Method for capturing, channeling, concentrating and harnessing the dynamic pressure energy of wind, within a structure
A method of capturing, channeling, concentrating and harnessing the dynamic pressure energy of wind, within a structure for the first time, to operate any type, form, size or shape of pressure operable device, including but not limited to, automatic, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings or valves and any applicable electrical power generator. This method includes structures built as single pressure vessels where all of the interior areas can communicate. Single strong vessels will operate at uniform pressures and withstand substantially higher winds and the associated increased dynamic pressure challenges, than structures with interior areas that do not communicate. Further resistance can be accomplished by adding automatic openings at the vessel's outer edge surface that will relieve interior pressure buildups to outdoors, before uncontrolled pressures cause catastrophic structure failure. Previous attempts failed to detect this dynamic pressure energy and mistakenly using automated systems and static pressure theory and sensors.
This application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 11/401,566, filed on Apr. 11, 2006 and applicant claims priority based on that date.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONApplicant is the first inventor to conceive and produce a working prototype of a method of capturing, channeling, concentrating and harnessing the dynamic pressure energy of wind, within a structure, to operate any type, form, size and shape of pressure operable device including but not limited to; automatic, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings or valves and any applicable type, form, size or shape of electrical power generator. This method includes structures built to withstand strong, high wind challenges. In particular, structures with one or more floors that will be constructed as single pressure vessels, where all of the rooms, cavities, floors and all other interior areas can communicate, through the use of transfer openings and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief openings. Instead of the current common construction method of building structures as multiple pressure vessels, where almost none of the rooms, cavities and floors communicate with each other. This method will produce a single, strong pressure vessel that will operate at a uniform pressure and withstand substantially stronger winds and the associated increased dynamic pressure challenges, than a multiple pressure vessel structure. Further resistance to high winds can be accomplished by adding transfer openings and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings or valves, to these structures that will relieve pressure buildups within said interior areas, to outdoors, as they occur during these strong wind and pressure challenges, before uncontrolled dynamic pressures can cause catastrophic building failure. Previous attempts have failed to detect this dynamic pressure and the free energy it provided and they mistakenly used automated systems and static pressure theory and sensors. Further, this dynamic pressure energy is harnessed within a structure to produce electrical power in specially designed dynamic pressure energy structures. All previous attempts looked only outside of the structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe design of buildings in hurricane zones, tornado alleys and other high wind prone areas is a complicated and difficult issue that has undergone much study and scrutiny over the years. The events of the past several years have further heightened this research. Construction designs that are resistant to these strong, high, winds and the associated dramatic pressure fluctuations and differentials; are not only difficult to accomplish, but exceedingly difficult to accomplish, when guided by prior art assumptions. Assumptions concerning the design of buildings have been determined by the applicant to be, by and large, inaccurate, if not totally incorrect.
One of the tasks of building architects, designers, developers, contractors, owners and building codes, is to construct buildings that can survive high wind challenges. For the past 100+ years, building construction has involved the construction of an enclosed living and/or working area that is usually sealed as well as possible (one pressure vessel) to all surrounding environments including the attic, and a separate attic area that is allowed to leak to all surrounding areas except the enclosed living and/or working area (creating another, separate, leaky, pressure vessel). Plus, sealed floor cavities, sealed roof cavities, sealed ceiling cavities, along with sealed exterior and interior wall cavities that can become even more, individual and totally separate, pressure vessels. For a description of “sealed”, I refer to Webster's; “to close or make secure against access, leakage, or passage by a fastening or coating”, and further by “to fix in position or close breaks in with a filling (as a plaster)”.
These prevalent mistakes have resulted in individual buildings that incorporate multiple, yet totally separate and individual, pressure vessels, with shared vessel walls that end up working against one another and weakening all of the areas involved, which in turn weakens the entire building. This common error in design has in turn lead to the premature failure of buildings during hurricanes, tornadoes and even excessive straight-line winds.
Through his extensive research into building pressures involved in the applicant's three granted U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,584,855; 6,968,745 and 7,127,850, the applicant has discovered that by allowing these uncontrolled, multiple, separate and individual pressure vessels to exist next to each other, while sharing some vessel walls; a series of failure points have been generated during strong winds and dramatic pressure challenges, to buildings and other structures.
Winds result from atmospheric pressure differentials. High winds result from deep atmospheric pressure differentials. As these atmospheric pressure differentials pass over or even near these multiple pressure vessel buildings, the pressure differences generated between these individual and totally separate, pressure vessels, such as the enclosed, sealed, living and/or working area, the leaky attic area, the sealed roof cavities, the sealed interstitial areas, sealed floor cavities, sealed roof cavities and sealed wall cavities, etc. . . . , that share common vessel walls, dramatically increase and can lead to the premature failure of said buildings. It is these uncontrolled pressure differences, between these connected but totally separate and individual pressure vessels, some with shared walls, working against one another, that can literally pull, compress, tear and blow a building apart.
Applicant's thirty years of research in the field of building pressure has taught him many things. One is that air moves into a standard building on the wind impact wall, as air moves out of the other three walls. Even when the wind impacts the walls of a standard building in a glancing blow, the net effect is roughly the same; approximately 75% of the exterior wall surfaces are under a negative pressure effect generated by the wind that pulls air out of the building. The remaining approximately 25% of the exterior wall surfaces are operating under a positive pressure effect generated as the wind impacts these areas, resulting in air being pushed into the building.
Resulting in ever increasing negative pressure effects on roughly 75% of the skin, or outer edge, of a standard building as the wind increases, resulting in ever increasing negative pressure buildings. Applicant originally thought that this phenomenon continued forever and that building pressures just grew ever more negative and is the primary idea that he based his original three patents on. Through his continued research, applicant discovered something very interesting, that at somewhere between 60 and 70 MPH winds, this phenomenon reverses. The stronger winds on the approximately 25% positive pressure impact wall begin to push much more air into a standard building than can be pulled out of the remaining roughly 75% negative pressure walls and the building begins to operate at an ever increasing positive pressure.
In 1684 Blaise Pascal wrote the primary rule of pressure, known as Pascal's Law: “a change in the pressure of an enclosed incompressible fluid is conveyed undiminished to every part of the fluid and to the surfaces of its container”. In the case at hand, air is the fluid and it can be considered incompressible. Since all of the building's wall, floor, ceiling, roof and other cavities are sealed with plaster, they operate as standalone pressure vessels/containers. For a definition of “vessel” I turn to a Webster's dictionary: “a container for holding something”, the “something” in our case is the pressure generated by the effects of wind on the skin of the building. Pascal's Law can be interpreted as: “the pressure at any point in the contained fluid, is the same as at any other point in the contained fluid”. Based on this, the pressures within a contained fluid reside at equilibrium, that change uniformly as any change in pressure is applied at any given point in the fluid field, thereby equalizing, and any change is also immediately conveyed undiminished to the surfaces of its container.
