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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because FIG.3 THE BOX LABELED EXTERNAL POWER-CONSUMING APPARATUS, SHOULD BE LABELED, EXTERNAL POWER SUPLY. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim objections
Claims 3 and 16 are objected to for the following reasons Claim 3: at least a first control procedure, a second control procedure, a third control procedure, a fourth control procedure, and a fifth control procedure for charging and discharging the energy storage apparatus according to a plurality of different operating configurations as stated in the claim raises questions such as whether the procedures could be repeated or the same at a different time period, thus the claim could be read as two or three distinct functional processes or methods to be or being done repeatedly over a time period. For purposes of examining and rejecting the claim, given the scope of the claim, the claim would be read broadly as such.
Claim 16 calls for a third air outlet with no antecedent basis for a first and a second air outlet
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-5, 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 USC 102(a1) under McDonnell (US 2020/0235580)
Regarding claim 1, McDonnell teaches a black-start achievable energy storage system in (see para 0049), comprising in (see fig. 2): an energy storage apparatus (174); and a power conversion system (173, inverter), wherein the power conversion system is electrically connected to the energy storage apparatus (see 173 relative to 174), and is configured to control, based on a plurality of different operating conditions (different measured frequency modes), the energy storage apparatus to charge and discharge (see para 0022, 0034, 0035, 0039, 0040)
Regarding claim 2, McDonnell teaches a black-start achievable energy storage system further comprising: a transformer (172) configured to regulate a voltage difference between the black-start achievable energy storage system and an external apparatus (179, 180 and the feeder line) and any apparatus connected to the power supply line off the feeder (153).
Regarding claim 3, McDonnell teaches providing a power conversion system connected to an energy storage system in (see fig. 2 @ 173, 174),
a first procedure could be discharging of the battery (174) via a power converter and transformer to loads (179, 180 and see feeder line) ; internal or external loads are not defined.
a second procedure could be discharging power from the battery to any loads (179, 180 and see feeder line), internal or external are not defined.
a third procedure could be read broadly as charging the battery via external power (gas turbine, solar panel) to supply power to a load in the future
a fourth procedure could be read as regulating power by using a transformer or a converter, the inherent function of a transformer and/or a converter (154, 155) based on incoming voltage and/or frequency.
a fifth procedure could be read as charging the battery via for instance the power grid (in (see para 0022).
Regarding claims 4, 5, 7 and 8, see the explanation as set forth regarding claim 3.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 USC 103 over McDonnell (US 2020/0235580) in view of Trump (WO 2020/104088).
Regarding claim 6, McDonnell teaches a parallel path for powering an AC load independent of each other (battery to load or generator to load) wherein the third control procedure comprises: connecting the energy storage system and a transformer in parallel through synchronization to supply power to an external apparatus, when both the energy storage system and a generator set are configured to supply power to an external apparatus and when a voltage generated by the energy storage apparatus, after converted by the power conversion system and then regulated by the transformer, is consistent with a voltage generated by the generator set in (see fig. 2 for connection of power generator in parallel with the battery for supply power to a load) on a bus of feeder (153).
McDonnell teaches sending power to a load but fails to teach an external apparatus read by the examiner a fracturing load.
Trump teaches a fracturing system wherein both a generator and a battery source are connected in parallel to each other to supply power to a fracturing load, even though a transformer is not used in (see fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Trump into that of McDonnel to make it possible to use alternative power sources for fracturing without interruption because of a power failure
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 USC 103 over McDonnell (US 2020/0235580) in view of Davis (US 2019/0067991).
Regarding claim 9, McDonnell teaches a gas turbine generator set with a gas turbine, a generator and a battery electrically. However, McDonnell fails to teach a gas turbine generator set; and the gas turbine generator set further comprising: a control and power system, a gas turbine, a power generator, a silencing compartment and air inlet system, and an exhaust system.
Davis teaches a mobile power turbine in (see figs.) with a control and power system in (see para 0056-0059), a gas turbine (Para 0033, 0034), a power generator (para 0033, 0034), a silencing compartment (see para 0036), an inlet (see para 0036) and an exhaust system (see para 0040).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Davis into that of McDonnell thus making it possible to properly regulate a gas turbine set with cooling features to provide constant power for fracturing where high voltage and continuous power is needed
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 USC 103 over Trump (WO 2020/104088) in view of Ough et al. (US 20220278531).
Regarding claim 10, Trump teaches in (see fig. 1) a mobile power generation apparatus (see page 1 “technical field), comprising a vehicle equipped with an energy storage device (60), a power generator (30), a gas turbine (20), and a starting mechanism (see page 6) for driving the gas turbine to operate, the power generator being connected to the gas turbine (see 20 and 30 connected together). According to Trump, the battery can supply power to the gas turbine in (see page 6) but fails the energy storage device being electrically connected to the starting mechanism for supplying power to the starting mechanism
Ough teaches a power generator system for fracturing in (see para 0006) wherein a gas turbine can be powered by a battery via means of a starter of the turbine in (see para 0041).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Ough into that of Trump to manage a power system wherein a mobile system for fracturing or any load can incorporate multiple sources to operate and yet be able to function without interrupting operation of the load by relying on one source or the other, if one fails without additional resources or need for utility power where there may be no access to it.
Regarding claim 11, The combination including Trump teaches the feasibility wherein the energy storage device further comprises a battery (60) and a power conversion system(40), wherein: the battery is electrically connected to the power conversion system. Note the combination would teach in light of Ough, the power conversion system is electrically connected to the starting mechanism since it’s part of the gas turbine; (see fig. 1 of Trump).
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 USC 103 over Trump (WO 2020/104088) in view of Ough et al. (US 20220278531) and further in view of McDonnell (US 2020/0235580).
Regarding claims 12 and 13, The combination including Trump wherein: the power conversion system is further electrically connected to an external power supply apparatus directly or to the external power supply apparatus
The combination fails to teach a transformer coupled between a power generator and a storage device to be coupled to a load (internal or external apparatus).
McDonnell teaches in (see fig. 2) teaches a power generation system wherein a transformer (172) can be imposed between a power gas turbine(162) and a battery (174).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of McDonnell into the combination to regulate high voltages with different frequencies effectively without damaging a battery.
Claims 14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 USC 103 over Trump (WO 2020/104088) in view of Ough et al. (US 20220278531) and further in view of Davis et al. (US 2019/0067991).
Regarding claim 14, The combination teaches a power generator, the gas turbine and starting mechanism to start the turbine.
However, the combination fails to teach a first air inlet, a second air inlet, and a third air inlet are provided on the compartment at intervals, the first air inlet being in communication with a gas inlet of the gas turbine, the second air inlet being in communication with the inner cavity, and the third air inlet being in communication with a cooling air inlet of the power generator.
Davis teaches a power generation system with a plurality of inlets spaced apart in communication with a turbine/generator, inner cavities of silencer hoods and a cooling inlet (182) (see para 0036, 0039, 0040).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teaching of Davis for the purpose of being able to provide ventilation and cooling
Regarding claims 17-19, The combination including Davis teach an exhaust system with a plurality of silencers in conjunction with a generator and a turbine in (see para 0036-0040 of Davis)
Regarding claim 20, The combination teaches a power assembly for fracturing in (see para 0001 of Davis)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT L DEBERADINIS whose telephone number is (571)272-2049. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am to 6 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Barnie Rexford can be reached at 571 272 2391. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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March 17, 2026
/ROBERT L DEBERADINIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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