BUILDING SYSTEM FOR CASCADING FLOWS OF MATTER AND ENERGY

• US 20150053366A1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin Hans Melsheimer
• Original Assignee: Kevin Hans Melsheimer
• Inventors: Melsheimer, Kevin Hans
• Granted Patent: US 10,197,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/302 Sulfur oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/404 Nitrogen oxides other than dinitrogen oxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/708 Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/65 Employing advanced heat integration, e.g. Pinch technology
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 14/00 Buildings for combinations of different purposes not covered by any single one of main groups E04H1/00-E04H13/00 of this subclass, e.g. for double purpose E04H3/02, E04H9/06 take precedence; Buildings of the drive-in type
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/00 Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/33 using wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

It is possible within a bounded system, through manipulation of the built environment using novel combinations of technology, overall system design, and process cycle management, to moderate increases in system entropy for both energy and matter with a structurally coupled external environment.

One example embodiment forms an engineered ecosystem, moderating eight primary systems—thermal management, atmospheric optimization, radiation controls, hydrological systems, energy systems, material flows, systems management, and built systems—to provide homeostatic regulation of cascading flows of matter and energy. Ideally the system'"'"'s symbiotic processes work through reciprocity and devolved autonomy to form the unity of the system that balances resource use, reduces transport requirements, shortens cycles of water, minerals, and residual flows, and offers storage of surplus and reserves.

This system enables a stable passive design where in consideration of bounded inputs and outputs, the outputs never exceed inputs.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing exergy within a dissipative structure, the method comprising:

providing a thermal management system comprising thermal flux and reservoirs, conditioning an exergy carrier;

providing an atmospheric management system comprising gas, processing gas distribution, gas concentration, driving of exergy carriers past active agents, filtration operations, conversion and concentration of substances from the group of molecular, particulates, volatile organic compounds;

controlling radiation processes, comprising direct and concentrated light, and optimizing solar and artificial radiation usage;

managing hydrological cycles comprising structural exergy, utilization and remediation, temporal cycles and events;

utilizing material cycles operation wherein material cycles comprising anabolic and catabolic processing, algae photo bioreactor (APBR), aquaponics, biochemical, catalytic, and thermo-chemical processing, nitrogen and carbon cycles, source segregation;

providing an energy system prime mover comprising thermal flux heat energy through the system, the creation of pressure differentials;

providing a supervisory management system comprising managing exchanges of energy and mass over time, by diffusion, and by information processing for managing exergy flows; and

