Methods and systems of modifying air flow at building structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10988923-B2
Application number	US-201314647986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Provided in one embodiment is a method of modifying an air flow at least one location of a building structure, comprising: generating a first air flow at the at least one location of the building structure; and modifying a second air flow exterior to the building structure using the generated first air flow. An apparatus configured to modified an air flow is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of modifying an air flow at one or more locations of a building structure, comprising: generating a first air flow by a synthetic jet actuator device positioned at the one or more locations of the building structure, first air flow being an unsteady flow; and actively controlling a second air flow exterior to the building structure using the generated first air flow, wherein the actively controlling comprises periodic excitations by an oscillatory addition of a momentum from the first air flow to the second air flow.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actively controlling further comprises applying the generated first air flow at an angle to the second air flow to generate a third air flow different from the second air flow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more locations comprises at least one of a side and a top of the building structure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more locations is integrated in a building envelope of the building structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a pressure differential to transfer into an interior of the building structure the second air flow and releasing the transferred-in second air flow back to an exterior of the building structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising managing the actively controlling by a closed loop control system.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising managing the actively controlling by a closed loop control system comprising at least one of building integrated sensors, controllers, and actuators.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using an energy source to generate the first air flow, the energy source configured to operate independently of an existing power system of the building structure.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using an energy source to generate the first air flow, the energy source being an integral part of an existing power system of the building structure.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the actively controlled second air flow to generate electrical power at the building structure.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the actively controlled second air flow to control air filtration at a building envelope of the building structure.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the actively controlled second air flow to reduce at least one of (i) wind load and (ii) cross wind response on the building structure.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actively controlling involves substantially no change of a geometry of the building structure.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is a periodic excitation actuator.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric disc.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said actively controlling comprises imposing on the second flow to have a specific flow velocity, a specific flow direction and/or a specific flow manner selected from a turbulent flow manner and a laminar flow manner.

17. An apparatus configured to actively control an air flow at one or more locations of a building structure, the apparatus comprising: an apparatus housing; and a synthetic jet actuator in the housing, the synthetic jet actuator configured to generate a first air flow at the one or more locations, wherein the first air flow is an unsteady flow, and wherein the generated first air flow controls a second air flow by an oscillatory addition of a momentum from the first air flow to the second air flow exterior to the building structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is located at an edge of the building structure.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the at one or more locations comprises at least one of a side of the building, a top of the building, and a location integrated into a building envelope of the building structure.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is located at a location, which is different from the one or more locations.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the apparatus housing is at least one of (i) mounted on and (ii) integrated into an edge of the building structure.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the generated first air flow exits the apparatus housing at an angle to the second air flow.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising an energy source configured to provide energy to generate the first air flow.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising an energy source configured to provide energy to generate the first air flow, wherein the energy source is configured to divert energy from an existing power system of the building structure.

25. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising an energy source configured to provide energy to generate the first air flow, wherein the energy source is configured to operate independently of an existing power system of the building structure.

26. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the flow generator is a periodic excitation actuator.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric disc.

28. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the generated first air flow actively controls the second air flow by imposing on the second flow to have a specific flow velocity, a specific flow direction and/or a specific flow manner selected from a turbulent flow manner and a laminar flow manner.

29. A building structure, comprising the apparatus of claim 17 .

30. A building structure, comprising an apparatus at one or more locations of the building structure, the apparatus comprising: an apparatus housing; and a synthetic jet actuator in the housing, the synthetic jet actuator configured to generate a first air flow at the one or more locations, wherein the first air flow is an unsteady flow, and wherein the generated first air flow actively controls a second air flow by an oscillatory addition of a momentum from the first air flow to the second air flow exterior to the building structure at the one or more locations of the building structure.

31. The building structure of claim 30 , wherein the building structure further comprises a power generating device configured to generate electrical power using at least the actively controlled second air flow.

32. The building structure of claim 30 , wherein the building structure further comprises an air filtration system configured to filter air in an interior of the building structure using at least the actively controlled second air flow.

33. The building structure of claim 30 , wherein the building structure further comprises a heat transfer system configured to exchange heat between an interior and an exterior of the building structure using at least the actively controlled second air flow.

34. The building structure of claim 30 , wherein the flow generator is a periodic excitation actuator.

35. The building structure of claim 34 , wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric disc.

36. The building structure of claim 30 , wherein the generated first air flow actively controls the second air flow by imposing on the second flow to have a specific flow velocity, a specific flow direction and/or a specific flow manner selected from a turbulent

Assignees

• Rensselaer Polytech Inst

Inventors

• Dyson Anna
• Vollen Jason
• Amitay Michael
• Stark Peter
• Rao Ajith
• Demauro Edward
• Menicovich David

Classifications

• F24F2007/004

  Natural ventilation using convection · CPC title

• F24F7/003

  in combination with air cleaning · CPC title

• F24F7/00

  Ventilation · CPC title

• F24F7/007

  with forced flow (using ducting systems F24F7/06) · CPC title

• F24F2221/50

  HVAC for high buildings, e.g. thermal or pressure differences · CPC title