Applicant began to closely study the effects of this Law on a standard building during a high wind event. He quickly determined that the dramatic low pressures and strong winds flowing over roofs during a strong storm are insufficient on their own to pull a roof from a single building, so he turned his attention to the energy these low pressures and winds generate. Air will move from all higher pressure areas towards these low pressure storm areas, based on Pascal's teachings and Bernoulli's equation: the square root of this pressure differential; times the constant 4005; equals the velocity of this movement of air in feet per minute. Air is just the fluid, the important information is the energy imparted on it, as represented by Bernoulli's velocity pressure formula stated above. Air plus this energy is what we call wind.
This velocity pressure is the force that impacts the walls of a standard building and as it enters a standard building through its skin/surface, it becomes a captured dynamic pressure as it changes dramatically over short periods of time within the building wall, floor, ceiling, roof and other cavities of the building and the building's rooms and core itself and to their surfaces. Where it can exert an approximately equal counter force on these same areas, according to Newton's Third Law: “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. If this dynamic pressure is allowed to be conveyed undiminished to the outer surfaces of the building/container's interior areas, it will actually strengthen these same surfaces against strong impact winds. Only a single pressure vessel will allow this to occur. Sealed wall, floor, ceiling, roof and other cavities will prevent it. This is why the structure must become a single pressure vessel operating at uniform pressure, so that all pressure changes will immediately be conveyed undiminished to all of its surfaces, with any excess pressures released to outdoors preventing structure failure.
Pascal and Bernoulli agree that velocity pressure and dynamic pressure are the same force, and to measure them you must measure the movement of air. Static pressure sensors will not accurately measure velocity/dynamic pressures, nor will they ever measure them quickly enough. All before the applicant have attempted to measure the differential pressure of a standard building during a storm, and even during normal wind conditions, using static pressure sensors and theory, therefore they have always failed. Since static pressure sensors have to be deployed directly into the fluid field, they have to wait until the building had begun to actually inflate, before they would sense the change. By then the damage to the building's structure will have already occurred. A much faster scheme was needed to accurately and quickly measure building pressure and applicant's first two patents directly addressed this particular issue by employing Pascal's Law and measuring the dynamic pressure directly at the surface/skin/outer edge of the container/building. This method is much faster and exceedingly more accurate.
The patent at hand is also based on dynamic pressure as it becomes captured within a standard building during a high wind event and how to actually use this captured energy to save the building by using it to operate automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves; strengthen the impact walls and produce electrical power. When applicant stood below his roof mounted skylight and saw it pop open every few seconds at the height of IVAN and felt the dramatic rush of air by him on its way out of his home, he instantly knew his research and math was right and he had discovered something new, important and very powerful. Applicant soon realized that the energy within this captured dynamic pressure could easily be channeled, concentrated and harnessed to operate any form, type and size of pressure operable device, including any form, type and size of electrical power generator and produce a lot of electrical power with a properly designed structure, even during a hurricane or tornado.
How is this dynamic pressure energy generated? During these high wind events, the approximately 25% of a building's exterior wall cavities on the wind impact side of a standard building begin to inflate to an ever increasing positive pressure through wind infiltration. This increased positive pressure is transmitted undiminished to the surfaces of these cavities. This can cause these sealed wall cavities to actually inflate and expand before the air can further infiltrate into the building core. This expansion can weaken everything connected to these wall cavities such as windows, doors, roofs, etc. . . . It can progress to the point that windows, doors and roofs are actually blown out of the building. Unchecked, applicant asserts this dynamic pressure can quickly grow to the point in these cavities and the building core where they contain enough captured energy to even push windows and doors out of the actual impact wall of a building, directly against 100+ MPH winds. Therefore, if wall relief openings are employed as taught by previous patents, all of them could also be blown open by this dynamic pressure and lead to the assured destruction of the building.
The deflation of the approximately 75% of a building's exterior wall cavities on the other side of a standard building is also conveyed undiminished to the cavity walls and can progress to the same point where windows, doors and roof connections are weakened. Whether deflating or inflating, the result is the same, over time and many, many storms, or just one strong storm, all connections in and to these exterior wall cavities are weakened, including roof tie downs. The negative pressure wall cavity during one storm may be the positive pressure impact wall cavity during the next storm, or even later during the same storm.
The inner core of the building is another totally separate pressure vessel, from the individual exterior wall cavity pressure vessels. One of the purposes of this invention is to address this situation by allowing all exterior wall cavities to easily communicate with the inner core of the building, establishing a much larger single pressure vessel that fit's Webster's description of same, that can easily withstand higher pressures and thereby eliminate the opportunity of these multiple vessels with shared vessel walls, from working against each other.
These exterior wall cavity pressures are eventually transmitted directly to the core of the building through the shared vessel walls. Once the building core begins to experience the ever increasing positive pressure, it will also weaken as it inflates. Other interior cavities of the building such as but not limited to floor, ceiling, wall, attic and other interstitial cavities will now operate as ever more totally separate pressure vessels and reside at different pressures than the building core and its exterior wall cavities. Over time the ever increasing pressure differentials between these totally separate pressure vessels with shared vessel walls, begin to tear and pull against one another, further weakening the entire building structure.
Applicant's research teaches him that this ever increased interior positive building core pressure eventually blows roof membranes and sometimes the entire roof off of a standard building. Many before applicant have asserted that the relative air flow parallel to the top surface of the roof and/or wind under roof eves, during a storm generates a sufficient low pressure over said roof surface to result in a sufficient upwards force, to lift the roof from a standard building.
Applicant says they have never truly understood the real problem, so they have failed every time they tried to solve it. Several years ago, many building codes doubled the number of roof tie downs to solve roof lift. This attempt at an improvement failed to produce noticeable results. If one does not know the real problem, then they can never solve it and they are doomed to treat the symptoms of the real problem. The real problem is run away positive building pressure that eventually blows the roof off of the building. In high rise buildings this run away positive building pressure on the individual floors blows the windows out.
