Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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BUILDING INTEGRATED AIR FLOW GENERATION AND COLLECTION
SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Invention relates to energy efficient buildings, particularly, building
enclosures
that provide a combined method for interior climate conditioning and for
distributed
energy generation that is not dependent on outside sources for fuel or
electricity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Proper design of building envelope is a common part of construction practice
that is meant to provide comfortable interior climate conditions sustained by
balanced
energy consumption for this purpose during both summer and winter seasons.
Equally
common is the fact that the comfortable interior climate conditions are
reached in most
cases by combining two main factors: proper structure of the building envelope
itself
through manipulation of the input level of sun radiation together with
optimization of its
thermal resistance, and usage of additional climate conditioning systems that
rely on
outside sources for fuel or electricity.
Known art examples of energy efficient buildings tend to make diverse
approaches in order to eliminate or at least reduce amount of outside fuel or
electricity
needed for this purpose by using available renewable energy sources such as
solar and
wind.
Incorporation of air distribution system in form of air ducts into building
structure is a common construction practice used for HVAC purposes - heat,
ventilation
and air conditioning. In some cases plurality of such air ducts is used for
energy
generation purposes by mounting of multiple small-size wind turbines on air
duct exits
as described in US Patents 3048066, 5123247, or by using a thermocouple unit
within
the housing structure as disclosed in US Patents 6857425.
Also know is prior art of building integrated conditioning and energy
generation
systems where solar collectors are incorporated into the roof and/or walls of
the
building, such as described in Canadian Patent 1196825; US Patents 4449347,
4967729,
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6582291, and 6912816. In these known art examples the solar radiation warmed
air from
the wall cavities or heat trap on building attic is ducted and circulated
throughout the
building. Known art may also include photovoltaic panels to produce
electricity for fans
and other electrical apparatus needed to capture, distribute, and store the
collected heat.
Known art of a system for converting solar radiation to thermal energy and
electricity is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4149525 and 6244062 as a pyramid
shaped solar
collector covered with a transparent dome and having heat absorbing and
transfer system
wound around said pyramid, and, in addition, photovoltaic cells that are
disposed on at
least a portion of said transparent dome.
Known art also describes so called heat pumps that transform terrestrial
energy
into some form of energy that is further used in dwelling.
Yet known are thermal solar collectors in form of a water pool that is
installed on
the roof of a building with the purpose of absorbing sun radiation and
conditioning of
the building premises.
Another known technological art is vented building attic that is designed to
reduce the level of solar radiation and condition building premises.
Known are structures that are erected independently and are dedicated to
creation
and collection of artificial air flows for the only purpose of energy
generation - so called
tall towers or solar chimneys, such as described for example in French Patents
2,307,982
and 2,436,268; European Patents EP0891487, EP1589221 and EP1290342; US Patents
4686961, etc. Some known art of solar chimneys disclose tall tower with
constricted
zone, such as Venturi chamber, with wind turbine is positioned in it - United
States
Application 20030217551.
Known are as well natural air flow collection and conversion systems that are
used exclusively for energy generation purpose and erected either
independently such as
horizontal axis wind turbines and vertical axis wind turbines, or mounted on
the roof of
a building, such as described in US Patents 6352473 and 6582291.
Known technological art discloses standalone systems that combine ability to
generate electricity using both solar and wind as sources. Examples of such
systems are
described in US Patents 6157088, 6372978, 5103646, 4433544, United States
Application 20050086937.
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Proposed invention is an improvement over existing known art in forming the
subject of the invention as a building integrated air processing system that
combines
function to climate condition premises of said building with the capability to
maintain
designed power production level of an autonomous energy converter by means of
supplying sufficient air flow for it on close to continuous bases.
Recently there has been increasing demand for environmentally clean renewable
energy and particularly, so-called distributed energy sources. Distributed
energy is
understood as relatively small scale power units that are sufficient for
powering a
standalone building or small group of buildings. It is believed that
distributed energy
sources could be the most effective solution in remote areas where there is no
developed
power grid system.
Examples of such systems powered by renewable energy sources are small size
wind turbines installed close to a residential or industrial building as well
as solar
collectors in form of photovoltaic arrays, whereas thermal solar collector
systems are not
known to be used for distributed energy generation, but rather for either
conditioning
purposes (walls Trombe) or water heating.
