Method and apparatus to utilize wind energy that leaks into a structure to protect it from high winds

Abstract

Method and apparatus to efficiently utilize wind energy that “leaks” into a structure during high winds; to protect that structure from those high winds. By capturing, channeling, concentrating this wind energy within that structure; to directly operate any number, type, form, size and/or shape of “self-activating” relief valves and/or transfer openings installed on various external and internal surfaces. The internal areas of these structures will be constructed as “single pressure vessels” with sealed external surfaces, where channels are established allowing all of the rooms, cavities, floors, plus any and all other internal areas within the structure to communicate. The prior art only applied “controlled openings” to various external surfaces of the structure and not to any internal surfaces; and they all failed to use of this uninterruptable, unlimited, free wind energy that “leaks” into structures during all high wind events.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for utilizing wind energy that leaks into a structure to protect it from high winds including:
 a) a structure with one or more external surfaces, separating one or more internal areas with one or more floors with one or more rooms and one or more internal surfaces, from an outside;   b) wherein at least one of said one or more external surfaces has one or more unplanned leaks that allows said wind energy to leak into said structure;   c) providing one or more relief valves;   d) further providing at least one of said one or more relief valves in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure;   e) wherein said at least one of said one or more relief valves in said at least one of said one or more external surfaces is configured to connect at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure, with said outside;   f) wherein said at least one of said one or more relief valves is further configured to allow said wind energy that leaks through at least one of said one or more unplanned leaks in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure, and into said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms, within said structure, to move through said at least one of said one or more external surface and into said outside based on set points; and   g) further including setting at least one of said set points for said at least one of said one or more relief valves.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further including:
 a) providing one or more transfer openings; 
 b) further providing at least one of said one or more transfer openings in least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure configured to connect at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure, with said outside; 
 c) wherein said at least one of said one or more transfer openings in said at least one of said one or more external surfaces is further configured to allow said wind energy to move between said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure, and said outside. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further including:
 a) providing at least one of said one or more relief valves in at least one of said one or more internal surfaces within at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms, within said structure; 
 b) wherein said at least one of said one or more relief valves in said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces is configured to allow said wind energy that leaks through at least one of said one or more unplanned leaks in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure, and into said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms, to move through said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces, within said structure, based on set points; and 
 c) further including setting at least one of said set points for said at least one of said one or more relief valves. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further including:
 a) providing one or more transfer openings; 
 b) further providing at least one of said one or more transfer openings in at least one of said one or more internal surfaces within at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure; 
 c) wherein said at least one of said one or more transfer openings in said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces is configured to allow said wind energy that leaks through at least one of said one or more unplanned leaks in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure, and into said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms, to move through said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces, within said structure. 
 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus for utilizing wind energy that leaks into a structure to protect it from high winds including:
 a) a structure with one or more external surfaces, separating one or more internal areas with one or more floors with one or more rooms and one or more internal surfaces, from an outside;   b) wherein at least one of said one or more external surfaces has one or more unplanned leaks that allows said wind energy to leak into said structure;   c) providing one or more relief valves;   d) further providing at least one of said one or more relief valves in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure;   e) wherein said at least one of said one or more relief valves in said at least one of said one or more external surfaces is further configured to connect at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure, with said outside;   f) wherein said at least one of said one or more relief valves is configured to allow said wind energy that leaks through at least one of said one or more unplanned leaks in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure, and into said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms, within said structure, to move through said at least one of said one or more external surface and into said outside based on set points; and   g) further including setting at least one of said set points for said at least one of said one or more relief valves.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  further including:
 a) providing one or more transfer openings; 
 b) further providing at least one of said one or more transfer openings in least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure configured to connect at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure, with said outside; 
 c) wherein said at least one of said one or more transfer openings in said at least one of said one or more external surfaces is further configured to allow said wind energy to move between said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure, and said outside. 
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5  further including:
 a) providing at least one of said one or more relief valves in at least one of said one or more internal surfaces within at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms, within said structure; 
 b) wherein said at least one of said one or more relief valves in said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces is configured to allow said wind energy that leaks through at least one of said one or more unplanned leaks in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure, and into said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms, to move through said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces, within said structure, based on set points; and 
 c) further including setting at least one of said set points for said at least one of said one or more relief valves. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5  further including:
 a) providing one or more transfer openings; 
 b) further providing at least one of said one or more transfer openings in at least one of said one or more internal surfaces within at least one of said one or more internal areas within at least one of said one or more floors within at least one of said one or more rooms within said structure; 
 c) wherein said at least one of said one or more transfer openings in said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces is configured to allow said wind energy that leaks through at least one of said one or more unplanned leaks in at least one of said one or more external surfaces of said structure, and into said at least one of said one or more internal areas within said at least one of said one or more floors within said at least one of said one or more rooms, to move through said at least one of said one or more internal surfaces, within said structure.