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 § 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.
Claim(s) 17, 19, and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama et al. (JP 2003-156209), hereafter referred to as Sugiyama, in view of Tsangaris et al. (US 2008/0209807), hereafter referred to as Tsangaris.
With regard to claim 17: Sugiyama teaches a pyrolysis method of pyrolyzing a raw material using a pyrolysis apparatus having a fluidized-bed furnace (integrated gasification furnace) 701 containing a fluidized medium therein, an inside of the fludized bed furnace being divided into a pyrolysis chamber (gasification chamber) 601, a settling combustion chamber 604, and a main combustion chamber (the portion of combustion chamber 602 not encompassed by settling combustion chamber 604) (Figure 1, paragraphs [0001] and [0040]-[0053] of Espacenet translation), the method comprising:
Supplying a first fluidizing gas g1 to the pyrolysis chamber 601 to form a first fluidized bed in the pyrolysis chamber 601 (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0081] of Espacenet translation).
Supplying a first raw material a1 to the pyrolysis chamber 601 in a first supply amount (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0081] of Espacenet translation; see annotated Figure 2 below).
Pyrolyzing the first raw material a1 in the pyrolysis chamber 601 (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0079]-[0082] of Espacenet translation).
Combusting a residue (char) h of the first raw material in the main combustion chamber (the portion of combustion chamber 602 not encompassed by settling combustion chamber 604) while supplying a second fluidizing gas (portion of g2 supplied to the main combustion chamber) to the main combustion chamber to form a second fluidized bed in the main combustion chamber (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0079]-[0082] of Espacenet translation).
And moving a fluidized medium from the main combustion chamber to the pyrolysis chamber 601 through the settling combustion chamber 604 while supplying a third fluidizing gas (portion of g2 supplied to the settling combustion chamber 604) to the settling combustion chamber to form a third fluidized bed in the settling combustion chamber 604 (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0079]-[0082] of Espacenet translation).
Sugiyama does not explicitly teach feeding and pyrolyzing a second raw material alongside the first, wherein the second material has a lower carbon:oxygen and carbon:hydrogen ratio than the first material.
Tsangaris teaches a pyrolysis (gasification) method comprising supplying a first raw material (plastic/high carbon feedstock (HCF)) into a pyrolysis (gasification) furnace 2200 in a first supply amount using plastic handling system 9250, and supplying a second raw material (MSW) into the pyrolysis furnace 2200 in a second supply amount using municipal solid waste [MSW] handling system 9200 (Figures 43-46, paragraphs [0153], [0156], [0400], [0409] [0457], [0458], [0469], [0617]-[0619], [0623]-[0624], [0626]-[0629]).
As for the carbon:oxygen and carbon:hydrogen ratios of the first and second feedstocks, it is implicit that second feedstock (MSW) has lower carbon:oxygen and carbon:hydrogen ratios than the first feedstock (platic/HCF). Indeed, Tsangaris indicates that plastic material is a high carbon material relative to MSW (see for example, paragraph [0458]). Furthermore, it is noted that Applicant’s specification agrees that a plastic feedstock will have higher carbon:oxygen and carbon:hydrogen ratios than MSW (See paragraphs [0043]-[0045] of the specification as filed 2/19/2025.
Tsangaris indicates that the composition/type of a raw material fed to a gasification furnace impacts the composition and quality of gasification products (paragraphs [0006], [0010], [0013], [0419], [0619], etc.) and the amount of energy necessary to gasify said raw material (paragraph [0012]). Tsangaris further indicates that, when two separate raw materials are co-fed to a gasification furnace, the ratio of the two raw materials impacts the fuel value and carbon content of syngas produced by the gasification furnace (paragraphs [0624] and [0636]). In addition, Tsangaris indicates that by feeding a higher value raw material (e.g. plastic) alongside a lower value raw material (e.g. MSW) and controlling a feed ratio thereof, fluctuations in quality of the lower value raw material can be dampened and composition of syngas produced by the gasification furnace can be stabilized (paragraph [0636]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Sugiyama in view of Tsangaris by feeding and pyrolyzing a second raw material alongside the first, the second material having a lower carbon:oxygen and carbon:hydrogen ratio than the first material, in order to obtain a system which is capable of pyrolysing (i.e. gasifying) two distinct raw materials so as to yield a gaseous product having a desired composition while dampening fluctuations in a quality of one of the feedstocks.
