Office Action 1: Non-Final Rejection (2024-06-05)
Rejection types: 103 - Obviousness

CLAIMS:
HTTP status code: 502

OFFICE ACTION:
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 . The claims of 30 May 2023 have been entered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
Fig 1 #130 and #132 are undefined.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 20190316459) in view of Doud et al. (US 20150239795).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses an apparatus (Fig 1 #38 - ‘gauge carrier’) comprising:
a dissolvable (¶0003 – “the shell is made of a dissolvable material”) gauge cutter (interpreted as the shell #30) made of an alloy (Fig 1 #12 “magnesium alloy” ¶0015);
the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30] configured to be disposed (¶0004 – “the method also includes upon reaching a desired depth in the well”) within and travel through a tubular installed within a wellbore formed in a subterranean formation,
the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30] configured to completely dissolve (¶0004 – “the method also includes upon reaching a desired depth in the well, triggering the dissolvable shell to dissolve”) after reaching the specified depth;
a temperature sensor (#42 – explained ¶0023) configured to travel with (“housed within the ball #32” - ¶0023) the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30] and measure a temperature of a surrounding fluid (“the ball #32 can house a gauge such as a pressure and temperature gauge. The ball #32 can have an aperture #34 which is configured to receive the gauge and to allow the environmental fluid to reach the gauge within the ball” - ¶0022) as the dissolvable gauge cutter travels downhole through the tubular to the specified depth; and
a pressure sensor (#42 explained ¶0023 and “detailed readout of pressure and temperature” -¶0022) configured to travel with (“housed within the ball #32” - ¶0023) the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30] and measure a pressure of the surrounding fluid (“the ball #32 can house a gauge such as a pressure and temperature gauge. The ball #32 can have an aperture #34 which is configured to receive the gauge and to allow the environmental fluid to reach the gauge within the ball” - ¶0022) as the dissolvable gauge cutter travels downhole through the tubular to the specified depth.
Chen does not explicitly disclose wherein the dissolvable gauge cutter is configured to dislodge solids from an inner wall of the tubular as the dissolvable gauge cutter travels through the tubular down to a specified depth within the wellbore.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to realize that a spherical object [#30] flowing downhole in a tubular would inadvertently impact the inner surface of the tubular before reaching at final resting position. During these inadvertent impacts it would be obvious that at least some solids would become dislodged.
Chen does not explicitly disclose wherein at least one of zinc, aluminum, iron, tungsten, nickel, manganese, or copper is found in the magnesium alloy.
Doud teaches an alloy formulation for a frac ball for the purpose of a temperature-dependent dissolution or disintegration rate that can be designed such that the core dissolves, corrodes, reacts and/or chemically reacts in a certain period of time at a given temperature (¶0039) and “In still another non-limiting aspect of the present invention, there is provided a surface-inhibited multilayer, multifunctional component comprising (a) a primary or core unit which includes one or more selected properties of density, dissolution rate, disintegration rate, reaction rate, strength; (b) a reactive surface layer having a complimentary set of properties of one or more of strength, temperature-dependent solubility, pH solubility, and density, and wherein the core unit and surface layer create an inhibited system that is relatively inert unit exposed to an initial condition, after which it is activated. … When the core is formed of a magnesium alloy, the magnesium content of the magnesium alloy is at least 30 wt%, typically greater than 50%, and more typically at least about 70%. The metals that can be included in the magnesium alloy can include, but are not limited to, aluminum, calcium, lithium, manganese, rare earth metal, silicon, SiC, yttrium, zirconium and/or zinc”. - ¶0008
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, given the teachings of Doud, to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the material composition of Chen to include element(s) into the magnesium alloy that would provide the structural strength and dissolution rate desired, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.  In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.  It is also common knowledge to choose a material that has sufficient strength, durability, flexibility, hardness, etc. for the application and intended use of that material.
The examiner notes that nothing in the body of the claim supports the action of cutting; therefore, little weight is provided for the term ‘gauge cutter’.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen and Doud as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chen et al (US 20200131899) ‘Chen2’.
Regarding claim 2, the combination discloses the apparatus of claim 1; however, does not explicitly disclose further comprising a distance sensor configured to travel with the dissolvable gauge cutter and measure a distance between the distance sensor and a surface location.
