Building management system with active building skin, an environmental resource collector for use in such a system and a method of managing resources used in a building
First Claim
1. An environmental resource collector, comprising:
- a main body configured to provide a passage for environmental resources and including a substantially funnel shape having an open wide part and an opposing open narrow part including an inner surface with a plurality of photovoltaic cells;
a mount configured to attach the narrow part to an external vertical portion of a building envelope with the wide part movable, directed away from and including an adjustable orientation with respect to the building envelope; and
a flow operable impeller positioned between the wide part and the narrow part and configured to be driven by a flow of the environmental resources to convert the flow into electricity, wherein the impeller is configured to convert at least the flow of wind into electrical energy.
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Abstract
A building management system comprises a measurement system for measuring a demand for resources inside the building and a collecting system for harvesting natural resources available outside the building. The building management system is further provided with a storage system for storing surplus resources and a sensor system for measuring resource availability outside the building and/or resources stored in the storage system. Further, a controller arranged to receive data from the measurement system, the sensor system and the storage system is provided. The controller controls the collecting system based on said data to tune the collection of resources by the collection system to a present and/or an expected demand for resources.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An environmental resource collector, comprising:
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a main body configured to provide a passage for environmental resources and including a substantially funnel shape having an open wide part and an opposing open narrow part including an inner surface with a plurality of photovoltaic cells; a mount configured to attach the narrow part to an external vertical portion of a building envelope with the wide part movable, directed away from and including an adjustable orientation with respect to the building envelope; and a flow operable impeller positioned between the wide part and the narrow part and configured to be driven by a flow of the environmental resources to convert the flow into electricity, wherein the impeller is configured to convert at least the flow of wind into electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An environmental resource collector, comprising:
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a first portion configured to provide a passage for environmental resources and including a substantially funnel shape having an open wide part and an opposing open narrow part including an inner surface with a plurality of photovoltaic cells; a second portion having a substantially tubular shape open at both a first end and an opposing second end, the first end is coupled to the narrow part and the second end attaches to external vertical portion of a building envelope; and a flow operable impeller positioned between the wide part and the narrow part and configured to be driven by a flow of the environmental resources to convert the flow into electricity, wherein the impeller is configured to convert at least the flow of wind into electrical energy, wherein the wide part is movably directed away from and has an adjustable orientation with respect to the building envelope. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification