NON-FINAL OFFICE 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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 28 October, 2024 is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-8, 10-15, and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CARDELLA (US 2018/0347897 A1 – published 6 December, 2018).
As to claim 1, CARDELLA discloses a process for hydrogen liquefaction (par. 102 and 140), the process comprising:
providing a first cooling loop with a first mixed refrigerant (single mixed refrigerant circuit or cold hydrogen refrigeration circuit; see annotated figure 3); and
providing a second cooling loop with a second mixed refrigerant (single mixed refrigerant circuit or cold hydrogen refrigeration circuit; see annotated figure 3).
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Annotated Figure 3 of CARDELLA
As to claim 2, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first cooling loop comprises at least a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger (81a,81 or any two or 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91).
As to claim 3, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second cooling loop comprises at least a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger (81a,81 or any two or 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91).
As to claim 4, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first cooling loop comprises at least a first cooler and a second cooler (see annotated figure 3).
As to claim 5, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second cooling loop comprises at least a third cooler, a fourth cooler, and a fifth cooler (see annotated figure 3, such as coolers and heat exchanger(s) at line 21, in view of par. 126, of the cold hydrogen refrigeration circuit).
As to claim 6, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first cooling loop comprises at least a first expansion valve and a second expansion valve (64a,64b; figure 3).
As to claim 7, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second loop comprises at least a third expansion valve and a fourth expansion valve (64a,64b; figure 3).
As to claim 8, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first cooling loop comprises at least a first mixed refrigerant compressor and a second mixed refrigerant compressor (63a,63b or 61,62; figure 3).
As to claim 10, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first cooling loop comprises at least a first mixer (see annotated figure 3).
As to claim 11, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second cooling loop comprises at least a second mixer (see annotated figure 3).
As to claim 12, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first cooling loop comprises at least a first separator (72,73 or 74).
As to claim 13, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second cooling loop comprises at least a second separator (72,73 or 74).
As to claim 14, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first mixed refrigerant comprises at least one of Methane, Ethane, Propane, n-Butane, i-Pentane, n-Pentane, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Ethylene, R-14, or Ammonia (par. 31, 52-53, 55-61).
As to claim 15, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second mixed refrigerant comprises at least one of Methane, Ethane, Propane, n-Butane, i-Pentane, n-Pentane, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Ethylene, R-14, or Ammonia (par. 31, 52-53, 55-61).
As to claim 17, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first mixed refrigerant is in a vapor phase and a liquid phase in the first cooling loop (par. 113 and 115 or par. 160).
As to claim 18, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second mixed refrigerant is in a vapor phase and a liquid phase in the second cooling loop (par. 113 and 115 or par. 160).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CARDELLA (US 2018/0347897 A1 – published 6 December, 2018), in view of(See MPEP § 2131.01 – III) KAISER(NPL: “ Kaiser, Mark J. McAllister, E. W.. (2023). Pipeline Rules of Thumb Handbook - A Manual of Quick, Accurate Solutions to Everyday Pipeline Engineering Problems (9th Edition) - 9. Gas - General. TABLE 1. Elsevier. Retrieved from https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/pdf/rcid:kpPRTHAM01/id:kt013FC9Y2/pipeline-rules-thumb/gas-general”-- published 2023).
As to claim 16, CARDELLA discloses wherein the first mixed refrigerant has a heavier molecular weight than the second mixed refrigerant (par. 31, 52-53, 55-61, in view of the material properties of the mixed refrigerants used; for example, when the first refrigerant is propane and the second refrigerant is hydrogen, in combination with other elements, in view of Table 1 at page 354 of KAISER).
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CARDELLA (US 2018/0347897 A1 – published 6 December, 2018), in view of MINTA (US 2010/0186445 A1 – published 29 July, 2010).
As to claim 9, CARDELLA discloses wherein the second cooling loop comprises at least a third mixed refrigerant compressor and a fourth mixed refrigerant compressor (63a,63b or 61,62; figure 3).
However, CARDELLA does not expressly disclose the inclusion of a fifth mixed refrigerant compressor.
MINTA is relevant to the field of endeavor by providing a liquefaction unit for a natural gas (abstract). MINTA teaches wherein it is known to provide one or more compression stages within a cooling loop (figure 1-2; par. 20) to achieve the desired compression of the stream flowing through the compression stages (par. 20). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill within the art, prior to the date the invention was effectively filed, to modify CARDELLA, in view of the teachings of MINTA, to include the fifth mixed refrigerant compressor based on the purpose of achieving the desired compression of the stream flowing therethrough and based on duplication of parts, where the solution to include the fifth mixed refrigerant compressor has no patentable significance as no new or unexpected result is produced by including such. See MPEP § 2144.04 – VI(B). See par. 12, 50,and 53 of the instant application.
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 9/1/2026
JENNA M. MARONEY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3763
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