Additionally, all known art examples of environmentally clean distributed
power
generators are designed to work from only one type of renewable energy, and
hence
automatically turn out to be heavily dependable on its availability.
Accordingly it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and
improved air flow generation and collection system that is designed but not
limited to
supplying power for a building or small group of buildings without being
connected to
power grid.
It is an object of this invention to propose a new and improved building
integrated air flow generation and collection system that is designed to
control the
comfort level inside the premises of said building without being dependable on
outside
sources for fuel or electricity.
It is an object of this invention to propose a new and improved air flow
generation and collection system that is capable of producing and delivering
power on
somewhat close to permanent base rather then occasionally, subject to
availability of
particular renewable energy source.
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It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved building
integrated air flow generation and collection system that has ability to
combine and
simultaneously use different renewable energy sources.
It is an object of this invention to propose means of constructing such system
in a
functional and cost effective way including construction, operation and
maintenance
costs.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new and improved
building
integrated air flow generation and collection system, which structure is
capable of
withstanding atmospheric forces including winds.
It is also object of this invention to propose a new and improved air flow
generation and collection system that could be constructed using available
techniques.
It is also object of this invention to provide a new and improved air flow
generation and collection system that has a long life term.
It is also object of this invention to provide a new and improved air flow
generation and collection system that has naturally integrated into
environment and
provides minimum aesthetic disturbances.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In accordance with these and many other objects, the subject invention
provides
a structural design of an air flow processing system that is integrated with
the building
and is capable of generating artificial air flows using thermal solar energy,
collecting
natural air flows that are coming in form of winds, combining said artificial
and said
natural air flows into one cumulative flow, and redirecting said cumulative
air flow to an
autonomous energy converter unit such as for example wind turbine.
The preferred art according to the proposed invention is based on a rational
constructive schema where the weight of said air flow generation and
collection system
as well as the wind effect are fully taken up by the load bearing components
of said
building, allowing thereby to eliminate necessity in erection of a dedicated
supporting
high rise structures such as towers in solar chinmeys or horizontal axis wind
turbines,
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while at the same time power production site gets located as close as possible
to the
consumption site, decreasing therefore dependability on connection to the
power grid.
Proposed preferred embodiment allows thereby to significantly reduce the
installation costs, and the amount of construction materials compared to the
known art of
5 solar chimneys or wind turbines. At the same time the preferred embodiment
is distinct
by enhanced operating continuity of said autonomous energy converter due to
the ability
of the proposed art to combine different energy sources. Additional advantage
of the
proposed art is that said different energy sources are environmentally clean.
Air flow generation and collection system, according to the proposed preferred
embodiment is implemented as a double layer roof, namely upper layer roofing
(4) and
lower layer roofing (3), of said building and incorporates following main
components:
assembly dedicated to collection of artificial air flows generated by
plurality of
thermal solar energy collectors;
assembly dedicated to collection of natural air flows resulting from winds;
assembly dedicated to combination of said artificial and natural air flows
into
one cumulative air flow and its redirection;
autonomous energy converter dedicated to transforming energy of said
cumulative air flow into another form of energy such as electrical or
mechanical;
building or its load bearing structure, for example, concrete frame building,
dedicated to supporting said main components of the proposed art while
providing
necessary conditions for their optimal functioning.