utilizing a building system comprising the homeostatic regulation of cascading flows of matter and energy, managing exchanges of energy and mass over time, simple diffusion, microclimates, concentrating solar energy, storing mass, transporting mass.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein thermal reservoirs comprising a plurality of reservoirs each with an assigned temperature range for storing thermal exergy whose temperature gradients are associated with heat sources and sinks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein thermal reservoirs comprising thermal storage materials from the group of sensible, latent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein gas processing comprising molecular sieves whose materials are from the group of active carbon, Zeolite provide the steps of absorption, enrichment, separation from an air stream of the gases from the group of CO₂, SO₂, oxygen, nitrogen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein gas processing comprising photo-catalysts and catalytic hydrophilic surfaces decompose organic materials selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide TiO₂, organic, metallic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein driving of exergy carriers past active agents comprising a convective fluid loop that flows said exergy carriers past active agents from the group of catalysts, bacteria, microbes, autotrophs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein filtration operations comprising convective effects, thermosiphon effects, managed by the supervisory management system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein converting substances comprising catalysts from the group of catalysts, bacteria, autotrophs, microbes convert substances from the group of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide into said substances elemental components comprising the group of nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct and concentrated light structures comprising said structures from the group consisting of building towers, staircases, solar chimneys, fixed and tracking reflective surfaces, beam steering adjustable focal points, hexagonal building design.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein optimizing radiation usage the first step utilizes hexagonal building design and by the second step of utilizing light control technologies from the group of louvers, shutters, photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic, photoelectrochromic technologies, retractable shade netting.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein managing hydrological cycles comprising structural exergy and temporal events, time and event register, inputs of water, and segregation of said water into storage reservoirs and fluid processing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein inputs of water at a particular event comprising the first step of determining the quality of water so that said water can be segregated, an optional second step where said water is combined with other water, and by a third step comprising real-time, or near-real-time, testing and analysis of said water utilizing data from the group of pollution indexes, pesticide application industrial events, direct user intervention.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said testing and analysis utilize predictive analysis of said data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein managing hydrological cycles comprising capturing and storing the structural exergy of precipitation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein dehumidification comprising the utilization of a desiccant from the group of Zeolite.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a desiccant recharging first step is where the desiccant is incrementally brought up to temperature using the temperature gradients of the thermal storage system, the second step wherein contained water changes phase into steam, the third step wherein said steam released and subsequently condensed into water through various heat exchanges, and the fourth step recapturing heat energy.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein source segregation comprising multiple drains for segregation of urine, common contaminants from the group consisting of fluoride, petro-chemicals.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein multiple drains comprising distinct processing system optimized for a particular contaminant from the group of toothpaste, cosmetics, lotions.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein algae photo bioreactor (APBR) comprising photosynthesis utilizing radiation from the group of solar, artificial, wherein said photosynthesis provides oxidation for material cycles, and biomass production.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein algae photo bioreactor (APBR) utilizes enriched CO₂ material obtained from Mycelium.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein Mycelium production comprising cultivation on sterile media, wherein said sterile media production comprising preferably silage from anaerobic digestion.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein sterile media production comprising a thermally regulated pasteurization process through controlled inputs of O₂ from the algae photo bioreactor (APBR).

23. The method of claim 1, wherein thermo-chemical processing comprising gasification pyrolysis depolymerization production of the group of synthesis gas, pyrolytic oil, bio-char.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein catalytic processing comprising pyrolysis depolymerization producing synthesis gas from the group of biomass.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the prime mover from the group of thermoelectric power generator, thermo-acoustic prime mover, Rankine, Carnot, Diesel systems is operated by thermal flux heat energy.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein pressure differentials comprising harnessing the flux of heat energy in a phase change when a liquid changes phase and expands into a gas, or the reciprocal, thereby operating said prime mover.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein supervisory management system comprising exergy, resource environment, and information processing management.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein building system for the homeostatic regulation of cascading flows of matter and energy comprising the first step of managing building exchanges of energy and mass from the group of simple diffusion, microclimates, solar energy, storing mass, transporting mass wherein utilizing building structures from the group of direct and concentrated light structures, building towers, staircases, solar chimneys, fixed and tracking reflective surfaces, beam steering adjustable focal points, hexagonal building design, and by the second step of utilizing light control technologies from the group of louvers, shutters, photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic, photoelectrochromic technologies, retractable shade netting.

29. A system for optimizing exergy within a dissipative structure, the system comprises:

a thermal management system comprises thermal flux reservoirs in communication with exergy carriers;

an atmospheric management system comprising gas processors, gas distributors, gas concentrators, exergy carrier movers [pumps], active agents and filters comprises convertors and concentrators of substances from the group of molecular, particulates, volatile organic compounds;

a radiation processes controller, optimizing solar and artificial radiation usage of direct and concentrated light;

a hydrological cycles management system comprises gas, fluid, and solid handlers, temporal cycles and events controllers;

a material cycles operator wherein material cycles comprises anabolic and catabolic processing, algae photo bioreactor (APBR), aquaponic system, biochemical and thermo-chemical processing, catalytic, nitrogen and carbon cycles, source segregation;

an energy system prime mover comprises thermal flux heat energy through the system, and the creation of pressure differentials;

a supervisory management system comprises management of exchanges of energy and mass over time, by diffusion, and by information processing for managing exergy flows; and

