Ex Parte Schell et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Sep 7, 2017

13736980 (P.T.A.B. Sep. 7, 2017)

United States Patent and Trademark Office
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
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Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www.uspto.gov
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
13/736,980 01/09/2013 Susanne Renate Schell 1033275-000913 8923
138462 7590 09/11/2017
ANSALDO/STUDIO TORTA
c/o BUCHANAN INGERSOLL & ROONEY PC
P.O. BOX 1404
ALEXANDRIA, VA 22313
EXAMINER
FORD, RENE D
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
3741
NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE
09/11/2017 ELECTRONIC
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
following e-mail address(es):
ADIPDOCl@BIPC.COM
stacy. shaw @ bipc. com
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte SUSANNE RENATE SCHELL and THIEMO MEEUWISSEN
(Applicant: Alstom Technology LTD.)
Appeal 2016-005900
Application 13/736,9801
Technology Center 3700
Before ROBERT E. NAPPI, JOSEPH P. LENTIVECH, and
SCOTT B. HOWARD, Administrative Patent Judges.
HOWARD, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
Appellant appeals under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Final Rejection
of claims 1—18, which constitute all of the claims pending in this application.
We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
We affirm.
1 Appellant identifies itself, Alstom Technology LTD., as the real party in
interest. App. Br. 1.
Appeal 2016-005900
Application 13/736,980
THE INVENTION
The disclosed and claimed invention is directed to “a method for
operating a gas turbine which is optionally operated with a gaseous fuel,
such as natural gas, and/or with a liquid fuel, such as oil.” Spec. 12. More
specifically, the claimed invention is directed to when “a change between an
operation with the gaseous fuel and an operation with the liquid fuel is
undertaken during load operation of the gas turbine, and wherein at least the
operation with the liquid fuel is carried out with [the addition of] water.” Id.
Claim 1, reproduced below, is illustrative of the claimed subject
matter:
1. A method for operating a gas turbine operated with a
gaseous fuel, an oil fuel, or the gaseous fuel and the oil fuel, the
method comprising:
changing between a first operating mode with the gaseous
fuel having a gaseous mass flow and a second operating mode
with oil fuel having an oil mass flow during load operation of the
gas turbine;
adding water, having a water mass flow, at least in the
second operating mode with oil fuel; and
determining by a ratio the water mass flow added to fuel
mass flow during the changing between operating modes
according to:
„ _ rilH20 * LHVn0rm
n°rm ~ rhgas * LHVgas + moil * LHVoil
where: