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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/17/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1, 4, 7-8, 12, 14 and 18-19 are currently being examined.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 8 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1, 8, 14: in each claim, "fuel drain lines" should read as – fuel drain line[[s]] --.
Claim 14: at the end of line 20 should be a semicolon.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 7-8, 12, 14 and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moniz et al. 20180149086 in view of Elbibary et al. 20180016933 and Peterson 5259185.
Regarding independent claim 1, Moniz discloses, with reference to Figs. 1-2, a thermal management system comprising:
a fan cooling fan 106 and a combustor 18;
a conditioning duct hollow compartment 102 proximate the combustor 102 is proximate 18, wherein the conditioning duct is a full hoop encircling the combustor conditioning duct 102 is a full hoop about centerline 36 and encircles 18, wherein the conditioning duct is configured to direct a cooling air per [0021] cooling airflow 110 is circulated within conditioning duct 102 in a manner that facilitates enhancing the cooling efficiency of cooling airflow 110, and
wherein the conditioning duct is configured integrated into a nacelle 102 is integrated in nacelle 100 as the inner wall of 100 defines conditioning duct 102 with at least one jet outlet of fan 106 is a jet configured to direct the cooling air per [0021] cooling fan 106 is positioned within forward portion 112 of conditioning duct 102, and oriented to discharge cooling airflow 110 towards rearward portion 114 and per [0022] cooling fan 106 is further oriented such that cooling airflow 110 discharged from cooling fan 106 flows helically relative to centerline 36 of turbine engine 10 such that cooling airflow 110 swirls about centerline 36 from forward portion 112 towards rearward portion 114 toward the combustor as shown in Fig. 2 cooling air 110 is directed toward combustor 18.
Moniz also discloses compressed air is mixed with fuel and the mixture is combusted within combustor 18 see [0019] which implies a fuel system proximate the combustor for supplying fuel to the combustor, but Moniz does not explicitly disclose the thermal management system is a fuel nozzle thermal management system, the fan fluidly coupled with at least one of a fuel nozzle, a fuel manifold, an external fuel supply, and a fuel drain line; the cooling air fluidly coupled with the at least one of the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line proximate the combustor, wherein the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, the fuel drain lines are located within the conditioning duct.
Peterson teaches in Fig. 1 a fuel manifold system for an aircraft gas turbine per col 2 lines 9-10; and with reference to Figs. 1-2 and col 2 lines 18-38, a fuel nozzle 6, a fuel manifold 1,14, an external fuel supply labeled in annotated Fig. 1, and a fuel drain line 28 proximate a combustor combustor casing 2 extends circumferentially with respect to axis 10 around a combustor chamber with fuel manifold 1,14 and fuel drain line 28 each extending circumferentially around combustor casing 2 and fuel nozzle 6 extending radially inward from outer wall 8 of combustor casing 2 to provide the desired fuel spray pattern within the combustor chamber.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have in the invention of Moniz a fuel nozzle, a fuel manifold, an external fuel supply, and a fuel drain line proximate the combustor as taught by Peterson to provide fuel for combustion in a desired fuel spray pattern within a combustion chamber of the combustor and to provide a fuel drain manifold system which facilitates the proper positioning and securing of the manifold system on the aircraft gas turbine and for prevention or containment of fuel leakage in the region of the turbine fire zone per Peterson col 1 lines 51-56.
As modified, Moniz in view of Peterson teaches the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line are located within the conditioning duct since each is located around and/or near a combustor casing extending around the combustor which is within conditioning duct 102 in Fig. 2 of Moniz, and therefore the at least one jet is also configured to direct the cooling air toward the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as each is proximate the combustor.
Elbibary teaches a similar aircraft engine 120 with a combustor 226 in Fig. 2 as those of Moniz and that after engine shutdown a hot soak-back environment in the undercowl space or engine core compartment is detrimental to the life of many undercowl components and the hot soak-back environment can cause fuel coking in fuel components and lines, and fuel nozzles that will degrade engine operation and will eventually cause flight line disruption when components need to be replaced see [0007]-[0008], and that cooling the undercowl compartment including the fuel components and fuel nozzles may be accomplished by using a cooling fan mounted within the engine core compartment see [0010].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the thermal management system of Moniz in view of Peterson also be a fuel nozzle thermal management system and have the fan fluidly coupled with the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line and the cooling air fluidly coupled with the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as taught by Elbibary to reduce fuel coking in those fuel components.