Chen2 teaches “measuring the position of the ball relative to one or more collar coil locators in the wellbore” - ¶0007; and “the ball can also include a casing collar locator [CCL] sensor #110. … The CCL sensor and coils #112 enable the location of the ball in the well to be recorded” - ¶0017.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed to include the CCL as taught by Chen2 in the system of the combination with a reasonable expectation of success, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination would result in the predictable result of correlating/synchronizing measured temperatures/pressures of the combination with a measured depth of Chen2.
Claim(s) 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, Doud and Chen2 as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Schulte et al. (US 20210238982).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Chen, Doud and Chen2 discloses the apparatus of claim 2;
Chen2 of the combination discloses: wherein the distance sensor is communicatively coupled to receive the measured distance from the distance sensor and stored in memory (“the CCL sensor and coils enable the location of the ball in the well to be recorded” - ¶0017);
however, does not explicitly disclose further comprising a controller configured to travel with the dissolvable gauge cutter,
wherein the controller is wirelessly and communicatively coupled to the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor,
wherein the controller is configured to receive
the measured temperature from the temperature sensor,
the measured pressure from the pressure sensor, and
the controller is configured to store the measured temperature, the measured pressure, and
the controller is configured to release from the dissolvable gauge cutter in response to dissolution of the dissolvable gauge cutter.
Schulte teaches a modular fracking ball assembly (#100) comprising:
wherein the controller (#114 – control module) is wirelessly (¶0051 – “wireless means of sending signals can be implemented”) and communicatively coupled (“sensor #112 can be configured to send a signal to the control module to be recorded and stored for later retrieval and analysis” ¶0064) to the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor (“the measurement assembly can include a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor” ¶0064),
and the controller is configured (“once in the well, the outer shell can dissolve and the measurement assembly can … flow to the surface” ¶0021) to release from the dissolvable gauge cutter [‘dissolvable shell’] in response to dissolution of the dissolvable gauge cutter [‘dissolvable shell’].
Regarding claim 6, Chen, Chen2 and Schulte of the combination disclose wherein the controller has a density that is lighter than the surrounding fluid, such that the controller is configured to float back to the surface location after the dissolvable gauge cutter has dissolved.
Chen – “triggering the dissolvable shell to dissolve, leaving the ball and sensor to float back to surface” - ¶0004.
Chen2 – “at which point the weight is dissolved and the ball #100 becomes buoyant and begins to float up to the surface” - ¶0018.
Schulte – “the outer shell can dissolve and the measurement assembly can … flow to the surface” - ¶0021.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 20190316459) in view of Allamon et al. (US 20010045288) and Doud.
Regarding claim 13, Chen discloses a method comprising:
lowering (frac balls are deployed into an oil well” - ¶0001) a dissolvable (¶0003 – the shell is made of a dissolvable material”) gauge cutter (interpreted as the shell #30) through a tubular (‘welll casing’) installed within a wellbore formed in a subterranean formation,
the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30] made of an alloy comprising magnesium (Fig 1 #12 “magnesium alloy” ¶0015);
measuring (¶0023 – “the sensor #42 … with an exposed surface #44 capable of taking readings of such things as temperature, pressure”), by a temperature sensor (#42), a temperature of a surrounding fluid as the dissolvable gauge cutter travels downhole (¶0023) through the tubular to the specified depth; and
measuring (¶0023 – “the sensor #42 … with an exposed surface #44 capable of taking readings of such things as temperature, pressure”), by a pressure sensor (#42), a pressure of the surrounding fluid as the dissolvable gauge cutter travels downhole through the tubular to the specified depth,
wherein the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30] completely dissolves (¶0004 – “the method also includes upon reaching a desired depth in the well, triggering the dissolvable shell to dissolve”) after reaching the specified depth.
Chen does not explicitly disclose “dislodging, by the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30], solids from an inner wall of the tubular as the dissolvable gauge cutter [#30] travels through the tubular to a specified depth within the wellbore to ensure a minimum inner diameter of the tubular.
