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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because references are made to claims which are prone to change. For Example, in Page 2, Lines 18-25 claims 1 and 12 are both referenced and both have been canceled.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 16-33 are each objected to because of the following informalities which are identified by proposed amendments to correct the respective informalities:
Claim 16. [[Device]]A device for exchanging geothermal energy with a near-surface aquifer for operation in a thermal power plant, [[with]]the device comprising:
an extraction well for pumping groundwater from the aquifer through at least one extraction line and an injection well for injecting pumped from the extraction well into the aquifer through at least one injection line,
wherein the at least one extraction line is connected to the at least one injection line for forwarding water via a primary line,
wherein the extraction well has a plurality of horizontal extraction strings at [[its]]an aquifer end of the extraction well,
wherein the extraction strings are operatively connected to the at least one extraction line for pumping water out of the aquifer and wherein a filter pipe is arranged within at least one extraction string,
wherein the injection well has at least one horizontal injection string at [[its]]an aquifer end of the injection well, wherein:
the extraction well is [[designed]]configured as an extraction shaft and the injection well is [[designed]]configured as an injection shaft separate from and at a distance from the extraction shaft;
the at least one extraction line is arranged in the extraction shaft;
the at least one injection line is arranged in the injection shaft; and
[[a]]the plurality of extraction strings are combined in a common extraction line.
Claim 17. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the at least one injection stringis operatively connected to the at least one injection line for introducing water into the aquifer and wherein a filter pipe is arranged within each injection string of the at least one injection string.
Claim 18. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the extraction well with the at least one extraction line and the at least one extraction string forms a first horizontal filter well; and
the injection well with the at least one injection line and the at least one injection string forms a second horizontal filter well.
Claim 19. The device according to claim 18, wherein:
the first horizontal filter well and second horizontal filter well
Claim 20. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the device comprises a capacity for extraction of water on an extraction side and a capacity for injection of water on an injection side, and wherein: the capacity for extraction of water is equal to the capacity for injection of water; or the capacity for injection of water is greater than the capacity for extraction of water.
Claim 21. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the extracted groundwater [[extracted]]pumped from conveyed to the injection well with the exclusion of external oxygen.
Claim 22. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the extraction well has at least two horizontal extraction strings
Claim 23. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the extraction well and the injection well have a minimum distance of ten times [[the]]a depth of the extraction well and a depth of the injection well from one another.
Claim 24. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
at least one of: the horizontal extraction strings have a length of greater than 10 meters; and
the horizontal injection strings have a length of greater than 10 meters.
Claim 25. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
at least one of:
the horizontal extraction strings have a length of greater than 50 meters; and
the horizontal injection strings have a length of greater than 50 meters.
Claim 26. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
at least one of:
the horizontal extraction strings have a length of greater than 100 meters; and
the horizontal injection strings have a length of greater than 100 meters.
Claim 27. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the filter pipeis supported in a bed, gravel or glass balls being used as bedding material.
Claim 28. The device according to claim 16, wherein:
the filter pipeis supported in a bed, gravel or glass balls being used as filter material.
Claim 29. The device according to claim 16, wherein: feed pumps are arranged for conveying
Claim 30. The device according to claim 29, wherein:
the water is pumped through the at least one extraction line and the at least one injection line at a pressure to be determined or adapted.
Claim 31. A thermal power plant with at least one of the device according to claim 16.
Claim 32. The thermal power plant according to claim 31, further comprising:
at least one of:
at least one heat exchanger configured to extract or supply thermal energy to
at least one heat pump configured to extract or supply the thermal energy to the groundwater pumped between the extraction well and the injection well.
Claim 33. The thermal power plant according to claim 31, further comprising:
at least one of:
at least one heat exchanger configured to extract or supply thermal energy toheat exchanger operatively connected
at least one heat pump configured to extract or supply the thermal energy to the groundwater pumped between the extraction well and the injection well, the at least one heat pump operatively connected othe closed secondary line for the transfer of the thermal energy, the secondary line being operatively connected to the heat customers.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 16, 18-23, and 27-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (KR102093411) in view of Ahn (KR101803227).