Regarding independent claim 8, Moniz discloses, with reference to Figs. 1-2, a thermal management system comprising:
a fan cooling fan 106 and a combustor 18;
a conditioning duct hollow compartment 102 proximate the combustor 102 is proximate 18, wherein the conditioning duct is a full hoop encircling the combustor conditioning duct 102 is a full hoop about centerline 36 and encircles 18, wherein the conditioning duct is configured to direct a cooling air per [0021] cooling airflow 110 is circulated within conditioning duct 102 in a manner that facilitates enhancing the cooling efficiency of cooling airflow 110, and
wherein the conditioning duct is configured integrated into a nacelle 102 is integrated in nacelle 100 as the inner wall of 100 defines conditioning duct 102 with at least one jet outlet of fan 106 is a jet configured to direct the cooling air per [0021] cooling fan 106 is positioned within forward portion 112 of conditioning duct 102, and oriented to discharge cooling airflow 110 towards rearward portion 114 and per [0022] cooling fan 106 is further oriented such that cooling airflow 110 discharged from cooling fan 106 flows helically relative to centerline 36 of turbine engine 10 such that cooling airflow 110 swirls about centerline 36 from forward portion 112 towards rearward portion 114 toward the combustor as shown in Fig. 2 cooling air 110 is directed toward combustor 18, wherein the conditioning duct comprises an air inlet labeled in annotated Fig. 2 fluidly coupled with at least one air outlet 116 which is fluidly coupled with air inlet since air inlet is fluidly coupled with 106 as shown in Fig. 2 and 106 is fluidly coupled with 116 per [0022] which describes cooling fan 106 is oriented obliquely relative to centerline 36 in one or more dimensions such that cooling airflow 110 swirls about centerline 36 from forward portion 112 towards rearward portion 114 before being discharged from air outlet 116 as heated airflow 118.
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Moniz also discloses compressed air is mixed with fuel and the mixture is combusted within combustor 18 see [0019] which implies a fuel system proximate the combustor for supplying fuel to the combustor, but Moniz does not explicitly disclose the thermal management system is a fuel nozzle thermal management system, the fan fluidly coupled with at least one of a fuel nozzle, a fuel manifold, an external fuel supply, and a fuel drain line; the cooling air fluidly coupled with the at least one of the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line proximate the combustor, wherein the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, the fuel drain lines are located within the conditioning duct.
Peterson teaches in Fig. 1 a fuel manifold system for an aircraft gas turbine per col 2 lines 9-10; and with reference to Figs. 1-2 and col 2 lines 18-38, a fuel nozzle 6, a fuel manifold 1,14, an external fuel supply labeled in annotated Fig. 1, and a fuel drain line 28 proximate a combustor combustor casing 2 extends circumferentially with respect to axis 10 around a combustor chamber with fuel manifold 1,14 and fuel drain line 28 each extending circumferentially around combustor casing 2 and fuel nozzle 6 extending radially inward from outer wall 8 of combustor casing 2 to provide the desired fuel spray pattern within the combustor chamber.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have in the invention of Moniz a fuel nozzle, a fuel manifold, an external fuel supply, and a fuel drain line proximate the combustor as taught by Peterson to provide fuel for combustion in a desired fuel spray pattern within a combustion chamber of the combustor and to provide a fuel drain manifold system which facilitates the proper positioning and securing of the manifold system on the aircraft gas turbine and for prevention or containment of fuel leakage in the region of the turbine fire zone per Peterson col 1 lines 51-56.
As modified, Moniz in view of Peterson teaches the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line are located within the conditioning duct since each is located around and/or near a combustor casing extending around the combustor which is within conditioning duct 102 in Fig. 2 of Moniz, and therefore the at least one jet is also configured to direct the cooling air toward the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as each is proximate the combustor.