a building system comprising the homeostatic regulator of cascading flows of matter and energy, manager of energy and mass exchanges over time, simple diffusion processor, microclimate zones, solar energy concentrators, mass storage, mass transportation.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein thermal reservoirs comprises a plurality of reservoirs each with an assigned temperature range for storing thermal exergy whose temperature gradients are in communication with heat sources and sinks.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein thermal reservoirs contain thermal storage material type from the group of sensible, latent.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein gas processors comprise molecular sieves whose materials are from the group of active carbon, Zeolite process gas in the steps of absorption, enrichment, and separation wherein the gases are CO₂, SO₂, oxygen, nitrogen.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein gas processors comprises photo-catalysts and catalytic hydrophilic surfaces selected from the catalytic group consisting of titanium dioxide TiO₂, organic, metallic.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein exergy carrier movers [pumps] comprising a convective fluid loop that flows said exergy carriers past active agents from the group of catalysts, bacteria, microbes, autotrophs.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein filters comprise a convective fluid loop that flows said exergy carriers past said active agents.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein convertors and concentrators of substances comprise catalysts from the group of catalysts, bacteria, autotrophs, microbes wherein said convertors and concentrators of substances from the group of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide into said substances elemental components comprising the group of nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the direct and concentrated light structures comprises structures from the group consisting of building towers, staircases, solar chimneys, fixed and tracking reflective surfaces, beam steering adjustable focal points, hexagonal building design.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein optimizing radiation usage is in communication with hexagonal building and light control technologies from the group of louvers, shutters, photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic, photoelectrochromic technologies, retractable shade netting.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein managing hydrological cycles comprises segregation of water into storage reservoirs, fluid processing, and manage events comprising inputs of water, structural exergy, temporal, and registers of time and events.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein inputs of water at a particular event comprises determining the quality of water, segregation of said water, combining said water with other water of similar quality, and by a manager for real-time, or near-real-time, testing and analysis of water utilizing data from the group of pollution indexes, pesticide application industrial events, direct user intervention.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein testing and analysis comprise predictive analysis of said data.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein managing hydrological cycles comprises capturing and storing the structural exergy of precipitation.

43. The system of claim 29, wherein dehumidification comprises a desiccant from the group of Zeolite.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein desiccant is recharged wherein said desiccant is in communication with a thermal storage system selected from a plurality of thermal storage systems by its temperature wherein said desiccant is incrementally brought up to temperature of the selected thermal storage system, the contained water changes phase into steam, said steam is released and subsequently condensed into water through various heat exchanges, and heat energy recapture.

45. The system of claim 29, wherein source segregation comprises multiple drains for segregation of urine, common contaminants from the group consisting of fluoride, petro-chemicals.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein multiple drains comprise distinct processing system optimized for a particular contaminant from the group of toothpaste, cosmetics, lotions.

47. The system of claim 29, wherein an algae photo bioreactor (APBR) comprises photosynthesis within said algae photo bioreactor (APBR) is in communication with radiation from the group of solar, artificial, wherein said photosynthesis provides oxidation for material cycles, and biomass production.

48. The system of claim 29, wherein an algae photo bioreactor (APBR) receive enriched CO₂ material obtained from Mycelium.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein Mycelium cultivation comprises an aerobic digester and sterile media, wherein said sterile media'"'"'s production utilizes a second aerobic digester.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein sterile media production comprises a thermally regulated pasteurization process through controlled inputs of O₂ from the algae photo bioreactor (APBR).

51. The system of claim 29, wherein thermo-chemical processing comprises gasification pyrolysis depolymerization production of synthesis gas from the group of, pyrolytic oil, bio-char.

52. The system of claim 29, wherein catalytic processing comprises pyrolysis depolymerization production synthesis gas from the group of biomass.

53. The system of claim 29, wherein the prime mover is selected from the group of thermoelectric power generator, thermo-acoustic prime mover, Rankine, Carnot, Diesel, communicating with thermal flux heat energy.