With regard to claim 19: Modified Sugiyama comprises feeding the first raw material a1 to the main combustion chamber while supplying raw material to the pyrolysis chamber (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0081] of Espacenet translation; see annotated Figure 2 below).
With regard to claim 23: In modified Sugiyama, the first fluidizing gas contains at least carbon dioxide gas and/or vapor (water vapor) (Sugiyama: paragraph [0063] of Espacenet translation).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Tsangaris as applied to claim 17 above, and in further view of Matsuoka et al. (JP 4283222), hereafter referred to as Matsuoka.
With regard to claim 20: Sugiyama does not explicitly teach regulating a temperature or flow rate of the third fluidizing gas such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range.
However, because bed material c2 in modified Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the temperature of the settling combustion chamber will have a profound effect on the temperature of the bed material c2 entering the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 and thus, on the operation of the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601. Recognizing such, a person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to control the temperature of the settling combustion chamber in modified Sugiyama.
Furthermore, Sugiyama teaches that the pyrolysis chamber 601 must be kept at a lower temperature than the combustion chamber 602 (paragraph [0082] of Espacenet translation). Considering that the because bed material c2 in Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would be further motivated to control the temperature in the settling combustion chamber, i.e. so as to ensure a proper temperature differential between the pyrolysis chamber 601 and the combustion chamber 602.
Matsuoka teaches a system comprising a pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 1; a combustion chamber 2 divided into a main combustion chamber (combustion chamber main body) 5 and a settling combustion chamber 4; a first gas diffuser 1a/1b configured to supply a first fluidizing gas g1 into the pyrolysis chamber 1; a second gas diffuser 2a/2b configured to supply a second fluidizing gas g2 into the main combustion chamber 5; a third gas diffuser 4a configured to supply a third fluidizing gas g4 into the settling combustion chamber; thermometers (temperature measuring devices) 42 and 43 disposed in the pyrolysis chamber 1 and the combustion chamber main body 5 and configured to measure temperatures in said chambers, and an operation controller (control device) 6 configured to control temperature in the combustion chamber 2 by controlling operations of the first, second, and third gas diffusers 1a/1b, 2a/2b, and 4b, i.e. by controlling the flow rate of fluidizing gas by actuating flow regulating valves 61-67 (Figure 1, pages 3-5 of Espacenet translation).
Concerning the control of fluidizing gas flow rate into settling combustion chamber 4, Matsuoka teaches at least the following:
i) “when it is desired to control the amount of heat transfer to a small value, the control device 6 as a heat transfer control device sends a signal to the fluidizing gas flow control device (e.g., flow control valve 65) of the settling char combustion chamber 4 to set the flow rate to zero. As a result, fluidization of the settling char combustion chamber 4 stops, and the movement of fluidized medium by convection between the gasification chamber 1 and the char combustion chamber 2 no longer occurs,” (Lines 1229-1235 [page 17] of Espacenet translation).
ii) “by controlling the amount of fluidizing gas in the settling char combustion chamber 4 so that the obtained circulation amount becomes an appropriate value, the bed temperature in the gasification chamber and the gas composition at the gasification chamber outlet can be controlled,” (lines 1608-1611 [page 22] of Espacenet translation).
iii) “In contrast, in the case of controlling the amount of movement of the fluidized material c by changing the weak fluidization state of the settling char combustion chamber 4 as described above, a large change in the amount of movement of the fluidized material c can be achieved even with a very small change in the flow rate of the fluidizing gas g4 (see Figure 4), which has the advantages of good controllability and little impact on the efficiency of the entire process, as well as the great advantage that the bed temperature of the gasification chamber 1 can be controlled without changing the flow rate of the fluidizing gas g1 supplied to the gasification chamber 1,” (lines 2208-2215 of Espacenet translation [page 29]).
