Obviousness

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 11668420 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

US Patent 11668420 describes a hydraulic fracturing system featuring an integrated flow supply line designed to optimize fluid flow and mitigate issues like cavitation and proppant dropout. The core inventive concept centers on a hose with a central body having a smaller diameter (e.g., approximately 5 inches) than its end connections (e.g., approximately 6 inches), which interface with standard fracturing equipment. This design aims to balance the need for increased fluid volume (compared to traditional 4-inch hoses) with maintaining adequate fluid velocity to prevent proppant settling (a problem associated with 6-inch hoses), all while ensuring compatibility with existing 6-inch pump fittings.

A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) in hydraulic fracturing operations, faced with known challenges in fluid supply, would have been motivated to combine existing technologies to arrive at the claimed invention.

Independent Claims

The analysis focuses on independent claims 1 and 11, which define the hydraulic fracturing system.

Claim 1 broadly describes:

1. An electric-powered multi-plunger hydraulic fracturing pump.
2. A fluid source providing a slurry to the pump.
3. A hose connecting the fluid source and pump, with first and second ends of a larger diameter (e.g., first diameter, second diameter) and a body of a smaller, third diameter (third diameter being less than both first and second diameters).
4. A pair of fittings at each end, each with a shank end for receiving the hose body and a union for engaging the fluid source/pump.

Claim 11 is similar to claim 1 but provides more specific structural details for the fittings, including a union with a larger diameter, a shank end for receiving the hose, and a reducer positioned between the union and the shank end, described as being welded and having an increasing diameter along its axial length, extending at least partially into the union.

Prior Art Combination for Obviousness

The following combination of prior art references would render claims 1 and 11 of US11668420 obvious:

• US20170218727A1 (US Well Services Llc): "System for fueling electric powered hydraulic fracturing equipment with multiple fuel sources."
• US10480300B2 (Cameron International Corporation): "Fracturing system with flexible conduit."
• US8091928B2 (Eaton Corporation): "Coupling assembly for connection to a hose."
• General knowledge and routine engineering practices in fluid mechanics and plumbing.

Obviousness Rationale

1. Overall Hydraulic Fracturing System (Claims 1 & 11 Preamble):
   US20170218727A1, from the same assignee as US11668420, explicitly discloses an "electric powered hydraulic fracturing equipment" and a "fracturing system" for hydrocarbon extraction. This reference teaches the fundamental elements of an electric-powered multi-plunger hydraulic fracturing pump and a fluid source providing a slurry for injection into a subterranean formation. A POSA would understand that such a system involves pumping fracturing fluid (slurry) from a source into a well.

2. Hose and Different Diameters (Claims 1 & 11):
   The current patent (US11668420) identifies key problems in the background:

   • "Many flow lines utilized in the industry have a 4 inch diameter. However, this flow diameter limits fluid inlet into the pumps, which may be undesirable, because pumps operating at lower flow rates and/or pressures than desired may experience premature wear and failures."
   • "merely increasing hose sizes is not practical because of component fittings on the pump and potential problems with flow rates, as flow rates that drop below a threshold may experience drop out of particulates, leading to blockages and other problems at the well site."
   • The patent further clarifies that a 6-inch hose, while offering higher flow rates, "may not maintain flow velocities above the threshold for drop out."

   US10480300B2 reinforces the industry's focus on hose diameters in fracturing, stating that "The interior diameter of the flexible conduit 12 is at least 6 inches... Larger conduits reduce resistance (i.e., friction losses) and allow higher flow rates without requiring larger pumps." This reference demonstrates the known desirability of larger diameter hoses for improved flow in fracturing operations.

   A POSA, aware of the issues highlighted in the background of US11668420 (i.e., insufficient flow with 4-inch hoses, proppant dropout in larger hoses like 6-inch ones at lower velocities, and the need to maintain compatibility with existing 6-inch pump connections), would be motivated to seek an optimized solution. Given the understanding of fluid dynamics with slurries, it would be obvious to consider an intermediate diameter for the main body of the hose (e.g., 5 inches, as suggested in US11668420) to strike a balance: providing more volume than a 4-inch hose while maintaining sufficient velocity to prevent proppant dropout, which a 6-inch hose might fail to do. The selection of an intermediate diameter like 5 inches (as disclosed in US11668420 to prevent sand fall-out at velocities above 2.21 ft/sec or 3.2 BPM) is a predictable result of optimizing these competing factors.

3. Fittings for Different Diameters (Claims 1 & 11):
   US10480300B2 shows a "flexible conduit" connected to a fracturing pump via "couplings" 18. US8091928B2 provides a general teaching of "coupling assembly for connection to a hose," which includes elements like a "nipple" (consistent with a union) and a "ferrule" (consistent with a shank end for receiving a hose). This reference further describes a "hose engagement end" configured to secure a hose.

   Given the motivation to use a hose body with an optimized intermediate diameter (e.g., 5 inches) while maintaining compatibility with standard existing larger connections (e.g., 6 inches) on fluid sources and pumps, a POSA would find it a routine engineering task to incorporate a reducer fitting. Reducer fittings are fundamental components in plumbing and fluid transfer systems used to connect pipes or hoses of different diameters. The specific details of the fittings in claim 11, such as the reducer being welded between the union and the shank end, having an increasing diameter, and extending partially into the union, are conventional construction techniques and design optimizations for creating robust and efficient fluid connections. Welding is a standard method for securely joining metal components in high-pressure applications like hydraulic fracturing. The precise geometry of the reducer (e.g., axial length, extension into the union) would be an obvious design choice for a POSA seeking to optimize flow transition and connection integrity.

Therefore, a POSA, starting with a known electric powered hydraulic fracturing system as taught by US20170218727A1, and understanding the trade-offs of hose diameters in slurry transport as recognized in US10480300B2 and the background of US11668420, would have been motivated to utilize a hose with an intermediate diameter (e.g., 5 inches) in its body to improve flow efficiency and prevent proppant dropout. To integrate such a hose with existing larger diameter connections (e.g., 6 inches) on the pump and fluid source, it would have been obvious to employ known coupling assemblies and reducer fittings, as generally disclosed in US8091928B2 and common engineering practice, to adapt the hose to the standard connections. This combination would yield a predictable result in optimizing the fluid supply line for hydraulic fracturing operations.