Applicant personally ran many aerodynamic calculations based on Newton's Laws of Motion and Bernoulli's work, and he hereby declares that he never came across a single formula or solution that would generate a sufficient lift to pull a single roof from a standard building, that it is attached too, even before he added the additional drag forces of the roof tie downs. Applicant would love to see someone prove him wrong. Both flat and sloped roofs failed to provide the smooth, streamlined air flow pattern required to provide a sufficient aerodynamic lifting force, especially when dormers, chimneys, roof vents, etc., were added to the calculations. It must be remembered that sloped roofs and especially flat roofs, generate high Reynolds Numbers over their surfaces as the air moves up walls and over the roof. Turbulence always denies lift.
It is applicant's opinion after running many of these calculations, his 30 years of building pressure work and through his 32 years of hurricane observation, that the predominant component of the aerodynamic force that occurs in the fluid flow up to approximately 60 MPH, relative to approximately 50% of a standard building is manifested as a drag force on the sides of said building that have winds blowing along them, and this force acts parallel relative to the flow. This explains the ability of this flow to pull air out of approximately 50% of the building's exterior surfaces that have winds blowing along them up to approximately 60 MPH.
Then when the fluid flow exceeds approximately 60 MPH, the predominant component of the aerodynamic force that occurs relative to the sides of a standard building that have winds blowing along them, is manifested as a lifting force, that acts perpendicular relative to the flow. This explains why the ability of this flow to pull air out of approximately 50% of the building's exterior surfaces, is dramatically reduced during high, strong winds. The approximately 25% of a standard building that is truly downwind, does continue to encounter a negative pressure effect that pulls air from a standard building, regardless of wind speed. Applicant hereby declares that he has never seen anyone else explain this phenomenon this way and that he has shared it with no one until now. He spent a lot of his personal funds and productive hours to learn this and use it in the patent at hand, and on his own home.
And yes, applicant is saying that a lifting force definitely exist on the roof, it is just dramatically insufficient to lift the roof from a standard building. It failed to lift his operating skylight from his home during IVAN when only one piece of ½″ bungee and one piece of ½″ rope, tied so it would let the skylight open 10″ were available to keep it from flying away. In other words the elastic memory of ½″ bungee is all that kept the skylight closed and prevented it from being torn from his roof. This is positive proof that the 138 MPH winds of IVAN that raced over his roof, were unable to lift even this skylight against the ½″ bungee. It only opened every few seconds to relieve the built up dynamic pressure from within his home and then slam shut, directly against these roof lift forces. It is still there today, undamaged.
These roof lift forces are however quite sufficient to make applicant's same roof mounted, automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents and valves extremely efficient and quick, due to the pressure differentials that are generated on the roof, in relationship to the captured dynamic pressure within the building. The perpendicular lifting force along the sides of the building will render wall mounted relief valves inefficient, if not totally inoperative. All before the applicant have failed to understand this important phenomenon, so their attempts at protecting a standard building during high winds, have totally failed as they just treated the symptoms of the real problem.
Applicant also asserts that the walls of a standard building experience far stronger impact forces than the roof lift forces, yet the pictures on TV show the walls still standing when the roofs are lifted off. Applicant would love for someone to explain how this can be true, along with how his skylight survived 138 MPH winds with only the ½″ bungee holding it down. His research and mathematics all combine in a coherent theory that simply and completely tells the truth about what is happening. The walls are currently strong enough to withstand strong storm winds and current roof tie down requirements are sufficient to keep the roofs on the buildings, provided the captured dynamic pressures within the building cavities and its core are channeled and allowed to communicate with each other and generate a single pressure vessel and not allowed to become excessively concentrated.
Then to keep this ever increasing positive building pressure during storms from becoming so concentrated that is destroys a standard building, a direct channel must be established so that the inner core of the building can easily communicate with outdoors, in a controlled way. Applicant's scheme uses automatic, pressure actuated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves that can be set at any desired relief pressure. Presently applicant thinks that the building should be kept at a slight positive pressure in relationship to outdoors, allowing Newton's third law to save the structure. Applicant hereby declares that he has done extensive research on the size requirements of these outdoor relief openings and all of the other interior relief openings described in this patent, for single story and multiple story buildings and has developed a formula for sizing them and has shared it with no one. This information is not pertinent to the approval of this patent and is a trade secret and applicant should not have to divulge this information at this time.
Applicant has over 14 years of experience selling and commissioning automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves in the HVAC Industry. Some used springs, some used counter weights and some even used blatters. On his home applicant used a variation of the spring type of automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief valve, by employing the ½″ piece of bungee cord on his opening skylight For a description of “pressure relief valve” I refer to Wikipedia, “automatic system that relives static pressure on a liquid. It specifically opens proportionally with pressure increasing.” This means that all “pressure relief valves” are in fact “automatic” and “pressure operated”. Wikipedia goes onto say that “relief valves” are “spring operated”, or “weight loaded”, while motor controlled or manually controlled openings as used in previous patents, are never mentioned. As stated previously, applicant deployed a spring operated, automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief valve on his operable skylight. In applicant's claims when he refers to an automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings or valve, it is understood that they can only be spring operated or weight loaded, and never motor controlled or manually controlled. Pressure relief valves are both pressure operated and spring operated or weight loaded, because pressure pushes the valve open when the pressure in the structure exceeds the rating of the spring or weight and then the spring or weight closes the valve again once enough pressure has been relieved/released and the desired structure pressure rating/setting is achieved again. No controls, control systems or information technologies, whatsoever are needed for my scheme to operate properly when needed. On this same page in Wikipedia, seven (7) types of “Pressure relief valves” are defined and every one of them is listed as “automatic”. Webster's goes on to define “automatic” as (1) “operating with minimal human intervention; independent of external control” and (2) “without conscious control”.
Applicant spent a lot of time picking the term “pressure relief valve”. At that time he also researched the following phrases “pressure relief damper”; “pressure relief openings” and “pressure relief vent”, and neither Webster's nor Wikipedia had, or currently has, a definition for any of them. Only “pressure relief valve” had and has a definition within Webster's and Wikipedia. Applicant then used Webster's to obtain the definition for “valve”; “control consisting of a mechanical device for controlling the flow of a fluid”. Air is a fluid. Then applicant obtained the definition of “damper”; “to regulate the volume of air”. Webster's defines “openings” as “an open or empty space in or between things”. “Vent” is defined as “a hole for the escape of gas or air”. Applicant asserts that “valve” encompasses the definition of a “damper”, “opening” and “vent” based on their definitions.