The teachings of Matsuoka would suggest to a person having ordinary skill in the art that the temperature of the settling combustion chamber in Sugiyama could be successfully regulated in response to readings from a temperature sensor disposed in said settling combustion chamber by controlling (using a control valve) the flow rate of fluidizing gas supplied through the third gas diffuser.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Matsuoka by regulating a temperature or flow rate of the third fluidizing gas such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range, in order to thereby maintain a desired temperature in the pyrolysis chamber and a desired temperature differential between the combustion chamber and the pyrolysis chamber.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Tsangaris as applied to claim 17 above, and in further view of Hashimoto et al. (JP 2004-196831), hereafter referred to as Hashimoto.
With regard to claim 21: Modified Sugiyama comprises a heat transfer tube 641 through which a cooling medium flows, said heat transfer tube configured to recover heat from a fluidized medium in in a heat recovery chamber 603 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraphs [0052], [0053], [0061] of Espacenet translation); wherein the heat recovery chamber can be controlled to control an amount of heat recovered therein (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0061] of Espacenet translation).
Modified Sugiyama is silent to the heat transfer tube being positioned in the settling combustion chamber.
Hashimoto teaches a gasification device having a pyrolysis chamber 1 and a combustion chamber 2, wherein the pyrolysis chamber (gasification chamber) 1 is separated from the combustion chamber 2 by a first partition wall 15, wherein a second partition wall 14 divides the combustion chamber into a main combustion chamber and a settling combustion chamber, and wherein a heat recovery device (heat transfer tube) 41 is disposed in the settling combustion chamber(Figure 6, lines 991-1088 [pages 14-15] of Espacenet translation). Hashimoto teaches that, by disposing the heat recovery device 41 in the settling combustion chamber the gasification device can be advantageously simplified compared to embodiments comprising a separate heat recovery chamber (lines 1082-1088 [page 15] of Espacenet translation).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Hashimoto by disposing the heat transfer tube in the settling combustion chamber, thereby eliminating the need for a separate heat recovery chamber such that the gasification device of Sugiyama can be advantageously simplified.
Modified Sugiyama is silent regulating a flow of the cooling medium such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range.
However, a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the heat transfer tube in modified Sugiyama, by virtue of being disposed in the settling combustion chamber, will have a profound effect on the temperature of the settling combustion chamber. Furthermore, because bed material c2 in modified Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the temperature of the settling combustion chamber will have a profound effect on the temperature of the bed material c2 entering the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 and thus, on the operation of the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601. Recognizing such, a person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to control the operation the heat transfer tube in modified Sugiyama to control the temperature of the settling combustion chamber.
Furthermore, Sugiyama teaches that the pyrolysis chamber 601 must be kept at a lower temperature than the combustion chamber 602 (paragraph [0082] of Espacenet translation). Considering that the because bed material c2 in modified Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would be further motivated to control the temperature in the settling combustion chamber, i.e. so as to ensure a proper temperature differential between the pyrolysis chamber 601 and the combustion chamber 602.
Sugiyama teaches controlling temperature in the combustion chamber 602 by adjusting the amount of heat recovered in the heat recovery chamber 603 (paragraphs [0054] and [0068] of Espacenet translation). This teaching would suggest top one of give one of ordinary skill in the art that, in modified Sugiyama, the temperature of the settling combustion chamber could be successfully controlled by controlling the temperature of the heat recovery device disposed therein.
In addition, it is known in the art to control temperature by controlling the flow of a cooling medium to a heat transfer element. For example, Hashimoto teaches controlling temperature by controlling the flow of cooling water to water tubes 15e via control valve 214 on the basis based on signals from temperature sensors (Figures 1-3, lines 181-274 [pages 4-5] of Espacenet translation). A person having ordinary skill in the art would have a reasonable expectation that such a control principle could be applied to controlling the temperature of the heat recovery device and the settling combustion chamber of modified Sugiyama.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Hashimoto by regulating a flow of the cooling medium such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range, in order to thereby maintain a desired temperature in the pyrolysis chamber and a desired temperature differential between the combustion chamber and the pyrolysis chamber.
