SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VENTILATING AN ATTIC

Abstract

There is provided a system and method of ventilating an attic of a building. The attic ventilation system comprises at least one lower turbine located at a low point of the attic, and at least one upper turbine located at a high point of the attic, wherein the turbines are each configured to receive power to enhance air flow in the attic being ventilated, and to generate power from the air flow in the attic when not receiving power. The system further comprises at least one power source to generate power to be transmitted to the turbines. The system may further comprise at least one battery to store power generated by at least the turbines and power source. The system may further comprise at least one controller configured to control the sequence of operation of at least the turbines, the power source, and the battery.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/488,937, filed May 23, 2011, entitled “System and Method for Producing Sustainable Energy,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for ventilating an attic. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method of ventilating an attic in an effective, energy-conserving manner by utilizing natural forces and energies.

2. Description of Related Art

As the world population increases, the need and demand for energy increases as well. However, this results in rapid consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels, such as oil and coal. As a result, there exists a dire need to conserve these fossil fuels through increased efficient energy use in conjunction with decreased energy consumption, as well as to develop and utilize alternative sustainable energy generation solutions.

Efforts have long been made to increase efficiency of energy usage and to decrease wasteful energy consumption. These efforts have spread across a wide range of technologies and complexities. For example, in the transportation field, there has been an increase in public transportation and carpooling, as well as great developments in the technology relating to gas consumption in vehicles, such as cars. Similarly, developments have been made in many energy consuming equipment, systems, and the like, for example in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Similarly, there has been an increase in research and development of alternative energy systems that utilize such natural resources as wind, water, and solar.

One particular area where energy could be more efficiently utilized is with the heating and cooling of homes, offices, and any other buildings. For example, in the summer time, heat builds up within the attics of houses. If the hot air is not properly ventilated, the heat will infiltrate the rest of the house, thereby inducing the air conditioning system to operate more frequently to account for the added heat load contributed from the hot air in the attic. Furthermore, in the winter time, a properly ventilated attic may help maintain a dry attic, thereby reducing the amount of damage to the house resulting from excess moisture penetration.

The principle of attic ventilation, as well as its positive effects, is not a new concept. There are various known ways to ventilate an attic, many of which utilize the thermal effect of hot air rising, and a wind effect where a wind-driven flow of air creates areas of high and low air pressure that force air into and out of the attic.

One common method includes placing an exhaust fan near the peak of a roof, so that the warmest air can be drawn out. Louvers may be provided in various locations in the attic to allow air to be drawn in to replace the exhausted air. However, the exhaust fans still require power input in order to operate. Therefore, any reduction in energy consumption resulting from less usage of an air conditioning system due to reduced heat infiltration from the attic is at least partially offset by the energy required to power the exhaust fan.

Another common method is to provide an intake vent in the lowest point of the attic, such as in the soffit, and an exhaust vent at the highest point, such as in the ridge of the roof. This method relies on only the natural air flow created by the thermal and wind effects described above. As such, not a large amount of air flow can be consistently maintained, and the effect on energy savings may be minimal.

There are also some systems that try to harness the natural air flow entering the attic, and generate power from that air flow through the use of a turbine. However, when the air flow comes in contact with the turbine, the air flow is reduced, and the effect of the attic ventilation is diminished. While power may be generated, stored, and utilized through such a system, because of the diminished air flow that is ventilated from the attic, the energy gained from the turbine may be at least partially offset by the reduction in energy efficiency of operating an air conditioning system.

Therefore, there exists a need for a system and method of ventilating an attic that effectively and efficiently reduces energy consumption. There is also a need to extend the life of roof sheathing and building structure by keeping the sheathing and attic substantially free of moisture.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for ventilating an attic of a building, the system comprising: at least one lower turbine located at a substantially low point of the attic; at least one upper turbine located at a substantially high point of the attic; and at least one power source configured to generate power to be transmitted to at least one of the at least one upper turbine and the at least one lower turbine. The at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine are each configured to enhance air flow in the attic. Additionally, the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine are further configured to generate power from the air flow in the attic when the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine are not receiving power from the at least one power source.