54. The system of claim 29, wherein pressure differentials comprises harnessing the flux of heat energy in a phase change system, wherein said phase change expands liquid into a gas, or the reciprocal, thereby operating said prime mover.

55. The system of claim 29, wherein supervisory management system comprises a management system for exergy, resource environment, and information processing management.

56. The system of claim 29, wherein the homeostatic regulator of cascading flows of matter and energy comprises building system exchanges of energy and mass from the group of processors simple diffusion, microclimates, solar energy, mass storage, mass transportation in communication with building structures from the group of structures direct and concentrated light structures, building towers, staircases, solar chimneys, fixed and tracking reflective surfaces, beam steering adjustable focal points, hexagonal building design, in communication with light control technologies from the group of louvers, shutters, photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic, photoelectrochromic technologies, retractable shade netting.

57. A method for extracting exergy from a dissipative structure, the method comprising:

providing thermal flux and reservoirs, conditioning an exergy carrier;

providing an exergy source comprising a plurality of reservoirs each with an assigned temperature range for storing thermal exergy whose temperature gradients are associated with heat sources and sinks;

wherein said heat sources and sinks provide heat, pressure, steam, and gas.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein a heat sink comprising prime mover from the group of thermoelectric power generator, Rankine, Carnot, communicating with said thermal flux heat energy.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein thermal reservoirs comprising thermal storage materials from the group of sensible, latent.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein heat sources and sinks supply said steam a first step is where a desiccant is incrementally brought up to temperature using the temperature gradients of said thermal storage system, the second step wherein contained water changes phase into said steam, the third step wherein said steam released said thermal flux heat energy thereby operating said prime mover.

61. The method of claim 57, wherein pressure differentials comprising harnessing said thermal flux in a phase change when a liquid changes phase and expands into a gas, or the reciprocal, thereby operating said prime mover from the group of thermo-acoustic prime mover, turbine, Brayton cycle system.

62. The method of claim 57, wherein exergy source powers a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system, wherein said pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system separates and concentrates gas.

63. A system for extracting exergy from a dissipative structure, the system comprises:

a thermal flux and reservoirs, conditioning an exergy carrier;

an exergy source comprises a plurality of reservoirs each with an assigned temperature range for storage of thermal exergy whose temperature gradients are associated with heat sources and sinks;

wherein said heat sources and sinks supply heat, pressure, steam, and gas.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein a heat sink comprises a prime mover from the group of thermoelectric power generator, Rankine, Carnot, communicating with said thermal flux heat energy.

65. The system of claim 63, wherein thermal reservoirs comprises thermal storage materials from the group of sensible, latent.

66. The system of claim 63, wherein heat sources and sinks supply steam where desiccant is step-wise brought up to temperature using the temperature gradients of the thermal storage system, contained water changes phase into said steam said steam released said thermal flux heat energy thereby operating said prime mover.

67. The system of claim 63, wherein pressure differentials comprises harnessing said thermal flux in said phase change when a liquid changes phase and expands into a gas, or the reciprocal, thereby operating said prime mover from the group of thermo-acoustic prime mover, turbine, Brayton cycle system.

68. The system of claim 63, wherein exergy source powers a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system, wherein said pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system separates and concentrates said gas.

69. A method for extracting exergy from a dissipative structure, the method comprising:

providing thermal flux and reservoirs, conditioning an exergy carrier;

providing an exergy source comprising a plurality of reservoirs each with an assigned temperature range for storing thermal exergy whose temperature gradients are associated with heat sources and sinks;

wherein said heat sources and sinks provide heat, pressure, steam, and gas.

70. A method for driving fluid flow and transporting thermal energy comprising:

providing a fluid conduit;

providing buoyancy in said fluid;

providing differential heating within said conduit;

wherein said buoyancy is effected by said differential heating;

providing said driven fluid and said transporting thermal energy comprising a thermosiphon.

71. A system for driving fluid flow and transporting thermal energy comprises:

a fluid conduit;

buoyant fluid;

differential heater within said conduit;

buoyant fluid flow;

a thermosiphon.