferring heat from the power generation core by a plurality of first heat pipes (“at least one high-temperature heat pipe”, so this is interpreted to plainly mean that there may be a plurality of first high temperature heat pipes);
transferring heat to the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or the one or more second heat removal mechanisms by a plurality of second heat pipes, individual second heat pipes of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to i) the one or more first heat removal mechanisms or ii) the one or more second heat removal mechanisms (see rejection of claim 15 above); and
removing heat by the individual second heat pipes of a first subset of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to the one or more first heat removal mechanisms that is different in temperature, quality, priority, purpose, or origin location (functional limitation does not add any structure or other patentable weight; also satisfied by the purpose to remove waste decay heat, or any meaningfully discernable step) compared to heat removed by the individual second heat pipes of a second subset of the plurality of second heat pipes corresponding to the one or more second heat removal mechanisms (see Figs. 1-3).
Conclusion
No claim is allowed.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELO TRIVISONNO whose telephone number is (571) 272-5201 or by email at <angelo.trivisonno@uspto.gov>. The examiner can normally be reached on MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9:00a-5:00pm EST. The examiner's supervisor, NIKI BAKHTIARI, can be reached at (571) 272-3433.
/ANGELO TRIVISONNO/
Primary Examiner
Prosecution Insights