In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided the attic ventilation system above, the system further comprising: at least one battery to store power generated by at least one of the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, and the at least one power source; and at least one controller configured to control the sequence of operation of at least the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, the at least one power source, and the at least one battery.

In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a method for ventilating an attic of a building, the method comprising: providing an attic ventilation system as described in any one of the embodiments above; receiving air flow by at least one of the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine; generating power at the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine that receives the air flow; and directing the air flow out of the attic to outdoors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and still further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an attic ventilation system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged drawing of a portion of the attic ventilation system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view drawing of the exterior of a house with an attic ventilation system installed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view drawing of a component of an attic ventilation system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; in the inside of a roof, showing baffles within pairs of rafters in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view drawing of a component of an attic ventilation system in accordance with one embodiment of the of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments or other examples described herein. In some instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail, so as to not obscure the following description.

Further, the examples disclosed are for exemplary purposes only and other examples may be employed in lieu of, or in combination with, the examples disclosed. It should also be noted the examples presented herein should not be construed as limiting of the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure, as other equally effective examples are possible and likely.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an attic ventilation system 100 installed in a house 200. The house 200 comprises an attic 202 and a roof 204. While FIG. 1 depicts system 100 in a house, it should be appreciated that system 100 may be installed and utilized in any building, as the basic principles, i.e., thermal effect, wind effect, temperature and pressure differentials, etc., from which the operation and effectiveness of system 100 depend, are present regardless of the type of building.

System 100 comprises at least one lower turbine 102 and at least one upper turbine 104. While FIG. 1 depicts two lower turbines 102 and a plurality of upper turbines 104, it should be appreciated that any number of lower turbines 102 and upper turbines 104 are contemplated. The lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104 are configured to generate air flow at a specific volumetric flow rate. For example, the lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104 may be lightweight, conventional high efficiency propellers, or alternatively, nano turbines constructed from premium material. It should be appreciated that any turbine known to a person of ordinary skill in the art to be capable of generating air flow, as described above, is contemplated.

The lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104 may further comprise variable frequency drives (VFDs). This will allow the lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104 to operate at various speeds, depending on different conditions and parameters that will dictate the optimum mode of operation, as explained in more detail hereinafter.

The lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104 are further configured to generate power when they are not operating to enhance the natural air flow in the attic 202, which is generated from the natural forces due to thermal effect, wind effect, temperature and pressure differentials, etc. For example, when the natural air flow enters the attic 202 through an intake vent at a low point of the attic 202, such as through a soffit vent, and comes into contact with the lower turbines 102, they will begin to rotate, translating the wind power from the air flow into rotational energy. The lower turbines 102 will convert the rotational energy into electricity to be used or stored in manners described hereinafter. The upper turbines 104 generate power in the same manner when the air exits the attic through an exhaust vent in a high point of the attic 202, such as a ridge vent.

When only one group of the lower turbines 102 or the upper turbines 104 is operating, the volumetric flow rate of the air flow will be greater than that of just the natural air flow. As such, the group of the lower turbines 102 or the upper turbines 104 that is not operating, and therefore generating power, will see this greater flow rate, and will thus be able to generate more power. For example, when the upper turbines 104 are operating, the air flow being drawn into the attic through the soffit vent will be at a higher flow rate than if the upper turbines 104 are not operating. As such, the lower turbines 102 will have more rotational energy due to the increased flow rate, which will result in higher power generation. This is true for the inverse operation of the lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104. A controller 112, described hereinafter, may dictate the operation of the lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104.