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Tsangaris and Hashimoto as applied to claim 21 above, and in further view of Matsuoka and Miyoshi et al. (CN 1284986), hereafter referred to as Miyoshi.
With regard to claim 22: In modified Sugiyama the third fluidizing gas is supplied into the settling combustion chamber by a wind box disposed under the settling combustion chamber (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0045] of Espacenet translation).
Modified Sugiyama is silent to the third fluidizing gas being supplied at different flow rates by a plurality of wind boxes to swirl the fluidized medium forming the third fluidized bed.
However, it is known in the art to provide a gas diffuser with multiple wind boxes, respective multiple supply lines, and respective multiple gas flow rate regulating valves. For example, Matsuoka teaches a gas diffuser for a gas diffuser 2a/2b for main combustion chamber 5, wherein said gas diffuser 2a/2b comprises a plurality of wind boxes 33 and 34, a plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines each coupled to a respective one of the wind boxes, and a plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 64 and 63 each attached to a respective one of the plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines; and an operation controller 6 configured to control each of the plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 64 and 63 individually, such that the controller can set opening degrees of each of said gas flow rate regulating valves to be different from each other (Figure 1, pages 3-5 of Espacenet translation).
Matsuoka also teaches a Matsuoka a gas diffuser for a gas diffuser 1a/1b for pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 1, wherein said gas diffuser 1a/1b comprises a plurality of wind boxes 31 and 32, a plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines each coupled to a respective one of the wind boxes, and a plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 61 and 62 each attached to a respective one of the plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines; and an operation controller 6 configured to control each of the plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 61 and 62 individually, such that the controller can set opening degrees of each of said gas flow rate regulating valves to be different from each other (Figure 1, pages 3-5 of Espacenet translation).
By providing the gas diffusers 1a/1b and 2a/2b with a plurality of wind boxes, etc., said gas diffusers are given the capability to separately control fluidizing gas flow rate within discrete sections of the pyrolysis chamber 1 and main combustion chamber 5 respectively, thereby allowing an internal swirl of material to form therein (Matsuoka: page 5 of Espacenet translation).
Furthermore, it is known in the art to provide a settling combustion chamber with a gas diffuser having a plurality of wind boxes. For example, Miyoshi teaches a fluidized bed gasification furnace (Espacenet Abstract), the fluidized bed gasification furnace comprising a settling combustion chamber (settling char combustion chamber) 4, wherein in at least one embodiment the settling combustion chamber 4 is provided with a gas diffuser having two separate wind boxes, i.e. a weak fluidization zone 4a and a strong fluidization zone 4b (Figures 4 and 6, paragraph [0104] of Espacenet translation). Miyoshi teaches that such a configuration promotes heat diffusion and allows for an internal swirl to form within the settling combustion chamber (paragraph [0104] of Espacenet translation).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Matsuoka and Miyoshi by supplying the third fluidizing gas at different flow rates using a plurality of wind boxes; so as to promote heat diffusion and to swirl the fluidized medium forming the third fluidized bed in the settling combustion chamber.
Claim(s) 24 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Matsuoka.
With regard to claims 24 and 25: Sugiyama teaches a pyrolysis method of pyrolyzing a raw material using a pyrolysis apparatus having a fluidized-bed furnace (integrated gasification furnace) 701 containing a fluidized medium therein, an inside of the fludized bed furnace being divided into a pyrolysis chamber (gasification chamber) 601, a settling combustion chamber 604, and a main combustion chamber (the portion of combustion chamber 602 not encompassed by settling combustion chamber 604) (Figure 1, paragraphs [0001] and [0040]-[0053] of Espacenet translation), the method comprising:
Supplying a first fluidizing gas g1 to the pyrolysis chamber 601 to form a first fluidized bed in the pyrolysis chamber 601 (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0081] of Espacenet translation).
Supplying a first raw material a1 to the pyrolysis chamber 601 in a first supply amount (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0081] of Espacenet translation; see annotated Figure 2 below).
Pyrolyzing the first raw material a1 in the pyrolysis chamber 601 (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0079]-[0082] of Espacenet translation).