Allamon teaches ‘Drop Ball Sub and System of Use’ reciting “During circulation, it may be desirable to drop wash ball #36 to aid in washing out debris” - ¶0043; “the use of large ball #22 allows for much larger diameter valves #70 to further reduce surge pressure and also allow debris to flow more easily”-¶0049; “In any event, the result of my invention is a higher volume flow path that even further reduces surge pressure and handles debris more easily” - ¶0051; and “Large ball #22 therefore allows us to handle more mud and more debris at lower pressures” - ¶0058.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Chen with the additional step of Allamon for the purpose of clearing debris from the wellbore to ensure an arbitrary inner diameter within the tubular.
Chen does not explicitly disclose wherein at least one of zinc, aluminum, iron, tungsten, nickel, manganese, or copper is found in the magnesium alloy.
Doud teaches an alloy formulation for a frac ball for the purpose of a temperature-dependent dissolution or disintegration rate that can be designed such that the core dissolves, corrodes, reacts and/or chemically reacts in a certain period of time at a given temperature (¶0039) and “In still another non-limiting aspect of the present invention, there is provided a surface-inhibited multilayer, multifunctional component comprising (a) a primary or core unit which includes one or more selected properties of density, dissolution rate, disintegration rate, reaction rate, strength; (b) a reactive surface layer having a complimentary set of properties of one or more of strength, temperature-dependent solubility, pH solubility, and density, and wherein the core unit and surface layer create an inhibited system that is relatively inert unit exposed to an initial condition, after which it is activated. … When the core is formed of a magnesium alloy, the magnesium content of the magnesium alloy is at least 30 wt%, typically greater than 50%, and more typically at least about 70%. The metals that can be included in the magnesium alloy can include, but are not limited to, aluminum, calcium, lithium, manganese, rare earth metal, silicon, SiC, yttrium, zirconium and/or zinc”. - ¶0008
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, given the teachings of Doud, to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the material composition of Chen to include element(s) into the magnesium alloy that would provide the structural strength and dissolution rate desired, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.  In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.  It is also common knowledge to choose a material that has sufficient strength, durability, flexibility, hardness, etc. for the application and intended use of that material.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, Allamon and Doud as applied to claim 13 above, and further in view of Chen et al (US 20200131899) ‘Chen2’.
Regarding claim 14, the combination discloses the method of claim 13; however, does not explicitly disclose further comprising a distance sensor configured to travel with the dissolvable gauge cutter and measure a distance between the distance sensor and a surface location.
Chen2 teaches “measuring the position of the ball relative to one or more collar coil locators in the wellbore” - ¶0007; and “the ball can also include a casing collar locator [CCL] sensor #110. … The CCL sensor and coils #112 enable the location of the ball in the well to be recorded” - ¶0017.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed to include the CCL as taught by Chen2 in the method of the combination with a reasonable expectation of success, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination would result in the predictable result of correlating/synchronizing measured temperatures/pressures of the combination with a measured depth of Chen2.
Claim(s) 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, Allamon, Doud and Chen2 as applied to claim14 above, and further in view of Schulte et al. (US 20210238982).
Regarding claim(s) 15, 16 and 18, the combination (Chen, Allamon, Doud and Chen2) discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising:
Chen2 of the combination discloses: wherein the distance sensor is communicatively coupled to receive the measured distance from the distance sensor and stored in memory (“the CCL sensor and coils enable the location of the ball in the well to be recorded” - ¶0017);
however, does not explicitly disclose receiving, by a controller,
the measured temperature from the temperature sensor,
the measured pressure from the pressure sensor, and
and storing, by the controller, the measured temperature, the measured pressure, and the measured distance in a memory of the controller.
Schulte teaches a modular fracking ball assembly (#100) comprising:
wherein the controller (#114 – control module) is wirelessly (¶0051 – “wireless means of sending signals can be implemented”) and communicatively coupled (“sensor #112 can be configured to send a signal to the control module to be recorded and stored for later retrieval and analysis” ¶0064) to the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor (“the measurement assembly can include a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor” ¶0064),
and the controller is configured (“once in the well, the outer shell can dissolve and the measurement assembly can … flow to the surface” ¶0021 and data retrieved ¶0031) to release from the dissolvable gauge cutter [‘dissolvable shell’] in response to dissolution of the dissolvable gauge cutter [‘dissolvable shell’].