No electric or pneumatic operators or any controls of any kind are required to operate the automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, openings, vents or valves in applicant's building protection scheme. All of which would fail when the power fails. Therefore, no motorized or manual relief openings shall be applied to protect a structure from high winds. All of the energy required to operate all of the relief openings in applicant's building protection scheme, will totally be supplied by the captured dynamic pressure that builds up within a standard structure during high winds.
Thus, there is a need in the current art of building construction for providing a method which will allow buildings to better survive hurricanes, tornadoes and other high wind challenges. It therefore is an objective of this invention to provide a method for constructing buildings that consist of a single pressure vessel, that can easily relieve any and all excess dynamic pressure energy through its outer edge, and thereby outdoors. Such a method must be easy to apply and adequately produce a building that is actually a single pressure vessel operating at a uniform pressure that is not excessive.
This method may, or may not, also include a automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, opening and valve(s) and/or transfer openings(s) to relieve any excess pressure that can build up within the enclosed sealed interior areas of the building as high pressure wind leaks in around windows, doors and even minor wall imperfections, inflating the building, and it's sealed cavities to destructive pressures. It is just these large pressure differentials generated by the outdoor low pressure event and the inflated high pressures that build up within these enclosed sealed interior areas of the building, due to wind intrusion, that create the potential for the explosion of these enclosed sealed, separate, pressure vessels of the building, and consequently the building itself, leading to a catastrophic failure of the entire structure. Webster's defines “interior” as “situated within a building” and Wikipedia describes it as “the part of something which is not on the edge”. In the patent at hand, it includes all rooms, cavities, attics and any and all other interstitial areas and spaces located within the skin, or outer edge, of the building.
For a description of “transfer opening”, I refer to Webster's: “the act of transferring something from one location to another”. In our case an opening that allows air to be transferred from one space to another. In both cases the desired result is the same, to allow air to move between various, desired spaces and allow the pressure to easily, automatically and quickly equalize between these desired spaces and produce a uniform pressure throughout the structure. Webster's defines “equalize” as “make equal, uniform”. While defining “uniform” as “(1) always equal; (2) non differentiated”. These words means the same thing and are interchangeable. The primary difference is that a transfer opening is allowing air to, automatically move from one space to another, every minute, of every day, while a pressure relief valve will allow air to, automatically move from one space to another, only after, the required/desired relief pressure, has been reached within one of the spaces involved.
Applicant applied these principals to his own town home located at 1521 Via Deluna, on Pensacola Beach, Fla. and hereby declares that it is the first working prototype of the invention taught in this patent. This prototype provided the applicant with valuable knowledge and insight, as these principals allowed his town home to withstand the devastating winds of hurricane IVAN, on Sep. 15, 2004. He stayed in his home throughout the hurricane and associated 130+ MPH winds and eight foot storm surge, to see for himself when, how and where his ideas on this subject, might fail. His ideas did not fail and are now described in this patent. He stayed in his town home for nine additional days after IVAN, without electricity or running water, while the area was under Martial Law, to study the useful, new, novel and non-obvious ideas taught by this patent. Applicant sold said town home on May 2, 2005 and timely filed a U.S. patent application, within the one-year statutory period, beginning on that date.
Applicant hereby declares that while observing the operation of his automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief valve, skylight, during IVAN as described above, applicant learned exactly how powerful the mechanical energy of this captured dynamic pressure is and that he had never accurately calculated or observed this force within a structure before. Within a day he realized how this energy could be captured, channeled, concentrated and harnessed to power any type, size, form or shape of pressure operated device, even in winds down to 1.0 mph, including but not limited to electrical power generators. Any applicable form, type, size or shape of electrical power generator currently existing or invented in the future can be used. One could easily be applied along with the above mentioned transfer openings and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings or valves, to outdoors and supply power to the protected to home throughout hurricanes and tornadoes, even after all normal power sources have shut down, allowing people to more safely and comfortably shelter in place.
Thus, there is a need in the current art of electrical power generation for a structure that will maximize the capturing, channeling, concentrating and harnessing of the dynamic pressure energy of wind within a structure, to operate any form, type and size of electrical power generator, which is also the objective of this invention. Such method must be easy to apply and adequately produce sufficient energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA new or existing building constructed as a single pressure vessel includes a building with walls and at least one floor, along with attic and/or roof cavity areas that are sealed to outdoors. Multiple floor buildings are included by reference and inference. The attic and roof cavity areas as named include any and all spaces attached to the building and located directly below the roof structure and directly above the living and/or working area. Basements, party rooms, family rooms, stairways, mechanical rooms, utility rooms and all other attached, enclosed, structures are also included by reference, which includes all other enclosed areas that are part of the building, that the designer, architect, etc. . . . chooses to protect and include within the single pressure vessel. One objective of this patent is to design and construct the building, the attics, the roof cavities, ceiling cavities, floor cavities and wall cavities and any other interstitial areas, along with any desired attached, enclosed, structures; into a single pressure vessel that will operate at a uniform pressure. By interstitial area, we refer to any space between other spaces or structures. The areas to be protected will be sealed to all surrounding areas, except each other. Practical application of this embodiment will involve the deletion of all soffit vents, roof vents, and roof turbine vents, ridge vents, gable vents, etc. . . . Attics are now completely sealed to outdoors except for the addition of automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vents, openings and valves.
According to a further embodiment, transfer openings(s) is/are added through the attic ceiling surface and/or roof cavity surface, of the top floor of the building, allowing pressure to easily, automatically and quickly equalize between the attic and/or roof cavity and the enclosed living areas and working areas thereby generating a single pressure vessel, that will operate at a uniform pressure. This attic ceiling surface, refers to any and all surfaces that exist between the attic as described, and the enclosed, living and working areas. In other cases, ceiling refers also to the upper surface of any living or working area. A ceiling cavity is the area between a ceiling surface and the attic or floor surface above it. Sometimes a floor cavity from one floor and ceiling cavity from the floor below, can be the same cavity, and can be called either, or both.
This embodiment can involve the installation of insulation just below the roof surface, or even on top of it. For the past 100+ years, the surface between the attic area and enclosed living and working areas has been insulated, and the attic was allowed to gain heat. Sealing the attic to outdoors will allow heat to increase in the attic area, unless the insulation is moved to below the roof. Moving the insulation is not critical to the design of a single pressure vessel, but instead is just a recommendation that will allow for energy savings. Applicant feels that if insulation is installed at the building's roof, then insulation is not required at the attic ceiling surface located between the attic areas, and the enclosed living and working areas.