Elbibary teaches a similar aircraft engine 120 with a combustor 226 in Fig. 2 as those of Moniz and that after engine shutdown a hot soak-back environment in the undercowl space or engine core compartment is detrimental to the life of many undercowl components and the hot soak-back environment can cause fuel coking in fuel components and lines, and fuel nozzles that will degrade engine operation and will eventually cause flight line disruption when components need to be replaced see [0007]-[0008], and that cooling the undercowl compartment including the fuel components and fuel nozzles may be accomplished by using a cooling fan mounted within the engine core compartment see [0010].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the thermal management system of Moniz in view of Peterson also be a fuel nozzle thermal management system and have the fan fluidly coupled with the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line and the cooling air fluidly coupled with the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as taught by Elbibary to reduce fuel coking in those fuel components.
Regarding independent claim 14, Moniz discloses, with reference to Figs. 1-2, a process for thermal management comprising:
fluidly coupling a fan cooling fan 106 proximate a combustor 18; 106 is fluidly coupled proximate 18;
fluidly coupling a conditioning duct hollow compartment 102 proximate the combustor conditioning duct 102 is proximate 18 and 102 is configured to have cooling airflow 110 flowing through 102;
encircling the combustor with the conditioning duct with the conditioning duct being a full hoop encircling the combustor 102 is a full hoop about centerline 36 and encircles 18;
forming an air inlet in the conditioning duct an air inlet is labeled in annotated Fig. 2 and air inlet is formed in 102 through 100;
fluidly coupling the air inlet with at least one air outlet 116 which is fluidly coupled with air inlet since air inlet is fluidly coupled with 106 as shown in Fig. 2 and 106 is fluidly coupled with 116 per [0022] which describes cooling fan 106 is oriented obliquely relative to centerline 36 in one or more dimensions such that cooling airflow 110 swirls about centerline 36 from forward portion 112 towards rearward portion 114 before being discharged from air outlet 116 as heated airflow 118; and
configuring the conditioning duct to direct a cooling air per [0021] cooling airflow 110 is circulated within conditioning duct 102 in a manner that facilitates enhancing the cooling efficiency of cooling airflow 110 proximate the combustor as seen in Fig. 2 airflow 110 is proximate 18 as 110 flows helically about 36 and rearward through 102 per [0022];
configuring the conditioning duct integrated into a nacelle 102 is integrated in nacelle 100 as the inner wall of 100 defines conditioning duct 102 with at least one jet outlet of fan 106 is a jet; and
directing the cooling air toward the combustor cooling airflow 110 is directed toward 18.
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Moniz also discloses compressed air is mixed with fuel and the mixture is combusted within combustor 18 see [0019] which implies a fuel system proximate the combustor for supplying fuel to the combustor, but Moniz does not explicitly disclose the process for thermal management system is a process for fuel nozzle thermal management system, fluidly coupling the fan with at least one of a fuel nozzle, a fuel manifold, an external fuel supply, and a fuel drain line proximate the combustor; the cooling air fluidly coupled with the at least one of the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line proximate the combustor, locating at least one of the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain lines within the conditioning duct.
Peterson teaches in Fig. 1 a fuel manifold system for an aircraft gas turbine per col 2 lines 9-10; and with reference to Figs. 1-2 and col 2 lines 18-38, a fuel nozzle 6, a fuel manifold 1,14, an external fuel supply labeled in annotated Fig. 1, and a fuel drain line 28 proximate a combustor combustor casing 2 extends circumferentially with respect to axis 10 around a combustor chamber with fuel manifold 1,14 and fuel drain line 28 each extending circumferentially around combustor casing 2 and fuel nozzle 6 extending radially inward from outer wall 8 of combustor casing 2 to provide the desired fuel spray pattern within the combustor chamber.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have in the invention of Moniz a fuel nozzle, a fuel manifold, an external fuel supply, and a fuel drain line proximate the combustor as taught by Peterson to provide fuel for combustion in a desired fuel spray pattern within a combustion chamber of the combustor and to provide a fuel drain manifold system which facilitates the proper positioning and securing of the manifold system on the aircraft gas turbine and for prevention or containment of fuel leakage in the region of the turbine fire zone per Peterson col 1 lines 51-56.