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Re claim 16:
Cho discloses a device (Figs. 1-16) for exchanging geothermal energy with a near-surface aquifer (Modified Fig. 5 above - A (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element A as a type of aquifer (see Para 5)))(see Figs. 1-16 and Para 1) for operation in a thermal power plant (Para 16 - “…cooling for smart farms such as large-scale glass greenhouses or for large buildings…”) with an extraction well (11, vertical water collection hole - Para 23) for pumping groundwater (Para 34 - “…groundwater…”) from the aquifer (Modified Fig. 5 above - A) through at least one extraction line (22, supply pipe - Para 34)(see Fig. 1 and Para 34) and an injection well (50, reinjection hole - Para 45) for injecting the extracted groundwater into the aquifer (Modified Fig. 5 above - A) through at least one injection line (40, reinjection pipe - Para 39)(see Figs. 1, 5, and Paras 39-46), wherein the at least one extraction line (22) is connected to the at least one injection line (40) for forwarding water via a primary line (Modified Fig. 5 above - B (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element B as a type of primary line))(see Modified Fig. 5 above, Figs. 1, 5, and Paras 35-46), wherein the extraction well (11) has a plurality of horizontal extraction strings (12, horizontal supply holes - Para 23) at its aquifer end (Modified Fig. 5 above - C (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element C as a type of aquifer end of element 11))(see Modified Fig. 5 above, Figs. 1, and 5-6), wherein the extraction strings (12) are operatively connected to at least one extraction line (22) for pumping water out of the aquifer (Modified Fig. 5 above - A)(see Modified Fig. 5 above, Figs. 1, 5-6, Paras 23, and 34-35) and wherein a filter pipe (13, perforated pipe - Para 27; 15, perforated bundle pipe - Para 30) is arranged within at least one extraction string (12)(see Figs. 2-4 and Paras 27-32), wherein the injection well (50)
the extraction well (11) is designed as an extraction shaft (See Fig. 1 and Para 23 - “…vertical water collection hole…”) and the injection well (50) is designed as an injection shaft (see Fig. 5 and Para 45 - “…surface-side reinjection hole (50) constructed from the surface toward the ground…”) separate from and at a distance from the extraction shaft (11)(see Fig. 5 and Para 45 - “…the above reinjection hole may be composed of a surface-side reinjection hole (50) constructed from the surface toward the ground with a sufficient distance from the horizontal supply hole (12) {a distance sufficient to recover heat lost to the heat medium of the heat pump (30)}…”);
the at least one extraction line (22) is arranged in the extraction shaft (11)(see Figs. 1 and 5);
the at least one injection line (40) is arranged in the injection shaft (50)(see Fig. 5); and
a plurality of extraction strings (12) are combined in a common extraction line (22)(see Figs. 1, 5, and 6).
Cho fails to disclose wherein the injection well has at least one horizontal injection string at its aquifer end.
Ahn teaches a device (Figs. 1-3) wherein an injection well (6, well pipe - Para 23) has at least one horizontal injection string (11, lower horizontal excavation line - Para 25) at its aquifer end (Modified Fig. 1 above - A (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element A as a type of aquifer end of element 11 (see Para 16))).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modeled the device of Cho after that of Ahn, thereby including at least one horizontal injection string in the injection well of Cho in the way taught by Ahn for the advantage of being able to discharge ground water into the ground outside the well (Ahn; Para 25).
Re claim 18:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above), wherein:
the extraction well (Cho; 11) with the at least one extraction line (Cho; 22) and the at least one extraction string (Cho; 12) forms a first horizontal filter well (Cho; see Figs 1 and 5-6 at elements 11, 12, and 22); and
the injection well (Cho; 50) with the at least one injection line (Cho; 40) and the at least one injection string (Ahn; 11 (element 11 of Ahn included in injection well of Cho per combination described above)) forms a second horizontal filter well (Cho; see Figs 1 and 5-6 at elements 40 and 50 (an element 11 of Ahn has been included in element 50 per combination described above)).
Re claim 19:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 18 (as described above), wherein:
the first (Cho; see Figs 1 and 5-6 at elements 11, 12, and 22) and second horizontal filter wells (Cho; see Figs 1 and 5-6 at elements 40 and 50 (an element 11 of Ahn has been included in element 50 per combination described above))) form a geothermal doublet (Cho; see Figs. 1, 5-6, 15, and Para 1).