According to another aspect of the invention, any and/or all desired attached and enclosed structures can also be added to the protected area and then sealed to all surrounding areas, except each other and the building itself. Practical application of this aspect will also involve the addition of transfer openings(s) and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves between all sealed areas, allowing pressure to easily, automatically and quickly equalize between all of the sealed areas, thereby generating a single pressure vessel that will operate at a uniform pressure, and preventing the creation of pressure differences between any of these protected spaces.
According to another embodiment, the exterior wall cavities, roof cavities, floor cavities and ceiling cavities and exterior interstitial areas will also have transfer openings(s) and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves added to them, that allows pressure to easily, automatically and quickly equalize between them and the interior sealed areas, of the single pressure vessel. This will prevent the uncontrolled buildup of pressure within these exterior wall cavities, floor cavities and ceiling cavities and exterior interstitial areas. For the past 40+ years this wall cavity has had the vapor retarder located on the interior side of these exterior wall cavities, floor cavities and ceiling cavities.
Allowing pressure to equalize within these exterior wall cavities, roof cavities, floor cavities and ceiling cavities and exterior interstitial areas and the interior of the building, will mean that the vapor retarder should be moved to the outer most side of these exterior wall cavities roof cavities and ceiling insulation, or even to the outside of these exterior surfaces, but inside of the weather resistant outer coating, so that these entire exterior cavities become part of the single pressure vessel. Exterior walls, roofs, floors and ceilings and interstitial areas, refer to any wall, roof, floor, ceiling or area that has the outdoors on one side of the wall, roof, floor or ceiling and the enclosed sealed area of the single pressure vessel, on the other side of the wall, roof, floor or ceiling. A vapor retarder should be included to assist in sealing the enclosed areas of the building and creating the desired single pressure vessel, but is not required to create a single pressure vessel. A vapor retarder will provide increased humidity control and increased energy savings.
In hot, humid locations, applicant feels that the best location for this vapor retarder is just behind the weather resistant outer coating of the building (brick, vinyl siding, wood siding, aluminum siding, stucco, etc. . . . ). When the vapor retarder is located here, a space for ventilation drying should be allowed between the vapor retarder and the weather resistant outer coasting, with vent holes at the top and bottom of each floor that open to outdoors, so that moisture is allowed to escape. A vapor retarder should not be applied inside the wall structure, as this would allow moisture to become trapped between it and the weather resistant outer coating, resulting in significant mold, mildew and rot.
A vapor retarder should also be applied to the outer most side of the roof structure, for the same reasons. In both of these cases, outer most means the side of the roof structure that is the closest to the outdoors, so as to maximize the size of the single pressure vessel. Applicant also feels that the best vapor retarder for roof membranes are tar based, peel and stick products that offer great vapor protection and help to keep the roof membrane in place during high, strong winds. This peel and stick type of vapor retarder should be applied to the outer surface of the roof structure, and just below the roof membrane itself. Again, a vapor retarder should not be applied below the roof structure, as this would allow moisture to become trapped between it and the roof membrane, resulting in significant mold, mildew and rot.
According to another embodiment, the interior wall cavities, floor cavities, and ceiling cavities and interior interstitial areas can also have transfer openings(s) and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents and valves added to them, that allow pressure to, automatically and easily equalize between them and the interior sealed areas, of the single pressure vessel. This will also prevent the uncontrolled buildup of pressure within these interior wall, floor and ceiling cavities, before they become explosive. Interior wall cavities, floor cavities, ceiling cavities and interstitial areas, refer to any wall cavity, floor cavity and ceiling cavity or interstitial area that has enclosed, sealed areas of the single pressure vessel, on both sides of the wall cavity, floor cavity and ceiling cavity or interstitial area. If insulation is added to these interior cavities, then vapor retarders should not be employed unless some specific reason requires them. If a vapor retarder is employed in interior walls, care should be taken to prevent the generation of any separate pressure vessels, within the building, that could also trap moisture and pressure.
These transfer openings(s) can be any now known device or any device developed in the future, that allows pressure to automatically equalize between different areas. There is no reason to limit the design of these transfer openings(s) at this time, since no one currently employs the principals as described in this patent. Applicant has done extensive research on the exact size, type and location of these transfer openings(s) and considers the knowledge gained to be a trade secret that should not be revealed in detail in this patent application. Practical application of the principals taught by this patent will most certainly reveal even more priority information. Applicant added over 40 leaky, recessed, incandescent, lights to the ceiling and roof cavities of his town home on Pensacola Beach, to act as transfer openings(s) during IVAN, and they worked perfectly. They also provided great lighting flexibility. Many other common products can also be used as transfer openings(s), while serving other practical and useful purposes.
According to another embodiment of the invention, an automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings or valve may be added to, automatically relieve built up pressures during any and all challenges. Pressure relief valves have been applied to buildings in the past but not as used, or described by applicant. They can be added between enclosed and sealed areas, to accomplish the single pressure vessel principal. They can be added between all enclosed and sealed areas and the outdoors. Due to the high winds involved, walls are not suitable locations, as deployed by previous patents. Winds blowing directly against a pressure relief damper, vent, openings or valve located on a wall, could easily prevent it from operating at the proper relief pressure when needed. The same does not hold true for roof surfaces, due to the well known pressure envelope that develops over roof surfaces.
So, for proper operation and protection, the automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves to outdoors, must always be located on roof surfaces. Directly after IVAN, applicant observed that the roof membranes of over 35 homes on Pensacola Beach had undergone catastrophic and uncontrolled explosive pressure releases, resulting in the roof membrane being blown up into a bubble at its weakest spot. Allowing these automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves to relieve the built up pressure right at the roof, will prevent just this type of explosive pressure release. If a sloped roof is involved, then pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves should be installed on both sloped surfaces, to prevent wind from blowing directly on both of them. So, every sloped roof surface should have a pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings or valve installed on it. Flat roofs can have as few as one automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings or valve, provided it is sized and located properly.
The release pressure for these automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves can be set at any relief pressure desired. Applicant used an existing operable sky light on his town home, and set it to relief at a pressure well below the failure point of all exterior surfaces. At the height of IVAN, this sky light was relieving the built up pressures about every 2 seconds, and then reset with a loud pop, and some releases could even be felt in his ears. Applicant used the failure pressure of his roof membrane, as his design relief pressure. He found it to be his weakest exterior surface. No exterior surface failed on his town home during IVAN, while both of his next door neighbors lost several windows and doors, plus both lost their roof membranes to the explosive pressure release described above, to the same wind and pressure challenges as the applicant's home. For other buildings, other surfaces may have a lower failure pressure.