The preferred embodiment further contains:
said plurality of thermal solar energy collectors (8) as having three
dimensional
distribution pattern around said building (1) by including those located on
the attic (12)
of said building (1), those located on the ground next to the exterior walls
(13) of said
building (1), and those located on the ground further away from said exterior
walls (13)
of said building (1), while said thermal solar energy collectors being
supplied with solar
radiation concentrators having either horizontal or vertical orientation or
both types
together, so that, said horizontal concentrators are positioned on the attic
slab as well as
on the ground around said building (1), while said vertical concentrators are
mounted on
said exterior walls (13) of said building (1);
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said assembly dedicated to collection of air flows from said thermal solar
energy
collectors (8) implemented as a combination of venting spaces (11) formed by
vertical
transparent screen walls (2) of said building (1) that surround said thermal
solar energy
collectors, and the attic space (12) of said building (1) formed by said lower
level
roofing (3) that is connected to said vertical transparent screen walls (2);
said assembly dedicated to collection of air flows from natural sources
implemented as plurality of enclosures that are formed by said upper level
roofing (4),
said lower level roofing (3) and plurality of intermediate transparent walls
(5) positioned
between said layers of said double roof so that to allow for sufficient air
intake into said
natural air flow collection system regardless of wind direction;
said assembly dedicated to combination and redirection of said air flows of
artificial and natural origins as a central hollow member (6) connected to
said upper
roofing (4), to said lower roofing (3) and to said intermediate walls (5),
provided with
openings and supplied with guiding vanes;
system of release windows (10) designated to prevent over-rotation of said
autonomous energy converter (9);
system of air outlets designed to allow air passage of said combined air flow
out
of the enclosure of said building (1), and at the same time to prevent
entrance of
precipitations such as rain or snow inside the enclosure of said building.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Additional structural design elements and advantages of the proposed invention
are illustrated by drawings of the preferred embodiment of building integrated
air flow
generation and collection system, in which:
Fig. 1 is three dimensional view of the preferred embodiment
Fig. 2a is longitudinal cross-section view of the preferred embodiment
Fig. 2b is lateral cross-section view of the preferred embodiment with two
additional cross-sections of the upper roofing (A-A) and the lower roofing (B-
B)
Fig. 3a is longitudinal cross-section view of the alternative preferred
embodiment
when vertical thermal collectors are incorporated into external walls of the
building
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Fig. 3b is lateral cross-section view of the alternative preferred embodiment
when vertical thermal collectors are incorporated into external walls of the
building with
two additional cross-sections of the upper roofing (A-A) and the lower roofing
(B-B)
Figs. 4 is longitudinal cross-section view of the alternative preferred
embodiment
when artificial air flow intake is provided through the system of special
venting channels
installed at a designed depth in the ground
Fig. 5 is three-dimensional view of concentrating thermal solar collector
Fig. 6 illustrates passages of said artificial and said natural air flows
through the
preferred embodiment
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment of building integrated air flow generation and
collection system consists of the following main elements as shown in Figs. 1-
6:
building (1) itself or its load bearing system, vertical transparent screen
walls (2), lower
level transparent roofing (3), upper level transparent roofing (4), central
connecting
assembly (6), intermediate transparent walls (5), thermal solar collectors (8)
positioned
on the ground around said building (1) as well as on its attic (12),
autonomous energy
converter (9) located in the attic of said building (1) and air flow outlets
(7).
Said air flow generation and collection system is implemented as being
installed
on said building (1) as its vented double roof consisting of two layers -
lower (3) and
upper (4), both made of a transparent material, for example enforced glass.
According to the proposed art said vented double roof has form of two co-axial
funnels, having throat of said lower funnel (3) inserted into the upper funnel
(4),
supplied with openings (22) and provided with guiding vanes (23) to form said
central
connecting assembly (6).
Spaces (25) that are enclosed between said upper roofing (4) from the top,
said
lower roofing (3) from the bottom, and said intermediate walls (5) from the
sides are
used as collectors of said natural air flows that are further transferred into
said central
connecting assembly (6).
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Said preferred embodiment of building integrated air flow generation and
collection system is made symmetrical, so that the winds coming from any
direction get
collected and redirected in the same way towards the rotor of said autonomous
energy
converter (9), allowing therefore to eliminate special mechanisms that are
used in known
art devices for turning them into the wind: rotation supporting systems and
rotation drive
systems such as yaw mechanism and guiding vane.
Said upper level roofing (4) is supplied with plurality of release windows
(10)
designated to prevent over-rotation of said autonomous energy converter (9) by
providing them ability to open, hereby letting out excess of said natural air
flow, and
automatically close back into normal (closed) position after emergency is off.
Said lower level roofing (3) is positioned at a designed slope and within a
designed distance from the attic slab of said building (1) so that sufficient
attic space
(12) is accommodated for the plurality of said thermal solar collectors (8) to
be installed
there, and allow for the passage for said artificial air flow with optimal
dynamic small
flow losses. Additionally, said lower level roofing (3) is made protruding
beyond
exterior contour of said building (1) by a designed width and connected along
all its
perimeter to said vertical transparent screen walls (2), so that the venting
spaces (11) that
are left between the exterior walls (13) of said building (1) and said
transparent screen
walls (2) are sufficient to accommodate for the plurality of said thermal
solar collectors
(8) installed on ground around said building (1) and allow for the air intake
with optimal
dynamic small flow losses.
