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 Objection
Claim 49 is objected to because: 1) it is unclear what planet the phrase “other planets” refer to, and 2) it maybe rejected under 35 USC 101 because it is unclear if modern technology would be able to harvest fuels from Moon, Mars and other planets as claimed.
35 USC 102 rejections
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) 32-34, 36-38, 41-46, 48-51 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by WO 2020/049528 (Oqab).
Regarding independent claim 32, Oqab discloses a vehicle configured to use recyclable metallic fuel 108 for propulsion, comprising: a fuel tank 104 for storing a metallic fuel; a working fluid source (paragraph 50); a mixing tank 206, for mixing the metallic fuel and a working fluid to form a mixture; a heat engine 100 having an induction heating assembly 110, wherein the mixture is inductively heated in the heat engine causing at least a partial reaction of the metallic fuel; a closed loop heat transfer system for transferring heat from the at least partial reaction of the metallic fuel to cause a reaction in a working fluid (paragraph 41); and a propulsion system (paragraph 41) connected to the heat transfer system, wherein the propulsion system is driven by the reaction in the working fluid to move the vehicle (paragraph 23 discloses many different working fluids, paragraph 41 discloses that water can be generated in a steam cycle with condenser; note it is well known in thermodynamic that “in a steam generator, the “reaction” of the fluid refers to the phase change of water into steam and the thermodynamic expansion of the steam as it passes through the system”).
Regarding claim 33, Oqab discloses an electrical generator driven by an endothermic phase change in the working fluid to produce electricity for powering onboard systems (paragraph 59 discloses “generate electricity”).
Regarding claim 34, Oqab a thermal energy harvesting system connected to the heat engine to capture and convert excess thermal energy from the at least partial reaction of the metallic fuel into electricity (again, paragraph 59 discloses “generate electricity”).
Regarding claim 36, Oqab at least one combustion chamber 112 for combusting the metallic fuel; at least one reaction chamber (steam generating chamber or heating assembly 110) for generating thermal power using heat from unburnt metallic fuel and reaction byproducts; at least one storage system (condenser in paragraph 41) for capturing the unburnt metallic fuel and the reaction byproducts; and at least a first recycling system for directing the captured unburnt metallic fuel and/or the reaction byproducts to the at least one combustion chamber and/or the at least one reaction chamber (the steam cycle in paragraph 41 clearly recites a closed cycle with a condenser).
Regarding claim 37, Oqab discloses that wherein the at least one storage system 405 comprises storage tanks for storing the unburnt metallic fuel and the reaction byproducts.
Regarding claim 38, Oqab discloses a second reaction chamber for reducing the reaction byproducts by one or more reductive processes to regenerate the metallic fuel; and a second recycling system for directing the reaction byproducts from the at least one storage system to the second reaction chamber (paragraph 23 discloses many secondary tanks, secondary heating combustion and propulsion profiles, those are considered second reaction chambers).
Regarding claim 41, Oqab discloses a temperature regulating system for controlling volumetric heating of the metallic fuel in the heat engine (paragraph 58 discloses the “precise temperature control” by controlling the heat).
Regarding claim 42, Oqab discloses that, wherein the vehicle is one of: a land-based vehicle, an aerial vehicle, a water vehicle and a spacecraft (aircraft).
Regarding claim 43, Oqab discloses a secondary fuel tank for storing a secondary fuel, wherein the secondary fuel is combusted with the metallic fuel in the heat engine(paragraph 23 discloses many secondary tanks, secondary heating combustion and propulsion profiles, those are considered second reaction chambers).
Regarding claim 44, Oqab discloses that wherein the secondary fuel is one of: a hydrocarbon, a metal, a metal oxide, a micro thermite and a nano thermite, or products formed from hydrogenation, methanation, carbothermal reduction, and/or electrolysis (paragraph 23 discloses most the cited fluids in this claim).
Regarding claim 45, Oqad discloses that wherein the working fluid is a liquid or a gas (most of the fluids in paragraph 23 are either liquid or gas).
Regarding claim 46, Oqab discloses that wherein the heat engine further comprises a secondary heat source for tuning the at least partial reaction of the metallic fuel (paragraph 23 discloses many secondary tanks, secondary heating combustion and propulsion profiles, those are considered second reaction chambers).
Regarding claim 48, Oqab discloses that wherein the heat engine is configured for sintering the metallic fuel (paragraph 57).
Regarding claim 49, Oqab discloses that wherein the metallic fuel is synthesized from a plurality of fuel sources harvested from the Earth, Moon, Mars, other planets, asteroids, planetoids, other celestial bodies, or a combination thereof (at least the energy can be harvested from Earth).
Regarding claim 50, Oqab discloses that wherein the at least partial reaction of the metallic fuel causes a phase change in the working fluid (paragraph 41 discloses the reaction that water turns into steam).
Regarding claim 51, Oqab discloses that wherein thermal energy generated by the heat engine is utilized to maintain an internal temperature of the vehicle within a desired range (paragraph 59 discloses generated power/electricity can be stored in the storage system which then be used for the aircraft engine).
35 USC 103 rejections
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.
Claims 35, 39-40, 47 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2020/049528 (Oqab) in view of US 6792259 (Parise). Oqab teaches all the claimed subject matter as set forth above in the rejection of claim 1, but still does not teach: 1) thermophotovoltaic cells in claim 35, 2) wireless transmitter and receiver in claims 39-40, and 3) microwave radiation source, ultraviolet radiation source, or laser in claim 47. Parise discloses a vehicle that can be used with aircraft (figure 21), the vehicle has: 1) thermophotovoltaic cells (column 15, line 4), 2) wireless transmitter and receiver (column 6, lines 5-11 teaches wireless transmitter 20 and receiver 44), and 3) microwave radiation source, ultraviolet radiation source, or laser (column 6, lines 39-47 disclose microwave, laser sources). It would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was filed to provide thermophotovoltaic cells in Oqab as taught by Parise for the purpose of collecting solar energy more effectively, to use wireless transmitter/receiver in Aqab as taught by Parise for the purpose of effectively and remotely controlling the system, and to provide microwave, laser sources in Oqab as taught by Parise for the purpose of obtaining appropriate amount of power output based on the input sources.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Smith, Sondergaard, Oqab (US 12,291,989), Yogev, and Dionne discloses heat engines using metallic working fluids.
Conclusions
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to Examiner Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-4861. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday--Thursday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi, can be reached on (571) 270-7878.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
HOANG NGUYEN
PRIMARY EXAMINER
ART UNIT 3746
Hoang Minh Nguyen
7/29/2026
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