By reviewing all of the failure pressures, of all of the exterior surfaces (windows, doors, skylights, walls, roof membrane, etc. . . . ) for a particular building, and then using a percentage of the lowest known failure pressure, an adequate relief pressure can easily be determined. Applicant has done extensive research on this subject and considers the knowledge gained to be a trade secret that should not be revealed in detail in this patent application, as it is not critical to the core principals taught by this patent. I will say that maximum rated wind loads for various exterior surfaces can easily be converted to failure pressures, by simply applying velocity pressure (dynamic pressure) conversion formulas. These automatic, pressure operated, pressure relieve dampers, vents, openings and valves can be any now known device or any device developed in the future, that allows pressure to be automatically relieved, so as to prevent catastrophic failure of a standard building structure and roof membrane. There is no reason to limit the design of this automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, opening and valve at this time, since no one currently employs this principal as described in this patent. Plus, the practical application of these principals may reveal even more priority information on how to easily relieve pressure build ups, before they become catastrophic.
According to another aspect of the invention, automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves may be added between any or all of the sealed and enclosed interior areas, including but not limited to various rooms, and interstitial areas, ceiling cavities, roof cavities, floor cavities and wall cavities, etc., to provide protection from uncontrolled pressure differentials, during a catastrophic event.
According to another embodiment, new or existing buildings that have attics and/or roof cavities that cannot be sealed to outdoors, can be modified with automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves between the sealed living areas and/or working, and these unsealed attic areas and/or unsealed roof cavities, to relief pressures during a catastrophic event. Transfer openings(s) should not be used at these locations, as they will allow humidity to uncontrollably infiltrate into the working and living area. I hereby declare that I have never seen anyone else use pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves added between these areas, much less transfer openings(s).
According to another aspect of the invention automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves and/or transfer openings(s) may be added between any or all of the attached, enclosed, structures of the new or existing building that have attics and/or roof cavities that cannot be sealed to outdoors, including various rooms, and interstitial areas, ceiling cavities, any roof cavities that are sealed, floor cavities and wall cavities, to provide protection from uncontrolled pressure differentials during a catastrophic event. Again, automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves will prevent the uncontrolled infiltration of humidity, where transfer openings(s) could allow humidity to enter and move throughout the building and cause mold and mildew problems. Automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves can also be added to the roof surface of these unsealed attic and/or roof cavities, to readily, automatically and easily relieve pressure to outdoors. Since moisture intrusion is not a concern here, transfer openings(s) could also be used.
According to another embodiment, the interior wall cavities, floor cavities, and ceiling cavities and interior interstitial areas of these buildings with unsealed attics and/or roof cavities, can also have transfer openings(s) and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves added to them, that allow pressure to easily, automatically and quickly equalize between them and the interior sealed areas, of the single pressure vessel. This will also prevent the uncontrolled buildup of pressure within these interior wall, floor and ceiling cavities, before they become explosive. Interior wall cavities, floor cavities, ceiling cavities and interstitial areas, refer to any wall cavity, floor cavity and ceiling cavity or interstitial area that has enclosed, sealed areas of the single pressure vessel, on both sides of the wall cavity, floor cavity and ceiling cavity or interstitial area. If insulation is added to these interior cavities, then vapor retarders should not be employed unless some specific reason requires them. If vapor retarders are employed in interior walls, floors and ceilings, care should be taken to prevent the generation of any separate pressure vessels, within the building, that could also trap moisture and pressure.
According to another embodiment, the capture, channeling, concentrating and harnessing of this dynamic pressure energy within a structure through the implementation of dampers, vents, openings and valves has many uses. One is designing a structure to specifically capture, channel, concentrate and harness the mechanical energy within this dynamic pressure of wind to operate any type, form, size or shape of pressure operated device, even in winds down to 1.0 mph, for many uses including a new and more efficient way to generate electrical power. Any applicable form, type, size or shape of electrical power generator currently existing or invented in the future can be used in this structure. Applicant envisions economical smaller units that could be installed on every home in America, resulting in a dramatic increase in energy savings and independence, capable of withstanding and operating throughout hurricanes and tornadoes, allowing people to more safely and comfortably shelter in place. Just for example and not by way of limitation, these could be about the diameter of a 55 gallon drum and about 30 feet tall with individual rotating sections every four feet or so, with vertical inlet slots to channel wind energy into the structure, swiveling around a center support post. These slots will aligned with the direction of the incoming wind by employing simple wind vanes positioned on the drum, opposite each slot. As the wind direction changes over height, the individual sections could aim in different directions to capture and concentrate more energy, producing increased efficiency. In rural, poor areas, actual 55 gallon drums could be used to save cost. A single power generator could be mounted on the top, or the entire height could be a series of horizontal fan blades, similar to jet engine blades, connected to a common center rotating shaft mounted around the center support shaft, all driving a single power generator or multiple generators over the height to harness this energy. Once again, all of the dynamic pressure energy of wind would be captured, channeled, concentrated and harnessed, within the structure.
These dynamic pressure energy structures could have dampers, vents, openings or valves on all sides that experience wind impact, or those multiple rotating openings that will follow changing wind directions, over height. These dampers, vents, openings or valves will move to open when wind impacts them and once the wind enters the structure, all of the other dampers, vents, openings and valves on the other sides could seal, capturing the dynamic energy of wind and channeling it in a vertical flow. Common, parallel blade, inward openings, pressure operated, relief openings could work best for this application. But it is understood that any type of damper, vent, openings or valve, even motorized ones, could be used in this structure, since their design is not critical to the implementation of applicant's dynamic pressure energy structure and no other existing patent employs them in a similar way.
So even during light wind conditions, dynamic pressure will become captured within the structure and then channeled into a vertical flow that concentrates and increases over the height of the structure. If the captured dynamic pressure becomes greater than the velocity pressure of the wind on the upper relief openings, then these openings could close and prevent the loss of any of this dynamic pressure energy. Or the excess dynamic pressure energy could be channeled into any number and type of horizontal or vertical pathways, by employing additional dampers, vents, openings or valves, to maximize the energy of the available wind. Applicant's calculations show that only a few floors are needed to approach maximization. In a standard structure, rooms directly over other rooms for as few as five floors, could be converted into dynamic pressure energy structures, while adjacent rooms would continue to serve normal functions. It is understood that the word floor is used also to describe any additional height added to the dynamic pressure energy structure and not just a standard building floor.