Regarding claim 17, Schulte of the prior art of record discloses “it is appreciated that wireless means of sending signals can be implemented” - ¶0051; and “of significant note, the modular fracking ball assembly can be designed to be implements in more than one well operation … after the modular fracking ball assembly has been flowed back and retrieved, the measurement assembly of the modular fracking ball assembly may be needed for a second well operation” - ¶0018; however, does not explicitly disclose wherein the measured data is wirelessly transmitted to the surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed to include wireless transmission as taught by Schulte in the system of the combination with a reasonable expectation of success, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination would result in the predictable result of receipt of measured data with a surface wireless receiver  prior to a subsequent deployment for the purpose to avoid cutting the weld sealed control module (¶0028).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 3, 4, 7, 8, 19 and 20 are 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:
Regarding claim 3, Chen, of the combination, discloses wherein the sensors are within the weld-sealed housing that returns to surface for reading (“the measurement assembly can be cut open in order to retrieve stored data from the weld sealed control module”). It would not be obvious to modify internal sensors dissolvable.
Regarding claim(s) 7 and 19, the prior art of record, discloses a single independent frac ball for use within a wellbore; it would not be obvious to duplicate another frac ball and reversibly couple together without improper hindsight in combination with the other claim limitations.
Claim(s) 9-12 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: See reasons stated above.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion


NEXT OFFICE ACTION: 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 . The amendments of 03 Sep 2024 have been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks page 8 line 4, filed 03 Sep 2024, with respect to Fig 1 have been fully considered and are persuasive.  The objection of 05 Jun 2024 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks page 9 line 9, filed 03 Sep 2024, with respect to claim(s) 1 and 13 have been fully considered and are persuasive.  The rejection(s) of 05 Jun 2024 have been withdrawn.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 1-20 are allowed.
Conclusion

CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US20190316459A1: Claims:
A gauge carrier, comprising: a ball having an interior volume and an aperture; a sensor positioned in the interior volume of the ball, the sensor having a sensing surface positioned in the aperture with the sensing surface exposed through the aperture; and a shell configured to substantially surround the ball and to permit fluid to pass through the shell and reach the ball such that the sensor is in physical contact with fluid when the gauge carrier is submerged in the fluid; wherein the shell is made of a dissolvable material; wherein the ball and sensor together are buoyant in water at atmospheric pressure; and wherein the gauge carrier is capable of withstanding hydrostatic pressure of greater than 10,000 psi.
a ball having an interior volume and an aperture;
a sensor positioned in the interior volume of the ball, the sensor having a sensing surface positioned in the aperture with the sensing surface exposed through the aperture; and
a shell configured to substantially surround the ball and to permit fluid to pass through the shell and reach the ball such that the sensor is in physical contact with fluid when the gauge carrier is submerged in the fluid;
wherein the shell is made of a dissolvable material;
wherein the ball and sensor together are buoyant in water at atmospheric pressure; and
wherein the gauge carrier is capable of withstanding hydrostatic pressure of greater than 10,000 psi.
The gauge carrier of claim 1 wherein the gauge carrier including the shell is not buoyant in water at atmospheric pressure.
The gauge carrier of claim 1 wherein at least one of the ball and the shell are formed of two hemispheres that are threadably connected.
The gauge carrier of claim 1 wherein the ball includes a protrusion on an interior surface diametrically opposite the aperture.
The gauge carrier of claim 4 wherein the protrusion is approximately twice the thickness of the remainder of the ball.
The gauge carrier of claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one of pressure, temperature, water cut, flow rate, corrosion, erosion, environmental assisted cracking, dissolved O2, and pH, and to store data from measurements taken.
The gauge carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell includes a plurality of projections extending from an interior surface of the shell, wherein spaces between the projections allow fluid to contact the ball.
The gauge carrier of claim 1 wherein the gauge carrier is configured to be pumped down a well and to become situated in a seat, wherein the gauge carrier and seat form a pressure seal sufficient to perform hydraulic fracturing above the pressure seal.