Combusting a residue (char) h of the first raw material in the main combustion chamber (the portion of combustion chamber 602 not encompassed by settling combustion chamber 604) while supplying a second fluidizing gas (portion of g2 supplied to the main combustion chamber) to the main combustion chamber to form a second fluidized bed in the main combustion chamber (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0079]-[0082] of Espacenet translation).
And moving a fluidized medium from the main combustion chamber to the pyrolysis chamber 601 through the settling combustion chamber 604 while supplying a third fluidizing gas (portion of g2 supplied to the settling combustion chamber 604) to the settling combustion chamber to form a third fluidized bed in the settling combustion chamber 604 (Figures 1 and 2; paragraphs [0040]-[0053], [0056]-[0057], and [0079]-[0082] of Espacenet translation).
Sugiyama does not explicitly teach regulating a temperature or flow rate of the third fluidizing gas such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range.
However, because bed material c2 in modified Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the temperature of the settling combustion chamber will have a profound effect on the temperature of the bed material c2 entering the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 and thus, on the operation of the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601. Recognizing such, a person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to control the temperature of the settling combustion chamber in modified Sugiyama.
Furthermore, Sugiyama teaches that the pyrolysis chamber 601 must be kept at a lower temperature than the combustion chamber 602 (paragraph [0082] of Espacenet translation). Considering that the because bed material c2 in Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would be further motivated to control the temperature in the settling combustion chamber, i.e. so as to ensure a proper temperature differential between the pyrolysis chamber 601 and the combustion chamber 602.
Matsuoka teaches a system comprising a pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 1; a combustion chamber 2 divided into a main combustion chamber (combustion chamber main body) 5 and a settling combustion chamber 4; a first gas diffuser 1a/1b configured to supply a first fluidizing gas g1 into the pyrolysis chamber 1; a second gas diffuser 2a/2b configured to supply a second fluidizing gas g2 into the main combustion chamber 5; a third gas diffuser 4a configured to supply a third fluidizing gas g4 into the settling combustion chamber; thermometers (temperature measuring devices) 42 and 43 disposed in the pyrolysis chamber 1 and the combustion chamber main body 5 and configured to measure temperatures in said chambers, and an operation controller (control device) 6 configured to control temperature in the combustion chamber 2 by controlling operations of the first, second, and third gas diffusers 1a/1b, 2a/2b, and 4b, i.e. by controlling the flow rate of fluidizing gas by actuating flow regulating valves 61-67 (Figure 1, pages 3-5 of Espacenet translation).
Concerning the control of fluidizing gas flow rate into settling combustion chamber 4, Matsuoka teaches at least the following:
i) “when it is desired to control the amount of heat transfer to a small value, the control device 6 as a heat transfer control device sends a signal to the fluidizing gas flow control device (e.g., flow control valve 65) of the settling char combustion chamber 4 to set the flow rate to zero. As a result, fluidization of the settling char combustion chamber 4 stops, and the movement of fluidized medium by convection between the gasification chamber 1 and the char combustion chamber 2 no longer occurs,” (Lines 1229-1235 [page 17] of Espacenet translation).
ii) “by controlling the amount of fluidizing gas in the settling char combustion chamber 4 so that the obtained circulation amount becomes an appropriate value, the bed temperature in the gasification chamber and the gas composition at the gasification chamber outlet can be controlled,” (lines 1608-1611 [page 22] of Espacenet translation).
iii) “In contrast, in the case of controlling the amount of movement of the fluidized material c by changing the weak fluidization state of the settling char combustion chamber 4 as described above, a large change in the amount of movement of the fluidized material c can be achieved even with a very small change in the flow rate of the fluidizing gas g4 (see Figure 4), which has the advantages of good controllability and little impact on the efficiency of the entire process, as well as the great advantage that the bed temperature of the gasification chamber 1 can be controlled without changing the flow rate of the fluidizing gas g1 supplied to the gasification chamber 1,” (lines 2208-2215 of Espacenet translation [page 29]).