As modified, Moniz in view of Peterson teaches locating the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, the fuel drain line within the conditioning duct since each is located around and/or near a combustor casing extending around the combustor which is located within conditioning duct 102 in Fig. 2 of Moniz and therefore also teaches directing the cooling air toward the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as each is located proximate the combustor.
Elbibary teaches a similar aircraft engine 120 with a combustor 226 in Fig. 2 as those of Moniz and that after engine shutdown a hot soak-back environment in the undercowl space or engine core compartment is detrimental to the life of many undercowl components and the hot soak-back environment can cause fuel coking in fuel components and lines, and fuel nozzles that will degrade engine operation and will eventually cause flight line disruption when components need to be replaced see [0007]-[0008], and that cooling the undercowl compartment including the fuel components and fuel nozzles may be accomplished by using a cooling fan mounted within the engine core compartment see [0010].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the process for thermal management of Moniz in view of Peterson also be a process for fuel nozzle thermal management, and to include fluidly coupling the fan with the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line proximate the combustor; the cooling air fluidly coupled with the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line proximate the combustor, as taught by Elbibary to reduce fuel coking in those fuel components. Moniz in view of Peterson and Elbibary therefore also teaches directing the cooling air toward the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as each is located proximate the combustor and the cooling airflow flows helically about the axis and rearward through the conditioning duct toward the combustor and those fuel components.
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Moniz in view of Peterson and Elbibary teaches all that is claimed above and Moniz discloses the conditioning duct is configured as a circumferential conduit as shown in Fig. 2 of Moniz conditioning duct 102 is a circumferential conduit as 102 extends circumferentially about axis 36, and Moniz as modified in view of Peterson and Elbibary teaches with the at least one jet configured to direct the cooling air toward at least one of the fuel nozzle, the combustor, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, or the fuel drain line as discussed above respectively in claims 1 and 8, the at least one jet is configured to direct the cooling air toward the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as each is proximate the combustor.
Regarding claim 7, Moniz in view of Peterson and Elbibary teaches all that is claimed above and Moniz further discloses the conditioning duct is configured to be supplied with the cooling air by at least one of an electrically driven fan power supply 124 receives and stores electrical power from electric generator 126 per [0025] and 124 powers cooling fan 106 per [0024] such that 106 is an electrically driven fan supplying the cooling air to conditioning duct 102 or compressor during post shut down operation power supply 124 facilitates operating cooling system 104 after turbine engine shutdown per [0024] or passively fed using ram air during engine operation.
Regarding claim 18, Moniz in view of Peterson and Elbibary teaches all that is claimed above and Moniz further discloses fluidly coupling the air inlet with a source of air taken from at least one of an open environment outboard of a core compartment or taken from a fan bypass air stream external to a nacelle inner flow surface as seen in annotated Fig. 2 of Moniz, the air inlet is fluidly coupled with a source of air taken from a fan bypass air stream downstream of fan 12 shown in Fig. 1 of Moniz external to an inner flow surface of nacelle 100 shown in Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 19, Moniz in view of Peterson and Elbibary teaches all that is claimed above and Moniz further discloses configuring the conditioning duct as a circumferential conduit as shown in Fig. 2 of Moniz conditioning duct 102 is a circumferential conduit as 102 extends circumferentially about axis 36 with the at least one jet as discussed above in claim 14, fan 106 outlet is a jet directing cooling airflow in 102; and
Moniz in view of Peterson and Elbibary teaches
directing the cooling air with the at least one jet toward at least one of the fuel nozzle, the combustor, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, or the fuel drain line as discussed above in claim 14, directing the cooling air with the at least one jet is toward the fuel nozzle, the fuel manifold, the external fuel supply, and the fuel drain line as each is proximate the combustor.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 8 and 14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALYSON JOAN HARRINGTON whose telephone number is (571)272-2359. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am - 5 pm EST.
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/A.J.H./ Examiner, Art Unit 3741
/GERALD L SUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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