The gauge carrier of claim 1 wherein at least one of the ball and shell are made from a material formed by: forming an alloy from a major constituent and a minor constituent wherein the minor constituent is a rare earth material; adding powder elements to lower stacking fault energy to promote twinning; adding hardeners to promote precipitation to promote strain hardening; and perform post processing to introduce basal plane surface faults and to homogenize strain hardening.
forming an alloy from a major constituent and a minor constituent wherein the minor constituent is a rare earth material;
adding powder elements to lower stacking fault energy to promote twinning;
adding hardeners to promote precipitation to promote strain hardening; and
perform post processing to introduce basal plane surface faults and to homogenize strain hardening.
A method of obtaining a pressure and temperature profile in a well, comprising: pumping a gauge carrier downhole, the gauge carrier having a sensor and a memory positioned within a ball, wherein the ball and sensor are together buoyant in water at atmospheric pressure, the gauge carrier also having a dissolvable shell; upon reaching a desired depth in the well, triggering the dissolvable shell to dissolve, leaving the ball and sensor to float back to surface; and recording data for at least a portion of the time the gauge carrier is in the well.
pumping a gauge carrier downhole, the gauge carrier having a sensor and a memory positioned within a ball, wherein the ball and sensor are together buoyant in water at atmospheric pressure, the gauge carrier also having a dissolvable shell;
upon reaching a desired depth in the well, triggering the dissolvable shell to dissolve, leaving the ball and sensor to float back to surface; and
recording data for at least a portion of the time the gauge carrier is in the well.
The method of claim 10 , further comprising seating the ball in a seat and forming a pressure seal in the well, and performing a hydraulic fracturing operation above the pressure seal.
The method of claim 10 wherein pumping the gauge carrier downhole comprises pumping the gauge carrier to a depth where hydrostatic pressure is greater than 10,000 psi.
A method of forming a material comprising: forming an alloy from a major constituent and a minor constituent wherein the minor constituent is a rare earth material; adding powder elements to lower stacking fault energy to promote twinning; adding hardeners to promote precipitation to promote strain hardening; and performing post-processing to introduce basal plane surface faults and to homogenize strain hardening.
performing post-processing to introduce basal plane surface faults and to homogenize strain hardening.
The method of claim J wherein the major constituent comprises at least one of Gd, Y, Sc, La, Ce, or Nd.
The method of claim J wherein the rare earth material comprises between 5-25% of the alloy by weight.
The method of claim 13 wherein the powder material comprises Ag.
The method of claim 13 wherein the powder material comprises between 1-25% of the alloy by weight.
The method of claim 13 wherein the hardeners include Zr.
The method of claim 13 wherein the hardeners comprise between 0.1-10% of the alloy by weight.
The method of claim 13 wherein the post-processing comprises hot rolling, extrusion, hot forging, or any other suitable hot or cold process.
Ref US20150239795A1: Claims:
A hierarchically-designed reactive component comprising: a. a core, said core dissolvable, reactive, or combinations thereof in the presence of a fluid environment; and, b. a surface layer that partially or fully encapsulates said core, said surface layer having a different composition from said core, said surface layer forming a protective layer about said core to inhibit or prevent said core from dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof when said component is exposed to said fluid environment, said surface layer non-dissolvable in said fluid environment until said surface layer is exposed to an activation event which thereafter causes said surface layer to controllably dissolve in said fluid environment and said core dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof after said surface layer dissolves and exposes said core to said fluid environment.
a. a core, said core dissolvable, reactive, or combinations thereof in the presence of a fluid environment; and,
b. a surface layer that partially or fully encapsulates said core, said surface layer having a different composition from said core, said surface layer forming a protective layer about said core to inhibit or prevent said core from dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof when said component is exposed to said fluid environment, said surface layer non-dissolvable in said fluid environment until said surface layer is exposed to an activation event which thereafter causes said surface layer to controllably dissolve in said fluid environment and said core dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof after said surface layer dissolves and exposes said core to said fluid environment.
The component as defined in claim 1 , wherein said at least 70 weight percent of said core includes one or more core materials selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a metal composite and a metal compound.
The component as defined in claim 1 , wherein said core material including one or more metals or compounds selected from the group consisting of aluminum, calcium, lithium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, lithium aluminum hydride, sodium aluminum hydride, potassium aluminum hydride, magnesium aluminum hydride, lithium borohydride, sodium borohydride, calcium borohydride, magnesium hydride, n-Al, borohydride mixed with alanates, metal hydrides, borohydrides, and divalent cation alanates.