Re claim 20:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) hast the same capacity on the extraction side (see Fig. 1 at 22) and on the injection side (see Fig. 1 at 40) for the extraction respectively injection of water (see Fig. 1 and Para 41) or the device has on the injection side a greater capacity for the injection of water.
Re claim 21:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein the groundwater extracted from the aquifer through the extraction well (11) is con-veyed to the injection well (50) with the exclusion of external oxygen (see Figs. 1, 5, and Para 58 - “…Groundwater that has lost heat to the heat medium by passing through the heat pump (30) is discharged directly into the ground through the re-injection pipe (40)…”).
Re claim 22:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein the extraction well (11) has at least two horizontal extraction strings (12), which are arranged at different heights of the extraction well (11) within the aquifer (Modified Fig. 5 above - A)(see Figs. 1 and 5 (multiple elements 12 shown and each extending in a height direction of element 11 and thereby at different heights)).
Re claim 23:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein the extraction well (11) and the injection well (50) have a minimum distance of
Cho fails to disclose wherein the extraction well and the injection well have a minimum distance of ten times the depth of the extraction well and the injection well from one another.
Cho teaches wherein distance between an extraction well (12) and an injection well (50) is a results effective variable that determines recoverability of heat (see Fig. 5 and Para 45). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to have modified the distance of the extraction well (11) of Cho from the injection well (50) of Cho such that the extraction well and the injection well have a minimum distance of ten times the depth of the extraction well and the injection well from one another as a matter of routine optimization since it has been held that “where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Re claim 27:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein the filter pipes (13) are supported in a bed (see Figs. 1-2 (element 13 shown supported within a type of bed through element 12)), gravel or glass balls being used as bedding material.
Re claim 28
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein the filter pipes (13) are supported in a bed (see Figs. 1-2 (element 13 shown supported within a type of bed through element 12)), gravel or glass balls being used as filter material.
Re claim 29:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein: feed pumps (21, pumping pump - Para 87; 33, circulation pump - Para 87) are arranged for conveying the water within the extraction well (11)(see Fig. 15 and Para 87).
Re claim 30:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 29 (as described above).
Cho further disclose wherein the water is pumped through the at least one extraction line (22) and the at least one injection line (40) at a pressure to be determined or adapted (see Fig. 1 and Paras 57-58).
Re claim 31:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 29 (as described above).
Cho further discloses a thermal power plant (Para 16 - “…smart farms such as large-scale glass greenhouses or for large buildings…”) with the device (Cho Figs. 1-16)(see Figs. 1-16, Paras 16, and 18).
Re claim 32:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the thermal power plant (Cho; Para 16 - “…smart farms such as large-scale glass greenhouses or for large buildings…”) according to claim 31 (as described above).
Cho further discloses at least one of:
at least one heat exchanger (see Figs. 1 and 5 at 30 and Para 40 - “…heat pump (30)…includes its own heat exchanger…”) configured to extract or supply thermal energy to the groundwater pumped between the extraction well (11) and the injection well (50)(see Figs. 1, 5, Paras 22 and 39-40); and
at least one heat pump configured to extract or supply thermal energy to the groundwater pumped between the extraction well and the injection well.
Re claim 33:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the thermal power plant (Cho; Para 16 - “…smart farms such as large-scale glass greenhouses or for large buildings…”) according to claim 31 (as described above).
Cho further discloses at least one of:
at least one heat exchanger (see Figs. 1 and 5 at 30 and Para 40 - “…heat pump (30)…includes its own heat exchanger…”) configured to extract or supply thermal energy to the groundwater pumped between the extraction well (11) and the injection well (50)(see Figs. 1, 5, Paras 22 and 39-40), the at least one heat exchanger (at 30) operatively connected on the one hand to the primary line (Modified Fig. 5 above - B) and on the other hand to a closed secondary line (Modified Fig. 5 above - D (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element D as a type of closed secondary line)) for the transfer of thermal energy (see Figs. 1, 5, Paras 22, and 39-40), the secondary line being operatively connected to heat customers (see Figs. 1, 5, Paras 22, and 39-40 (“…heating and cooling heat (meaning both heat for indoor heating and cooling and heat for hot water supply…”)); and
at least one heat pump configured to extract or supply thermal energy to the groundwater pumped between the extraction well and the injection well, the at least one heat pump operatively connected on the one hand to the primary line and on the other hand to a closed secondary line for the transfer of thermal energy, the secondary line being operatively connected to heat customers.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (KR102093411) in view of Ahn (KR101803227), as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Ungerer (FR2903175A1).