As described above, the lower turbines 102 are located at a low point of the attic 202. For example, the lower turbines 102 may be located just above the soffit of the roof 204. Alternatively, as depicted in FIG. 1, the lower turbines 102 may be located exterior to the attic 202 just below the soffit. The lower turbines 102 may be housed or concealed in a lower turbine enclosure 106. This may be to protect the lower turbines 102 from the elements, as well as provide a more aesthetically appealing sight. Alternatively, the lower turbines 102 may be completely exposed. Regardless of whether the lower turbines 102 are located within or exterior to the attic 202, the soffit, or any low point of the attic in which the lower turbines 102 are located, should have an intake vent, such as a soffit vent. It should be appreciated that any intake vent known to a person of ordinary skill in the art is contemplated. This will allow air from the outdoors to enter the attic 202 through natural forces, thereby generating a natural air flow in the attic. When the lower turbines 102 are operating, they will enhance the air flow, generating a larger volumetric flow rate than that created by just natural forces.

The lower turbine enclosure 106 may have openings in any one of its surfaces. The openings will allow air to be drawn into the lower turbine enclosures 106, either by natural forces or by the lower turbines 102, and then from the lower turbine enclosures 106 through the intake vents into the attic 202, as described above.

The upper turbines 104 are located at a high point of the attic 202. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, the upper turbines 104 may be located at the ridge of the roof 204. Similar to the lower turbines 102, the upper turbines 104 may be located exterior to the attic 202, as depicted in FIG. 1, or within the attic 202. Where the upper turbines 104 are located exterior to the attic 202, they may be housed in an upper turbine enclosure 108, or alternatively, completely exposed. Similar to the lower turbine enclosure 106, the upper turbine enclosure 106 may serve to protect the upper turbines 104 from the elements, as well as make their presence more aesthetically appealing. An enlarged drawing of the upper turbine enclosure 108 is depicted in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the upper turbine enclosure 108 comprises openings 130 in a bottom surface of the enclosure 108. Similar to the lower turbine enclosure 106, the openings 130 serve as exhaust vents to allow the air being ventilated from the attic 202 to the outdoors. The openings 130 may be louvers, or just openings cut into the surface of the upper turbine enclosure 108. The openings 130 may alternatively be located on the upper surface of the upper turbine enclosure 108. However, this will require weatherproofing, such as shields, wire mesh screens, and the like, to prevent precipitation, debris, loose objects, and the like, from entering the upper turbine enclosure 108, and potentially the attic 202.

The upper turbine enclosure 108 may further include baffles 132. Where the openings 130 are located on the bottom surface of the upper turbine enclosure 108, and as such the air from the attic 202 is ventilated to the outdoors in a downward direction, the baffles 132 may serve to direct the ventilated air away from the remainder of the roof 204. This will help minimize the contact between the hot, ventilated air and the roof 204, thereby minimizing any extra potential infiltration of heat that may occur from this contact.

The upper turbine enclosure 108 may be built directly into a new building structure. In such a situation, the ridge, or high point, of the roof 204 may open up directly into the upper turbine enclosure 108. Alternatively, where the upper turbine enclosure 108 is retrofitted to an existing building, the high point of the roof 204 in which the upper turbines 104 are located, should have an exhaust vent, such as a ridge vent. Similar to the intake vent described above, this allows for a natural flow of air to be generated, and to flow from the intake vent, through the attic, and back to the outdoors through the exhaust vent. Similar to the lower turbines 102, the upper turbines 104, when operating, will enhance the air flow, generating a larger volumetric flow rate than that created by just natural forces.

Referring back to FIG. 1, system 100 further comprises a power source 110. The power source 110 depicted in FIG. 1 comprises at least one solar panel. However, it should be appreciated that any device capable of generating and providing power is contemplated. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that while only one power source 110 is shown, any number of power sources, whether as a primary source or as a backup for emergency situations, are contemplated. For example, the power source 110 may be any alternative means of power generation, such as wind or water turbines, or any other alternative power generation device known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, the power source 110 may be any traditional power source, such as the electrical grid of the building, a generator, a battery, or the like. Alternatively, the power source 110 may be any combination of the exemplary alternative power generation devices and/or traditional power sources described above.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the power source 110, i.e., the solar panels, are mounted on the upper turbine enclosure 108. Alternatively, the solar panels may be mounted on any surface or in any location in which the solar panels may receive sunlight. For example, the solar panels may be installed directly on the roof, or be installed in the roof shingles themselves. Any type of solar panel, as well as the manner in which it is installed and implemented, known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, is contemplated. Furthermore, the system 100 may also implement a device to tilt or rotate the solar panels to track the movement of the sun, such that the solar panels may have maximum exposure to the sunlight, and therefore, maximize the efficiency of the system 100. The controller 112, described hereinafter, may control any such device.