The component as defined in claim 1 , wherein said fluid environment is a water-containing environment.
The component as defined in claim 1 , wherein said activation event includes one or more events selected from the group consisting of a temperature change of said fluid environment, a pH change of said fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer with an activation compound, a change in composition of fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer to an electrical charge, exposure to of said surface layer to certain electromagnetic waves, a change in salt content of said fluid environment, a change in electrolyte content of said fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer to certain sound waves, exposure of said surface layer to certain vibrations, exposure of said surface layer to certain magnetic waves, and exposure of said surface layer to a certain pressure.
The component as defined in claim 1 , wherein said core has a dissolution rate in said fluid environment of 0.1 and 100 mm/hr at 100-300° F.
The component as defined in claim 1 , wherein surface layer is formulated to be relatively insoluble at a first temperature in said fluid environment and highly soluble in said fluid environment at a second temperature.
The component as defined in claim 1 , wherein surface layer is formulated to be relatively insoluble at a first pH in said fluid environment and highly soluble in said fluid environment at a second pH.
The component as in claim 1 , wherein said surface layer is chemically modified using a reversible chemical reaction to be insoluble in said fluid environment and soluble in said fluid environment when said chemically modified surface layer exposed to a chemical compound that is a chemical trigger.
The component as defined in claims 9 , wherein said surface layer is chemically modified with a silicon-containing compound.
The component as defined in claim 9 , wherein said chemical trigger is a fluorine ion source.
A low density hierarchically-designed reactive component comprising: a. a core having a compression strength above 5000 psig, a density of no more than 1.7 g/cc and a tensile strength of less than 30,000 psig; and, b. a high-strength surface layer that has a greater density and higher strength than said core, said surface layer partially of fully encapsulating said core; wherein said core and said surface layer are provide a high-strength reactive system that also has an overall lower density than approximately 4 g/cc and a strength in the surface layer of at least 35 ksi.
a. a core having a compression strength above 5000 psig, a density of no more than 1.7 g/cc and a tensile strength of less than 30,000 psig; and,
b. a high-strength surface layer that has a greater density and higher strength than said core, said surface layer partially of fully encapsulating said core;
wherein said core and said surface layer are provide a high-strength reactive system that also has an overall lower density than approximately 4 g/cc and a strength in the surface layer of at least 35 ksi.
The component as defined in as in claim 12 , wherein said core is a magnesium composite or aluminum composite having a density of 0.9-1.4 g/cc.
The component as defined in claim 12 , wherein said surface layer is a zinc alloy.
The component as defined in claim 12 , wherein said surface layer is a polymer layer.
The component as defined in claim 12 , wherein said core has a dissolution rate in a salt water environment of 0.1 and 100 mm/hr at 100-300° F.
The composite material as in claim 12 , wherein said surface layer includes a fiber-reinforced metal.
A hierarchically-designed reactive component comprising: a. a core that includes an active material that is reactive in a fluid environment; b. a propellant located in said core, about said core, or combinations thereof; and, c. a surface layer that partially or fully encapsulates said core, said propellant, or combinations thereof, said surface layer having a different composition from said core and said propellant, said propellant having a different composition from said core, said surface layer forming a protective layer about said core and said propellant to inhibit or prevent said core and said propellant from dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof when said component is exposed to said fluid environment, said surface layer non-dissolvable in said fluid environment until said surface layer is exposed to an activation event which thereafter causes said surface layer to controllably dissolve in said fluid environment and said core and said propellant dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof after said surface layer dissolves and exposes said core and said propellant to said fluid environment.
a. a core that includes an active material that is reactive in a fluid environment;
b. a propellant located in said core, about said core, or combinations thereof; and,
c. a surface layer that partially or fully encapsulates said core, said propellant, or combinations thereof, said surface layer having a different composition from said core and said propellant, said propellant having a different composition from said core, said surface layer forming a protective layer about said core and said propellant to inhibit or prevent said core and said propellant from dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof when said component is exposed to said fluid environment, said surface layer non-dissolvable in said fluid environment until said surface layer is exposed to an activation event which thereafter causes said surface layer to controllably dissolve in said fluid environment and said core and said propellant dissolving, reacting, or combinations thereof after said surface layer dissolves and exposes said core and said propellant to said fluid environment.