The teachings of Matsuoka would suggest to a person having ordinary skill in the art that the temperature of the settling combustion chamber in Sugiyama could be successfully regulated in response to readings from a temperature sensor disposed in said settling combustion chamber by controlling (using a control valve) the flow rate of fluidizing gas supplied through the third gas diffuser.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Matsuoka by regulating a temperature or flow rate of the third fluidizing gas such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range, in order to thereby maintain a desired temperature in the pyrolysis chamber and a desired temperature differential between the combustion chamber and the pyrolysis chamber.
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Matsuoka as applied to claims 24 and 25 above, and in further view of Hashimoto et al. (JP 2004-196831), hereafter referred to as Hashimoto.
With regard to claim 26: Modified Sugiyama comprises a heat transfer tube 641 through which a cooling medium flows, said heat transfer tube configured to recover heat from a fluidized medium in in a heat recovery chamber 603 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraphs [0052], [0053], [0061] of Espacenet translation); wherein the heat recovery chamber can be controlled to control an amount of heat recovered therein (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0061] of Espacenet translation).
Modified Sugiyama is silent to the heat transfer tube being positioned in the settling combustion chamber.
Hashimoto teaches a gasification device having a pyrolysis chamber 1 and a combustion chamber 2, wherein the pyrolysis chamber (gasification chamber) 1 is separated from the combustion chamber 2 by a first partition wall 15, wherein a second partition wall 14 divides the combustion chamber into a main combustion chamber and a settling combustion chamber, and wherein a heat recovery device (heat transfer tube) 41 is disposed in the settling combustion chamber(Figure 6, lines 991-1088 [pages 14-15] of Espacenet translation). Hashimoto teaches that, by disposing the heat recovery device 41 in the settling combustion chamber the gasification device can be advantageously simplified compared to embodiments comprising a separate heat recovery chamber (lines 1082-1088 [page 15] of Espacenet translation).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Hashimoto by disposing the heat transfer tube in the settling combustion chamber, thereby eliminating the need for a separate heat recovery chamber such that the gasification device of Sugiyama can be advantageously simplified.
Modified Sugiyama is silent regulating a flow of the cooling medium such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range.
However, a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the heat transfer tube in modified Sugiyama, by virtue of being disposed in the settling combustion chamber, will have a profound effect on the temperature of the settling combustion chamber. Furthermore, because bed material c2 in modified Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the temperature of the settling combustion chamber will have a profound effect on the temperature of the bed material c2 entering the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 and thus, on the operation of the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601. Recognizing such, a person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to control the operation the heat transfer tube in modified Sugiyama to control the temperature of the settling combustion chamber.
Furthermore, Sugiyama teaches that the pyrolysis chamber 601 must be kept at a lower temperature than the combustion chamber 602 (paragraph [0082] of Espacenet translation). Considering that the because bed material c2 in modified Sugiyama is heated in the combustion chamber 602 and then flows into the pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 601 via the settling combustion chamber 604 (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0055] of Espacenet translation), a person having ordinary skill in the art would be further motivated to control the temperature in the settling combustion chamber, i.e. so as to ensure a proper temperature differential between the pyrolysis chamber 601 and the combustion chamber 602.
Sugiyama teaches controlling temperature in the combustion chamber 602 by adjusting the amount of heat recovered in the heat recovery chamber 603 (paragraphs [0054] and [0068] of Espacenet translation). This teaching would suggest top one of give one of ordinary skill in the art that, in modified Sugiyama, the temperature of the settling combustion chamber could be successfully controlled by controlling the temperature of the heat recovery device disposed therein.
In addition, it is known in the art to control temperature by controlling the flow of a cooling medium to a heat transfer element. For example, Hashimoto teaches controlling temperature by controlling the flow of cooling water to water tubes 15e via control valve 214 on the basis based on signals from temperature sensors (Figures 1-3, lines 181-274 [pages 4-5] of Espacenet translation). A person having ordinary skill in the art would have a reasonable expectation that such a control principle could be applied to controlling the temperature of the heat recovery device and the settling combustion chamber of modified Sugiyama.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Hashimoto by regulating a flow of the cooling medium such that a temperature in the settling combustion chamber is within a predetermined temperature range, in order to thereby maintain a desired temperature in the pyrolysis chamber and a desired temperature differential between the combustion chamber and the pyrolysis chamber.
