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 .
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, 4-6, 8, 10, 13-15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tang et al. (CN 106222687 A1, machine translation).
Considering claims 1 and 10, Tang discloses an electrolyzer system and method comprising: a water storage tank (4) configured to store water; an electrolyzer (2) in fluid communication with the water storage tank (4), the electrolyzer configured to generate a water-oxygen mixture from the water; a pressure reducer (check valve 5) capable of reducing pressure of the water upstream of the of the electrolyzer, the pressure reducer (5) located between the water storage tank (4) and the electrolyzer (2); and a post-stack pump (7) configured to increase pressure of the water-oxygen mixture downstream of the electrolyzer (2) (Fig. 2 and page 3).
Please note, that the components, such as the pump, valves etc. are placed on a line between the electrolyzer and the water storage tank, therefore, for example, in the limitation reciting “the pressure of the water-oxygen mixture downstream of the electrolyzer” will be both increased and decreased in the piping segments connecting the water storage tank and the electrolizer, divided by the valve or pump.
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Considering claims 4 and 13, Tang discloses the electrolyzer system further comprising: a water-oxygen separator (9) located downstream of the post-stack pump (7) (Fig. 2).
Considering claims 5 and 14, Tang discloses the water-oxygen separator (9) is configured to: separate water and oxygen gas from the water-oxygen mixture; and supply the water to the water storage tank (4) as the water pressure will inherently increase in the system (Fig. 2).
Considering claims 6 and 15, Tang discloses pressure within the water storage tank is dependent on the post-stack pump, since it is part of the connected system.
Considering claims 8 and 17, Tang discloses the pressure reducer (5) comprises one or more valves (page 2, 2nd paragraph).
Claim(s) 1-3, 10-12, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ueda et al. (JP 2021085081 A, machine translation).
Considering claims 1 and 10, Ueda discloses an electrolyzer system and method comprising: a water storage tank (41) configured to store water; an electrolyzer (10) in fluid communication with the water storage tank (41), the electrolyzer configured to generate a water-oxygen mixture from the water [0010]; a pressure reducer (valve 22) configured to reduce pressure (inherently) of the water upstream of the of the electrolyzer (10), the pressure reducer located between the water storage tank (41) and the electrolyzer (10) [0022]; and a post-stack pump (77) configured to increase pressure (inherently) of the water-oxygen mixture downstream of the electrolyzer (10) (Fig. 2 and [0052]).
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Considering claims 2, 3, 11 and 12, Ueda does not disclose a pre-stack pump (41) located between the pressure reducer (22) and the electrolyzer (10), the pre-stack pump inherently capable to control pressure of the water supplied to the electrolyzer (Fig. 2).
Considering claim 19, Ueda discloses a fluid circuit for an electrolyzer system, comprising: a water storage tank (41) configured to store water; and an electrolyzer in fluid communication with the water storage tank, the electrolyzer (10) configured to generate a water-oxygen mixture from the water; wherein the electrolyzer is pressure isolated from the water storage tank through one or more controllable pressure isolating components, by valves (22) and (44).
Considering claim 20, Ueda discloses pressure within the water storage tank is greater than pressure within the electrolyzer [0007].
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda et al., as applied to claim 1.
Considering claims 1-3 and 10-12, Ueda discloses an electrolyzer system comprising: a water storage tank (41) configured to store water; an electrolyzer (10) in fluid communication with the water storage tank (41), the electrolyzer configured to generate a water-oxygen mixture from the water [0010]; and a post-stack pump (77) configured to increase pressure (inherently) of the water-oxygen mixture downstream of the electrolyzer (10) (Fig. 2 and [0052]).
Ueda does not disclose a pressure reducer configured to reduce pressure of the water upstream of the of the electrolyzer, the pressure reducer located between the water storage tank and the electrolyzer.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add valves at the inlet and the outlet of the pump, because it is well-known pluming practice to have the valves in order to service the pump without need to drain the whole system. In this case there will be an inherent pressure reducing valve (closed position) located between the storage tank and the electrolizer. The pre-stack pump inherently capable to control pressure of the water supplied to the electrolyzer by pumping water or stopping pumping, this inherently increasing the pressure of the water in the water storage tank.
Claim(s) 7 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang et al., as applied to claim 5 and further in view of Blanchet et al. (US 20230002920 A1).
Considering claims 7 and 16, Tang does not disclose the post-stack pump is configured to increase pressure within the water storage tank to a pressure greater than 10 bars.
However, Blanchet discloses water pumps for delivering water to an electrolysis cell may have pressure capability of up to 10 bar [0077].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the water pump of Tang has the capability of up 10 bar, because Tang is silent about the capability and Blanchet discloses that water pumps for delivering water to an electrolysis cell may have pressure capability of up to 10 bar.
Claim(s) 9 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang et al., as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Ballantine et al. (US 20230175155 A1).
Considering claims 9 and 18, Tang does not disclose the electrolyzer system is configured to provide oxygen to a downstream sewage treatment system.
However, Ballantine teaches supplying oxygen generated by water electrolyzer to sewage to increase the oxygen concentration of the water to disrupt bacterial growth and to facilitate oxidation of organic effluents contained in the wastewater supply [0021].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to supply the oxygen generated by the electrolyzer of Tang to treat sewage, because Ballantine teaches supplying oxygen generated by water electrolyzer to sewage to increase the oxygen concentration of the water to disrupt bacterial growth and to facilitate oxidation of organic effluents contained in the wastewater supply.
Conclusion
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/WOJCIECH HASKE/Examiner, Art Unit 1794