The component as defined in claim 18 , wherein said propellant includes one or more water-reactive material selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, lithium aluminum hydride, sodium aluminum hydride, potassium aluminum hydride, magnesium aluminum hydride, lithium borohydride, sodium borohydride, calcium borohydride, magnesium hydride, n-Al, borohydride mixed with alanates, metal hydrides, borohydrides, divalent cation alanates, and/or other water-reactive materials.
The component as defined in claim 19 , wherein reaction of said propellant with said fluid environment causes rapid heat generation which in turn causes said core to ignite.
The component as defined in claim 18 , wherein said fluid environment is a water-containing environment.
The component as defined in claim 18 , wherein said activation event includes one or more events selected from the group consisting of a temperature change of said fluid environment, a pH change of said fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer with an activation compound, a change in composition of fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer to an electrical charge, exposure to of said surface layer to certain electromagnetic waves, a change in salt content of said fluid environment, a change in electrolyte content of said fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer to certain sound waves, exposure of said surface layer to certain vibrations, exposure of said surface layer to certain magnetic waves, and exposure of said surface layer to a certain pressure.
The component as defined in claim 18 , wherein said surface layer is formulated to be relatively insoluble at a first temperature in said fluid environment and highly soluble in said fluid environment at a second temperature.
The component as defined in claim 18 , wherein said surface layer is formulated to be relatively insoluble at a first pH in said fluid environment and highly soluble in said fluid environment at a second pH.
The component as in claim 18 , wherein said surface layer is chemically modified using a reversible chemical reaction to be insoluble in said fluid environment and soluble in said fluid environment when said chemically-modified surface layer exposed to a chemical compound that is a chemical trigger.
The component as defined in claims 25 , wherein said surface layer is chemically modified with a silicon containing compound.
The component as defined in claim 25 , wherein said chemical trigger is a fluorine ion source.
The component as defined in claim 18 , wherein said core includes a metal fuel and oxidizer composite which includes one or more mixtures of a reactive metal, an oxidizer, or thermite pair, said reactive metal including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zirconium, tantalum, titanium, hafnium, calcium, tungsten, molybdenum, chrome, manganese, silicon, germanium and aluminum, said oxidizer or thermite pair including one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of fluorinated or chlorinated polymer, oxidizer, and intermetallic thermite.
The component as defined in claim 28 , wherein core includes a binder that includes an intermetallic reactive material that includes a metal material selected from the group consisting of iron-aluminum, nickel-aluminum, titanium-boron, high energy intermetallic couple, or combinations thereof.
The component as defined in claim 29 , wherein said binder includes a fuel, an oxidizer, and a reactive polymeric material.
The component as defined in claim 30 , wherein said reactive polymeric material includes aluminum-potassium perchlorate-polyvinylidene difluoride or tetrafluoroethylene (THV) polymer.
A method of dissolving, degrading, reacting or combinations thereof a core in the presence of a fluid environment comprising: a) providing a core having a surface layer about said core, said core dissolvable, degradable, reactive, or combinations thereof in the present of said fluid environment, said surface layer not or essentially not dissolvable, degradable, or combinations thereof in the presence of said fluid environment until exposed to an activation event; b) exposing said surface layer to said activation event to cause said surface layer to dissolve, degrade, or combinations thereof to ultimately cause said core to be exposed to said fluid environment, said exposure of said core to said fluid environment causing said core to dissolve, degrade, react, or combinations thereof, said activation event includes one or more events selected from the group consisting of a temperature change of said fluid environment, a pH change of said fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer with an activation compound, a change in composition of fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer to an electrical charge, exposure to of said surface layer to certain electromagnetic waves, a change in salt content of said fluid environment, a change in electrolyte content of said fluid environment, exposure of said surface layer to certain sound waves, exposure of said surface layer to certain vibrations, exposure of said surface layer to certain magnetic waves, and exposure of said surface layer to a certain pressure.
a) providing a core having a surface layer about said core, said core dissolvable, degradable, reactive, or combinations thereof in the present of said fluid environment, said surface layer not or essentially not dissolvable, degradable, or combinations thereof in the presence of said fluid environment until exposed to an activation event;
b) exposing said surface layer to said activation event to cause said surface layer to dissolve, degrade, o
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