The power source 110 generates power that is transmitted to the lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104 so that they may operate. The power source 110 may transmit the power directly to the lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104. Alternatively, the power source 110 may transmit the power first to a battery 114, described hereinafter, or other energy storage device known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, from which the lower turbines 102 and the upper turbines 104 may then draw the power. It should be appreciated that any method and devices for transmitting power from the power source 110 to the lower turbines 102 and upper turbines 104 known to a person of ordinary skill in the art is contemplated. Additionally, the power source 110 may transmit power to just the lower turbines 102 at a given time, to just the upper turbines 104, or to both at the same time.

As mentioned above, the system 100 may further comprise a controller 112 and a battery 114. While FIG. 1 depicts only one controller 112 and one battery 114, it should be appreciated that any number of controllers and batteries are contemplated. The controller 112 dictates the sequence of operation of at least the lower turbines 102, the upper turbines 104, the power source 110, and the battery 114 where the system 100 incorporates one. The sequence of operation may be determined based on a number of various factors, such as a schedule based on date, time, duration, and the like. For example, the lower turbines 102 may be set to operate, i.e., generate a larger flow rate of the air flow, during the morning hours, where the power source 110 generates and transmits power to the lower turbines 102. During this time, the upper turbines 104 will not be operating. Rather, they will be translating the air flow into rotational energy, and subsequently converting this rotational energy into electricity. The controller 112 may further determine whether the electricity is sent to the battery 114, or if the electricity should be sent to the upper turbines 104. Furthermore, where multiple power sources 110 are provided, as described hereinabove, the controller 112 may further determine which power source is supplying power to the lower turbines 102 and upper turbines 104, and/or supplying power to the battery 114.

Continuing with the above example, when the time transitions from the morning to the afternoon, when the upper turbines 104 may be programmed to operate, the controller 112 will turn off the lower turbines 102 and switch them into power generation mode. The controller 112 will also redirect the power from the power source 110 to be transmitted to the upper turbines 102. It should be appreciated that any number of combinations of operation of at least the lower turbines 102, the upper turbines 104, the power source 110, and the battery 114 is contemplated.

The system 100 may further comprise at least one of indoor and outdoor temperature sensors 118 and 120, respectively, photo sensing devices 122, pressure sensors 124 and 126 at the low point and high point, respectively, of the attic, and humidity sensors 128. Each of these items will contribute further parameters to the controller 112 to determine the optimum mode of operation of the system 100 given the conditions read by these items at any given time. It should be appreciated that any number of these sensors, as well as any other sensors capable of determining environmental conditions that may contribute to the operation of the system 100 are contemplated. For example, where there is a substantial area of low pressure detected by pressure sensor 126 compared to the pressure detected by pressure sensor 124, the controller 112 may control the lower turbines 102 to operate because there will be a natural pulling force at the high point of the roof 204, such as at the ridge, due to the low pressure.

As another consideration or parameter, the photo sensing devices 122 may be utilized to determine the transition from day to night and vice versa. During this transition of light levels, the photo sensing devices 122 may trigger the controller 112 to run a diagnostic of the current conditions of the attic 202, the conditions being determined by the different sensors described above. For example, where the system 100 incorporates at temperature sensors 118 and 120 and humidity sensor 128, and the power source 110 comprises solar panels, the controller 112 may determine if humidity and heat conditions are higher than predetermined conditions, which are set by the user of the system 100 and are adjustable. If these elevated conditions exist, as solar energy production ceases with the setting sun, the controller 112 can operate the lower turbines 102 and upper turbines 104, according to the parameters for their sequence of operation described above, under battery power. However, if these elevated conditions are not present as solar energy production ceases, the battery power may be conserved for later use, such as in the evening when the conditions may change.