Claim(s) 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Matsuoka and Hashimoto as applied to claim 21 above, and in further view of Miyoshi.
With regard to claim 27: In modified Sugiyama the third fluidizing gas is supplied into the settling combustion chamber by a wind box disposed under the settling combustion chamber (Sugiyama: Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0045] of Espacenet translation).
Modified Sugiyama is silent to the third fluidizing gas being supplied at different flow rates by a plurality of wind boxes to swirl the fluidized medium forming the third fluidized bed.
However, it is known in the art to provide a gas diffuser with multiple wind boxes, respective multiple supply lines, and respective multiple gas flow rate regulating valves. For example, Matsuoka teaches a gas diffuser for a gas diffuser 2a/2b for main combustion chamber 5, wherein said gas diffuser 2a/2b comprises a plurality of wind boxes 33 and 34, a plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines each coupled to a respective one of the wind boxes, and a plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 64 and 63 each attached to a respective one of the plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines; and an operation controller 6 configured to control each of the plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 64 and 63 individually, such that the controller can set opening degrees of each of said gas flow rate regulating valves to be different from each other (Figure 1, pages 3-5 of Espacenet translation).
Matsuoka also teaches a Matsuoka a gas diffuser for a gas diffuser 1a/1b for pyrolysis (gasification) chamber 1, wherein said gas diffuser 1a/1b comprises a plurality of wind boxes 31 and 32, a plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines each coupled to a respective one of the wind boxes, and a plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 61 and 62 each attached to a respective one of the plurality of fluidizing gas supply lines; and an operation controller 6 configured to control each of the plurality of gas flow rate regulating valves 61 and 62 individually, such that the controller can set opening degrees of each of said gas flow rate regulating valves to be different from each other (Figure 1, pages 3-5 of Espacenet translation).
By providing the gas diffusers 1a/1b and 2a/2b with a plurality of wind boxes, etc., said gas diffusers are given the capability to separately control fluidizing gas flow rate within discrete sections of the pyrolysis chamber 1 and main combustion chamber 5 respectively, thereby allowing an internal swirl of material to form therein (Matsuoka: page 5 of Espacenet translation).
Furthermore, it is known in the art to provide a settling combustion chamber with a gas diffuser having a plurality of wind boxes. For example, Miyoshi teaches a fluidized bed gasification furnace (Espacenet Abstract), the fluidized bed gasification furnace comprising a settling combustion chamber (settling char combustion chamber) 4, wherein in at least one embodiment the settling combustion chamber 4 is provided with a gas diffuser having two separate wind boxes, i.e. a weak fluidization zone 4a and a strong fluidization zone 4b (Figures 4 and 6, paragraph [0104] of Espacenet translation). Miyoshi teaches that such a configuration promotes heat diffusion and allows for an internal swirl to form within the settling combustion chamber (paragraph [0104] of Espacenet translation).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify Sugiyama in view of Matsuoka and Miyoshi by supplying the third fluidizing gas at different flow rates using a plurality of wind boxes; so as to promote heat diffusion and to swirl the fluidized medium forming the third fluidized bed in the settling combustion chamber.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18 is 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 18 is drawn to a fluidized bed pyrolysis method comprising “controlling a ratio of the first supply amount to the second supply amount based on a temperature in the main combustion chamber or a temperature in the settling combustion chamber.”
The closest prior art of record is Sugiyama (JP 2003-156209) in view of Tsangaris (US 2008/0209807) as applied in the 103 rejection of claim 17 set forth above. The combination of Sugiyama in view of Tsangaris fails to teach or fairly suggest the operation controller as claimed. There is no prior art of record which cures the deficiencies of Sugiyama and Tsangaris.
For further details regarding Examiner’s reasons for allowance see the following documents in parent Application 17/786,102:
Examiner’s interview summary dated 12/17/2024
Applicant’s Remarks filed 12/12/2024 (especially pages 9-11 thereof)
Conclusion
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/JONATHAN LUKE PILCHER/Examiner, Art Unit 1772
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