Re claim 17:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above) wherein the injection strings (Ahn; 11 (elements 11 of Ahn included in injection wells of Cho per combination described above)) are operatively connected to at least one injection line (Cho; 40) for introducing water into the aquifer (Cho; Modified Fig. 5 above - A)(Cho; see Fig. 5 of Cho and Paras 35-46)
Cho/Ahn fails to disclose or teach wherein a filter pipe is arranged within each injection string.
Ungerer teaches wherein a filter pipe (4, screen drain - Page 5, Para 3) is arranged within an injection string (2, cold well - Page 5, Para 3)(see Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modeled the injection string of Cho/Ahn after that of Ungerer, thereby placing a filter pipe within the injection string of Cho/An in the way taught by Ungerer for the advantage of being able to screen contamination from entering the aquifer (Ungerer; see Fig. 2 at elements 2, 3, and 4).
Claims 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (KR102093411) in view of Ahn (KR101803227), as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Bronicki (U.S. 2006/0026961).
Re claim 24:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein at least one of: the horizontal extraction strings (12) have a length (see Fig. 5)
Cho fails to disclose wherein: at least one of the horizontal extraction strings have a length of greater than 10 meters; and the horizontal injection strings have a length of greater than 10 meters.
Bronicki teaches wherein a horizontal extraction string (34, production horizontal geothermal well - Para 46) has a length of greater than 10 meters (see Fig. 3A and Para 46 - “…the length of both horizontal geothermal wells 32 and 34 is preferably up to 1 mile within geological layer 31…”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modeled the horizontal extraction string of Cho after that of Bronicki, thereby making the length of the horizontal extraction string of Cho be greater than 10 meters in the way taught by Bronicki, for the advantage of preferability (Bronicki; Para 46), for the advantage of being able to make the suitability of geothermal well match geophysical surveys (Bronicki; Para 46), and for the advantage of increasing efficiency of exploitation of geothermal energy (Bronicki; Para 34).
Re claim 25:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein at least one of: the horizontal extraction strings (12) have a length (see Fig. 5)
Cho fails to disclose wherein: at least one of the horizontal extraction strings have a length of greater than 50 meters; and the horizontal injection strings have a length of greater than 50 meters.
Bronicki teaches wherein a horizontal extraction string (34, production horizontal geothermal well - Para 46) has a length of greater than 50 meters (see Fig. 3A and Para 46 - “…the length of both horizontal geothermal wells 32 and 34 is preferably up to 1 mile within geological layer 31…”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modeled the horizontal extraction string of Cho after that of Bronicki, thereby making the length of the horizontal extraction string of Cho be greater than 50 meters in the way taught by Bronicki, for the advantage of preferability (Bronicki; Para 46), for the advantage of being able to make the suitability of geothermal well match geophysical surveys (Bronicki; Para 46), and for the advantage of increasing efficiency of exploitation of geothermal energy (Bronicki; Para 34).
Re claim 26:
Cho in view of Ahn teaches the device (Cho; Figs. 1-16) according to claim 16 (as described above).
Cho further discloses wherein at least one of: the horizontal extraction strings (12) have a length (see Fig. 5)
Cho fails to disclose wherein: at least one of the horizontal extraction strings have a length of greater than 100 meters; and the horizontal injection strings have a length of greater than 100 meters.
Bronicki teaches wherein a horizontal extraction string (34, production horizontal geothermal well - Para 46) has a length of greater than 100 meters (see Fig. 3A and Para 46 - “…the length of both horizontal geothermal wells 32 and 34 is preferably up to 1 mile within geological layer 31…”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modeled the horizontal extraction string of Cho after that of Bronicki, thereby making the length of the horizontal extraction string of Cho be greater than 100 meters in the way taught by Bronicki, for the advantage of preferability (Bronicki; Para 46), for the advantage of being able to make the suitability of geothermal well match geophysical surveys (Bronicki; Para 46), and for the advantage of increasing efficiency of exploitation of geothermal energy (Bronicki; Para 34).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Loren C Edwards whose telephone number is (571)272-7133. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6AM-430PM.
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/LOREN C EDWARDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746 6/19/26
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