As explained above, the controller 112 may determine if the power generated from the lower turbines 102, upper turbines 104, and the power source 110 exceeds the power necessary for the system 100 to optimally operate. In such a situation, the controller 112 will appropriately direct the power to the pieces of equipment that require power, and the excess power to the battery 114.

The controller 112 may be accessible over a network connection 113 for monitoring and remote access. The network may include, for example, network elements from the Internet, core and proprietary public networks, wireless voice and packet-data networks, such as 1 G, 2 G, 2.5 G, 3 G and 4 G telecommunication networks, Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) systems, Enhanced Data GSM Environments (EDGE), and/or wireless local area networks (WLANs), including, Bluetooth and/or IEEE 802.11 WLANs, wireless personal area networks (WPANs), wireless metropolitan area networks (WMANs) and the like; and/or communication links, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) links; parallel port links, Firewire links, RS-232 links, RS-485 links, Controller-Area Network (CAN) links, and the like.

The system 100 may further comprise an inverter 116. The inverter 116 may convert the direct current (DC) power to alternating current (AC) power, which can then be fed directly into the electrical grid of the building. This may allow the user of the system 100 to receive rebates from the power company and/or solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) where the power source 110 comprises solar panels. This may also be controlled by the controller 112.

The system 100 may further comprise a smoke detector 129. Alternatively, the system may comprise a heat detector, fire detector, or any emergency detection device or system known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, or any combination thereof. The smoke detector 129 may be interfaced with the controller 112 such that when the smoke detector 129, or alternative emergency detection device, is activated by a certain emergency condition, the controller 112 may limit the operation of the system 100, as programmed by a user of the system 100.

The system 100 may further comprise transfer ducts, which not shown in FIG. 1. The transfer ducts may serve to provide a more direct path for the air flow from the intake at the low point of the attic 202, i.e., at the lower turbines 102, to the point of exhaust at the high point of the attic 202, i.e., the upper turbines 104. This will create a more concentrated air flow, and thus, a higher velocity, which in turn will generate more rotational energy at either of the lower turbines 102 and upper turbines 104 resulting in higher energy output. The transfer duct may be made of a sturdy material, such as sheet metal, or the like, and may be any gauge suitable to withstand the air flow rate generated by the lower turbines 102 and/or upper turbines 104. Furthermore, the transfer duct may have any cross-sectional shape, such as round or rectangular, and may have any cross-sectional area suitable to maintain a certain air flow velocity, pressure drop, while maintaining sound levels at a minimum.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exterior of a house 200 implementing an attic ventilation system 300 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. System 300 may comprise all the same components as system 100, particularly lower turbines 302, upper turbines (not shown), lower turbine enclosures 306, upper turbine enclosure 308, and power source 310 (not shown). Where the building structure allows for it, the lower turbines 302 and lower turbine enclosures 306 may be positioned laterally with respect to the building, as depicted in FIG. 3, as opposed to system 100, where the lower turbines 102 are positioned longitudinally with respect to the house 200.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the system 100 may further comprise at least one baffle 400 or 500, where the air flow generated by at least one of the lower turbines 102 or the upper turbines 104 is captured by the baffles 400 and 500. Baffles 400 and 500 may comprise a plurality of airflow mills 402 and 502, respectively, that create rotational energy from the air flow. While a plurality of airflow mills 402 and 502 are depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively, any number of airflow mills 402 and 502 are contemplated. As depicted in FIG. 4, the airflow mills 402 may be lightweight, conventional high efficiency propellers. Alternatively, as depicted in FIG. 5, the airflow mills 502 may be constructed from a premium material or utilize nano technology known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

The baffles 400 and 500 may further comprise generators 404 and 504, respectively, at the end of each airflow mill 402 and 502, respectively. The generators 404 and 504 will convert the rotational energy into electricity to be stored in a battery 114 or other energy storage device, such as an electrical panel.

