Smart building systems and methods

• US 9,566,608 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bao Tran
• Original Assignee: Bao Tran
• Inventors: Tran, Bao
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Xiao
• Application Number:
  US13/715,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20130101735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/00 Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0021 using phase change material [PCM] for storage
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed to fabricate a building structure by mixing a texture aggregate filler mixed with a phase change material (PCM), said filler including one of: perlite, glass microballoons, glass bubbles, phenolic microballoons, and microspheres; and placing the PCM with the filler on a surface exposed to a conditioned air flow to increase thermal contact between the PCM and the conditioned air flow.

Claims

1. A method to fabricate a building structure, comprising:

a. mixing a texture aggregate filler mixed with a phase change material (PCM), said filler being selected from the group consisting of perlite, glass microballoons, glass bubbles, phenolic microballoons, and microspheres;

b. placing the PCM with the filler on a surface exposed to a conditioned air flow and shaped to increase thermal contact between the PCM and the conditioned air flow;

c. extruding the elongated hollow support structures to attach the PCM structures with a predetermined cross-sectional shape; and

d. operating an appliance including a memory storage location storing a flag indicative of a period when a current alternating current (AC) duty cycle from an electric grid differs from a specified AC duty cycle by a predetermined variance, the appliance including a controller coupled to the flag to autonomously place the appliance in an energy shedding mode during a predicted DR period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the building structure comprises an underfloor air distribution (UFAD) panel.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising forming elongated hollow support structures to attach the PCM.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the elongated hollow PCM structures are fabricated in advance and attached to the building material during fabrication or during shipping.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising forming a first layer of elongated hollow PCM structures and a second layer of elongated hollow PCM structures above the first layer.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising forming air channels with grooves positioned on two adjacent sides of the building materials to allow air flow through the PCM regardless of orientation of the building material.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising one of:

spraying PCM onto the surface before forming air channels with a shaped tool;

pouring PCM onto the surface before forming air channels with a shaped stamping tool;

rolling PCM onto the surface before forming air channels with a shaped roller;

dipping the surface into PCM and then forming the air channels with a shaped tool.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising microencapsulating the PCM.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising characterizing PCM properties and predicting building performance with the characterized PCM properties.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising pre-charging a building by using an active unit for removing heat and cooling the PCM during a period of non-peak energy consumption and reducing energy consumption during a peak period.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a refrigerator with an ice energy storage chamber providing a predetermined cold energy for a refrigerated volume for the predicted DR period;

and a fan to circulate cold air from the ice energy storage chamber inside the refrigerated volume during the predicted DR period, wherein the refrigerator can include a phase change material coupled to the refrigerated volume to maintain the refrigerated volume at a predetermined temperature during a predicted DR period.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a water heater with a back-up heated energy storage chamber to store a reserve heated water to maintained a predetermined temperature output for the water heater during the predicted DR period;

and a valve to mix the reserve heated water with the water in the main water heater tank during the predicted DR period, wherein the water heater includes a phase change material coupled to the water volume to maintain the water at a predetermined temperature during the predicted DR period, the water heater controller modulating heater operation to reduce power consumption during a predicted DR period, and the controller precharging the water heater prior to the predicted DR period or based on weather or notice from an authority.

13. A method to fabricate a building structure, comprising:

a. mixing a phase change material (PCM) with a texture aggregate filler, said filler including one of;

perlite, glass microballoons, glass bubbles, phenolic microballoons, microspheres;

b. spraying or rolling the aggregate filler PCM on a surface exposed to a conditioned air flow; and

c. operating an appliance including a memory storage location storing a flag indicative of period when a current alternating current (AC) duty cycle differs from a specified AC duty cycle by a predetermined variance, the appliance including a controller coupled to the flag to autonomously place the appliance in an energy shedding mode during a predicted DR period.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising texturing or shaping the surface to increase thermal contact between the PCM and a conditioned air flow.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising performing on-site retrofitting of an existing building material with PCM thereon.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising spraying or rolling the aggregate filler PCM on awall, floor tile or a ceiling tile.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising microencapsulating the PCM prior to mixing the PCM with the filler.

18. The method of claim 13, comprising pre-charging a building by actively using energy for cooling the PCM during a period of non-peak energy consumption and reducing energy consumption during a peak period.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising modulating operations of appliances to avoid stressing the electrical grid.