Wind turbine generators of any applicable form, type, size and shape could be mounted in stages over the height of the building, or just one at the roof line. These dynamic pressure energy structures offer the advantage of being built into and among other buildings and within our big cities without becoming obtrusive and possibly could go un-noticed, as they supply the surrounding buildings with green energy. They will not be inherently unsafe like large propeller driven systems that could come apart and possibly destroy surrounding buildings, while injuring or killing people. As there are several existing wind electrical power generators that applicant has found that could harness this free energy, he has not included apparatus or specific claims on same. The dynamic pressure energy structure is the primary objective of the patent at hand, not a specific electrical power generator.
With modifications, stairways, elevator shafts and other tubes within buildings could easily be converted into dynamic pressure energy structures, while still remaining fire sealed from the primary building they are attached to. Structures could easily be added onto and into existing buildings and become a normal addition to new buildings, to supply the building with green energy. Architects, Engineers and Designers could work together on imaginative ways to implement dynamic pressure energy structures into buildings through artistic spires and pinnacles, or by simply disappearing them into the normal building structure. Applicant has not invented a new apparatus yet, just a method for the design and implementation of this new energy source that he discovered during IVAN. After much consideration applicant honestly feels that he should not patent any apparatus concerning his discovery of dynamic pressure energy structures, as this would limit the imagination of others in their practical application of what he is teaching. Claiming the method only, provides others with the opportunity of allowing form to follow function into a totally new design field, based on the principals taught by this invention.
Applicant's calculations also show him that there are times and especially in locations where surrounding structures such as other buildings and/or topography such as mountains and trees, entrain the wind into a fairly constant air flow pattern, horizontal flow electrical power generators could be added within the structure. Some could be on swivels within this dynamic energy structure, to better focus the energy available. With further modifications, this dynamic pressure energy can be channeled, concentrated and harnessed vertically or horizontally through one or possibly several stages of wind turbine electrical generators, through to use of additional dampers, vents, openings or valves. It can also be channeled and concentrated into several pathways keeping the wind turbines smaller in size and weight, by employing even more dampers, vents, openings or valves. The power could be used by the surrounding structures that helped generate this green energy, or transmitted into the electrical power grid.
There are many advantages of this type of structure over all previous attempts. Most previous designs for a wind power generating structure minimize the structure so as to maximize the turbine's exposure to wind. Since the flow comes from within the structure, applicant's ideas can easily maximize both the size of the structure and the size of the electrical turbine without any loss of performance or efficiency. Applicant's calculations show that there are no limitations to the number of electrical turbines, the size of the turbines, or even the combined weight of the turbines. With his design the structure can simply be made larger and stronger to accept all possible variations, regardless of height. Plus, applicant's design is the most fatigue failure resistant of any design he ever found throughout his research, it will not suffer from Coriolis Force problems, or vibration problems, due to the mass of the structure. Making it extremely safe for inter city applications. Applicant shows a square structure in his drawings, but any shape is possible and it can even narrow or flare out at the top or bottom, or bend around other structures, for architectural appeal. No other current wind system has all of these combined capabilities.
Even though buildings are emphasized in this patent, it is understood that the same principles of protecting a single pressure vessel and dynamic pressure energy structure could easily and effectively be applied to any structure, whether commercial, industrial or residential, even high rise buildings, regardless of size, shape, or number of floors involved. Other aspects of the invention are more fully disclosed hereafter. While preferred embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated that other modifications, adaptations and changes to the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by way of example in
This sealed outer edge surface 22 is used to establish the outer edge of the single pressure vessel 12. Therefore, all of the interior areas within a single, continuous sealed outer edge surface 22, that are marked 12, are interior areas of the same, single pressure vessel. Various possible locations of transfer openings(s) 24 and automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26, are shown for example only, and not by way of limitation, to allow pressure to easily, automatically and quickly equalize between all of the interior areas of the single pressure vessel 12. Such as but not limited to, through floor surfaces 36, floor cavities 38, through ceiling surfaces 50, ceiling cavities 52, exterior wall cavities 42, through interior wall surfaces 44, interior wall cavities 46, sealed attic 56, through attic ceiling surfaces 50, and roof cavities 60, of the home 10. Any location of transfer openings(s) 24 and automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26 that is desired and/or appropriate, may be used.
According to one embodiment,
Refer again now to
Any location of transfer openings 24 and automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26 that is desired and/or appropriate, may be used. Please note that when a transfer openings 24 and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings and valve 26, is installed in an exterior wall cavity 42, it is only installed on the interior wall surface 44, of this cavity 42 that faces, opens up to, the single pressure vessel 12. The exterior wall surface 40, is the one that is closest to the outdoors 32. Neither this exterior wall surface 40, nor its sealed outer edge 22, are ever pierced by anything except windows and doors that are then sealed in place. In fact, under no circumstances is the sealed outer edge surface 22 ever pierced, except by windows and doors that are then sealed in place, as well as possible, or by the automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings and valve 26, to outdoors 32, that is installed on all roof surfaces 58, in order to easily, automatically and quickly relieve pressure build ups in the building 10, to outdoors 32, at the outer edge of the building surface 22.
Stairways (not shown) in a normal multiple floor, new, or existing building 10, that has a sealed attic 56, or sealed roof cavity 60, that is not ventilated/opened to outdoors 32, will serve as a perfect transfer openings 24, between the various floors. When this is true, then the transfer opening(s) 24, and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valve(s) 26, that are mounted on ceiling surfaces 50, of the various floors, will only pierce the ceiling surface 50, and allow pressure to be automatically and easily released from the ceiling cavity 52. If there is no stairway (not shown), or if for some reason, the stairway (not shown) is sealed, or has some other form of restriction, then some of the ceiling surface 50 mounted transfer opening(s) 24 and/or pressure relief dampers, vents, openings or valve(s) 26, will need to be installed on both the ceiling surface 50 and the floor surface 36 above the ceiling cavity 52, so that pressure can easily and automatically equalize between the multiple floors involved, and easily escape the ceiling cavity 52. Sometimes a floor cavity 38 from one floor and a ceiling cavity 52 from the floor below, can be the same cavity 38 or 52, and can be called either or both.