Where the system 100 comprises multiple baffles 400 or 500, each baffle 400 or 500 may be daisy-chained and gridded with an adjacent baffle 400 or 500, allowing for multiple units to cover an entire attic area in order to produce the most possible amount of electricity for the attic size. Alternatively, each baffle 400 or 500 may individually be connected directly to the battery 114.

The baffles 400 and 500 may be sized to fit between the rafters of the roof 204, and may span any length of the roof 204 from the low point, such as at the soffit, to the high point, such as the ridge. The baffles 400 and 500 may further comprise a wire channel (not shown) to provide a clean and clear routing path for all the electrical wiring to run along the rafters to the battery 114.

As an alternative to the baffles 400 and 500, the airflow mills 402 and 502 may be installed directly between the rafters of the roof 204. Again, any number of airflow mills 402 and/or 502 that may fit in the span of the roof 204 may be installed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method 600 for ventilating an attic of a building in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The method begins at step 602. At step 604, an attic ventilation system is provided. While the system 100 depicted in FIG. 1 is used as an example in method 600, it will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments of an attic ventilation system may be used.

After step 604, the controller 112 determines, based on various conditions and parameters as described hereinabove, whether or not the power source 110 will generate power. If so, the method 600 proceeds to step 606, where the power source 110 generates power. If not, the controller 112 will determine whether or not power is stored in the battery 114. If so, the method 600 skips step 606. If not, method 600 jumps to step 622, described below.

After step 606, the controller 112 determines, based on various conditions and parameters as described hereinabove, whether the power generated by the power source 110 will be transmitted to the lower turbines 102, the upper turbines 104, or neither. If the controller 112 determines the power should be transmitted to the lower turbines 602, the method 600 proceeds to steps 608 through 612. If the controller 112 determines the power should be transmitted to the upper turbines 604, the method 600 proceeds to steps 614 through 618. If the controller 112 determines the power should not be transmitted to either the lower turbines 602 or the upper turbines 604, the method 600 skips to step 620, described below. It will be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the power may be transmitted to any combination of the lower turbines 102, the upper turbines 104, and the battery 114.

At step 608, the power source 110 transmits the generated power to the lower turbines 102. At step 610, the lower turbines 102 enhance the natural air flow in the attic 202 by drawing air from the outdoors into the attic 202 and pushing it towards the upper turbines 104. At step 612, the upper turbines 104 generate power by receiving the enhanced air flow, which translates into rotational energy, and converting the rotational energy into electricity.

At step 614, the power source 110 transmits the generated power to the upper turbines 104. At step 616, the upper turbines 102 enhance the natural air flow in the attic 202 by pulling the air from inside the attic 202. At step 618, the lower turbines 104 generate power by receiving the enhanced air flow, which translates into rotational energy, and converting the rotational energy into electricity.

At step 620, the power generated by either the lower turbines 102 in step 618 or the upper turbines in step 612, is stored in the battery 114.

At step 622, the air flow, either enhanced or natural, is exhausted out of the attic 202.

After step 622, the controller 112, based on inputs predetermined by the user of system 100, determines whether more air needs to be ventilated. If so, the method 600 repeats immediately after step 604. If not, the method 600 ends at step 624. The method 600 may alternatively end manually by the user of system 100.

Where the system 100 further comprises baffles 400 and/or 500, the method 600 may further comprise steps to receive the air flow at the airflow mills 402 and/or 502, respectively, convert the rotational energy from the air flow to electricity by the generators 404 and/or 504, respectively, and store the generated power in the battery 114. Where the system 100 further comprises an inverter 116, the method 600 may further comprise steps to convert the DC power stored in the battery to AC power, and send that power to the electrical grid of the house.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the present invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. It is understood that various embodiments described herein may be utilized in combination with any other embodiment described, without departing from the scope contained herein. Further, the foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention.