As shown on Fig.5 said thermal solar collectors (8) are made as thermal
accumulating tubes (15) filled with appropriate liquid such as water, oil,
etc..., installed
on columns (17) and provided with solar radiation concentrators that focus sun
beams on
said thermal accumulating tubes (15). Proposed preferred embodiment
distinguishes said
solar radiation concentrators in form of vertical parabolic or spherical
mirrors (14) that
are installed on the walls (13) of said building (1), and in form of
horizontal parabolic or
spherical mirrors (16) that are positioned on available horizontal surfaces on
and around
said building (1).
In order to facilitate access to said building, said transparent screen walls
(2) are
made shorter then said building walls (13) and do not reach the ground by
approximately
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the length of said thermal collector columns (17); columns that support said
transparent
screen walls (2) are not shown in Fig.5 for simplicity. Alternatively, said
transparent
screen walls (2) are made full length, but provided with means to access said
building
(1) such as entrance doors or gates, as well as means of air intake into said
venting
spaces (11), such as for example plurality of breathing windows (27) in said
screen walls
(2) or plurality of special venting channels (24) as shown in Fig.4.
Venting spaces (11) that are enclosed between said building walls (13) and
said
transparent screen walls (2) as well as the space of said building attic (12)
are used as a
collector of said artificial air flows - natural convection flows that are
generated due to
the difference in air temperatures inside and outside the envelope formed by
said
transparent screen walls (2) and said lower level roofing (3) of said building
(1).
Said gradient of air temperatures gets established due to the heating of the
air
inside said transparent screen walls (2) and roofing (3) through convection
and radiation
mechanisms from said thermal solar collector tubes (15) that are heated in
their own turn
by concentrated sun beams. Making use of the entire height of said building
(1)
including height of said attic (12) all the way to the level of said air flow
outlet (7) is as
essential for efficient generation of said artificial air flow as it is in the
known art of
solar chimneys, where a special high tower is erected with this single
purpose. Proposed
preferred embodiment does not require erection of a dedicated high rise
structure and
uses instead its natural features - height of its load bearing system,
vertical surfaces of
walls and available horizontal surfaces.
Fig. 6 illustrates diagram of said artificial and natural air flow passages
through
the preferred embodiment. Artificial air flow (18) is established by outside
air intake
into said vertical venting space (11) and is further driven through said attic
(12) and up
through said central assembly (6) of said double roofing. At the same time
natural air
flow (19) is driven into said natural air flow collector space (25) between
said upper
roofing (4), said lower roofing (3) and said intermediate vertical walls (5)
and further
into the openings (22) in said central assembly (6), where it is redirected by
said guiding
vanes (23) and combined together with said artificial air flow (18) into a
single
cumulative air flow (20) that is further supplied towards the rotor of said
autonomous
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energy converter (9) and eventually released from the enclosure of said build
(1) through
said air flow outlets (7) as a resulting air flow (21).
Alternatively, Fig. 3 illustrates preferred embodiment where said vertical
venting
spaces (11) are incorporated into the structure of exterior walls (13) of said
building (1)
5 together with plurality of vertical thermal solar energy collectors, while
horizontal
thermal solar energy collectors have the same trough design as said vertical
thermal
solar energy collectors and are connected to them at their lower and upper
ends. Venting
spaces (11) get transformed in such alternative preferred embodiment into
venting ducts
that might be extended into the attic (12) and used to provide improved
distribution of
10 artificial air flows throughout the area of said attic (12).
Alternatively, right side of Fig. 4 illustrates preferred embodiment and
passage
through it of said artificial air flow in winter conditions, when temperature
of the ground
is higher then the ambient temperature. Artificial air flow is driven through
dedicated air
inlets (26) into said plurality of special venting channels (24) that are
installed at a
known depth in the ground around said building (1) where it is preheated by
earth,
further redirected into said vertical venting space (11) from where it
undergoes standard
for the preferred art passage through said attic (12) and up through said
central assembly
(6) towards said autonomous energy converter (9) and eventually leaves the
enclosure of
said build (1) through said air flow outlets (7) as a resulting air flow (21).
Alternatively, as shown in left side of Fig. 4, in summer conditions when
temperature of the ground is lower then the ambient temperature, air intake
into said
vertical venting spaces (11) is done through said plurality of breathing
windows (27) in
said screen wall (2), while said dedicated air inlets (26) are closed.
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