According to another embodiment of the invention,
So, if the roof surface 58 is sloped, then automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26, should be installed on all of the sloped sides of the roof surface 58. So, in other words, every slopped roof surface 58 should have at least one automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26, installed on it. This will allow a pressure envelope to develop over at least one of the automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26, during high winds. Individual flat roof surfaces 58 and individual sloped roof surfaces 58, can each have a few as one automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings and valve 26, provided it is sized and located properly. More than one automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings and valve 26, can be used on each of these roof surfaces 58, if desired. The automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, openings and valve 26, can be located anywhere on the roof surface 58, that is desired, or appropriate, as long as it is sized properly and allowed to easily communicate with the single pressure vessel 12.
Due to the way that some new or existing building 70 are constructed with attics 72 and/or roof cavities 74, that cannot be sealed to outdoors 32, applicant feels that it will be very expensive and difficult, but not impossible to create a sealed outer edge surface 22 and convert them to the above described single pressure vessel 12.
Refer again to
Please note that when a transfer openings 24 and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26, are installed in an exterior wall cavity 42, it is only installed on the interior wall surface 44, of this cavity 42 that faces, opens up to, the single pressure vessel 12, of a new or existing building 70, that have attics 72 and/or roof cavities 74, that cannot be sealed to outdoors 32. The exterior wall surface 40 is the one that is closest to the outdoors 32. Neither this exterior wall surface 40, nor its sealed outer edge surface 22, if installed, are ever pierced by anything except windows and doors that are then sealed in place. In fact, if a sealed outer edge surface 22 is created on a new or existing building that has attics 72 and/or roof cavities 74 that cannot be sealed to outdoors 32 then under no circumstances is the sealed outer edge surface 22 ever pierced except by windows and doors that are then sealed in place, as well as possible, or by the automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26, to outdoors 32, that could be installed on a sealed roof surface 58, and/or the sealed attic ceiling surface 76, as applicable, in order to easily and quickly relieve pressure build ups in the building 70, to outdoors 32.
Stairways (not shown) in a normal multiple floor, new or existing building 70, that have attics 72 and/or roof cavities 74, that cannot be sealed to outdoors 32, will serve as a perfect transfer openings 24, between the various floors. When this is true, then the transfer opening(s) 24 and/or automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valve(s) 26, that are mounted on the ceiling surfaces 50, will only pierce the ceiling surface 50, and allow pressure to be easily and automatically released from the ceiling cavity 52. If there is no stairway (not shown) or if for some reason, the stairway (not shown) is sealed or has some other form of restriction, then some of the ceiling surface 50 mounted transfer openings(s) 24 and/or pressure operated, pressure relief dampers, vents, openings and valves 26, will need to be installed through the ceiling surface 50 and the floor surface 36 above the ceiling cavity 52, so that pressure can easily escape the ceiling cavity 52, and equalize between the floors involved.
According to another embodiment of the invention,
Stairways (not shown) can be used to generate dynamic pressure energy and for access to the building (not shown) they are attached to, as long as landings still allow an open pathway to exist from the bottom to the top of the structure 90. Further, existing stairways (not shown) can also be converted into dynamic pressure energy structures 90 as long as the landings still allow an open pathway to exist from the bottom to the top of the structure 90 and dampers, vents, openings and valves 26 are installed on all sides that could possibly receive wind 100, as shown in
Air straightening vanes 96 can be added as desired to assure a smooth entrance flow into the wind turbine 94 intake, to maximize power generation. Applicant's research reveals that the parapet walls 92 should be a little higher than the top of the turbine 94. Any lift generated by air passing over these parapets 92 will actually make the turbine 94 more efficient, especially during high winds 100, while preventing those same high winds 100 from directly impacting the turbine 94 blades, which will actually reduce the efficiency of a center flow turbine 94. Additionally, with the height of the parapet 92 walls extending above the top of the center flow turbine 94, dynamic pressure 110 will actually be pulled up through the turbine 94, producing the first push-pull wind power generation system ever conceived, with some of the highest efficiencies ever realized.
This type of shielded, center flow, electrical turbine 94 could withstand 150 mph winds 100, with the implementation of properly sized and located bypass openings 98. No sealed surfaces are needed for this type of structure 90 to withstand hurricanes and it is strong enough to withstand even stronger winds 100 and continue to produce electrical power throughout any high wind event through the implementation of properly designed dynamic pressure energy structures 90 and high speed wind turbines 94 along with more bypass openings 98.
The description of the present embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the form disclosed. Many modifications, adaptations and variations will be apparent to those or ordinary skill in the art. As such, the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1) A method of protecting a new or existing structure with walls, interior area, outer edge surface and at least one floor, from high winds and the associated dynamic pressure energy buildup within said structure, the method comprising the step of:
- a) providing at least one automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, opening or valve to the outdoors, that pierces said outer edge surface of said interior area of said structure.
2) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
- a) providing at least one more said automatic, pressure operated, pressure relief damper, vent, opening or valve to said interior area of said structure.
3) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
- a) providing at least one transfer opening to said interior area of said structure.
4) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
- a) providing at least one said transfer opening to said outdoors, that pierces said outer edge surface of said structure.
5) A method of capturing, channeling, concentrating and harnessing the energy of the dynamic pressure of wind within a new or existing structure, with at least one wall and at least one floor, the method comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one damper, vent, opening or valve to said structure.
6) The method of claim 5 to channel said dynamic pressure energy within said structure through more than one vertical channel, further comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one more said damper, vent, opening or valve to said structure.
7) The method of claim 5 to channel said dynamic pressure energy within said structure through at least one horizontal channel, further comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one more said damper, vent, opening or valve to said structure.
8) The method of claim 5 to channel said dynamic pressure energy within said structure as it flows between, mountains, trees and other structures, further comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one more said damper, vent, opening or valve to said structure.
9) The method of claim 5 to harness said dynamic pressure energy within said structure to produce electrical power, further comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one electrical power generator to said structure.
10) The method of claim 9 to harness said dynamic pressure energy within said structure to operate more than one stage of said electrical power generator, further comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one more said electrical power generator to said structure.
11) The method of claim 5 to harness said dynamic pressure energy within said structure to operate any manner of pressure operated device, further comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one pressure operated device to said structure.
12) The method of claim 11 to harness said dynamic pressure energy within said structure to operate more than one stage of said pressure operated device, further comprising the step of:
- a) adding at least one more said pressure operated device to said structure.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 26, 2010
Publication Date: Aug 26, 2010
Inventor: James Patrick Fex, JR. (Gulf Breeze, FL)
Application Number: 12/799,577