No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Further, the terms “any of” followed by a listing of a plurality of items and/or a plurality of categories of items, as used herein, are intended to include “any of,” “any combination of,” “any multiple of,” and/or “any combination of multiples of” the items and/or the categories of items, individually or in conjunction with other items and/or other categories of items.

Moreover, the claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. In addition, use of the term “means” in any claim is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶ 6, and any claim without the word “means” is not so intended.

Claims

1. A system for ventilating an attic of a building, the system comprising:

at least one lower turbine located at a substantially low point of the attic;

at least one upper turbine located at a substantially high point of the attic; and

at least one power source configured to generate power to be transmitted to at least one of the at least one upper turbine and the at least one lower turbine;

wherein the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine are each configured to enhance air flow in the attic; and

wherein the at least one upper turbine and the at least one lower turbine are each further configured to generate power from the air flow in the attic when not receiving power from the at least one power source.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one battery to store power generated by at least one of the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, and the at least one power source.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising an inverter to convert direct current stored in the at least one battery to alternating current to be fed into an electric grid of the building.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising at least one baffle configured to receive the air flow in the attic to generate power to be stored in the at least one battery.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one baffle is located within at least one rafter of the building.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one controller to control the sequence of operation of at least the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, and the at least one power source.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one indoor temperature sensor to determine a temperature of the attic, and at least one outdoor temperature sensor, to determine a temperature of outdoors, wherein the controller determines a temperature differential between the attic and the outdoors, and controls the sequence of operation based on at least the temperature differential.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one lower pressure sensor to determine a pressure at a low point of the attic, and at least one upper pressure sensor to determine a pressure at a high point of the attic, wherein the controller determines a pressure differential between the low point and high point, and controls the sequence of operation based on at least the pressure differential.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one photo sensing device to sense light levels outdoors, wherein the controller controls the sequence of operation based on at least the light levels sensed by the at least one photo sensing device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one controller is accessible via a network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one power source comprises at least one solar panel.

12. An attic ventilation system comprising:

at least one lower turbine located at a low point of an attic, the at least one lower turbine configured to enhance air flow in the attic by drawing air from outdoors and pushing the air into the attic, and the at least one lower turbine further configured to receive power and to generate power from the air flow in the attic;

at least one upper turbine located at a high point of the attic, the at least one upper turbine configured to enhance air flow in the attic by drawing the air from inside the attic and pushing the air outdoors, and the at least one upper turbine further configured to receive power and to generate power;

at least one power source configured to generate power to be transmitted to at least one of the at least one upper turbine and the at least one lower turbine;

at least one battery to store power generated by at least one of the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, and the at least one power source; and

at least one controller configured to determine the sequence of operation of at least the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, the at least one power source, and the at least one battery.

13. A method for ventilating an attic of a building, the method comprising:

providing an attic ventilation system comprising: at least one lower turbine located at a low point of the attic, the at least one lower turbine configured to receive and to generate power; at least one upper turbine located at a high point of the attic, the at least one upper turbine configured to receive and to generate power; and at least one power source configured to provide power to be transmitted to the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine;

receiving air flow by at least one of the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine;

generating power at the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine that receives the air flow; and

directing the air flow out of the attic to outdoors.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising generating power by the at least one power source.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising transmitting the power generated by the at least one power source to at least one of the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising enhancing the air flow by at least one of the at least one lower turbine and the at least one upper turbine.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the attic ventilation system further comprises at least one battery configured to store power generated by at least one of the at the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, and the at least one power sensor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the attic ventilation system further comprises at least one inverter to convert the direct current stored in the at least one battery to alternating current to be fed directly into an electrical grid of the building.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the attic ventilation system further comprises at least one baffle configured to engage with the air flow in the attic to generate power to be stored in the at least one battery.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the attic ventilation system further comprises at least one controller to control the sequence of operation of at least the at least one lower turbine, the at least one upper turbine, and the at least one power source.