Buildings with wind-energy-conversion systems

Abstract

An embodiment of a building may include a wind-energy-conversion system with a duct that may be a substantially vertical converging nozzle. An energy extractor may be fluidly coupled to the duct. For some embodiments, a space within the building may be part of the wind-energy-conversion system and may be fluidly coupled to the energy extractor by the duct.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A building, comprising:
 a wind-delivery system; and   an energy extractor configured to output energy in response to receiving wind from the wind-delivery system; wherein the wind-delivery system comprises:
 at least one space within the building, wherein one or more windows of the at least one space are inlets to the wind-delivery system; and 
 a duct that opens to the at least one space, wherein the duct fluidly couples the at least one space to the energy extractor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one space within the building is at least one story of the building. 
     
     
         3 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the wind-delivery system further comprises an object that is located in the at least one space and that extends into the duct, wherein the object is configured to deflect wind flowing in the at least one space into the duct. 
     
     
         4 . The building of  claim 3 , wherein the wind-delivery system further comprises a vane passing through the at least one space from each of the one or more windows to the object. 
     
     
         5 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the duct is a converging nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The building of  claim 5 , wherein one or more actuators are coupled to an outer surface of the converging nozzle, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to change a shape of the converging nozzle in response to receiving signals from a controller, wherein the signals are based on a wind speed. 
     
     
         7 . The building of  claim 5 , wherein the energy extractor is between the converging nozzle and a diverging diffuser. 
     
     
         8 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the energy extractor is a first energy extractor and the duct is a first duct; wherein the wind-delivery system further comprises:
 a first converging nozzle that is located in the at least one space, wherein the first energy extractor is fluidly coupled to the first converging nozzle by a first duct;   a second converging nozzle extending into the first converging nozzle; and   a second energy extractor fluidly coupled to the second converging nozzle by a second duct.   
     
     
         9 . The building of  claim 8 , wherein one or more actuators are coupled to an outer surface of at least one of the first and second converging nozzles, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to change a shape of the at least one of the first and second converging nozzles in response to receiving signals from a controller, wherein the signals are based on a wind speed. 
     
     
         10 . The building of  claim 8 , wherein a flow passage in the first duct does not communicate with a flow passage in the second duct. 
     
     
         11 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the duct is an elevator shaft in the building. 
     
     
         12 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the energy extractor is located on a floor of the building that is one or more floors of the building below the at least one space within the building. 
     
     
         13 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the energy extractor comprises one or more turbines and/or one or more non-rotating vibratory generators having an electrical-charge-producing material. 
     
     
         14 . A method of installing a wind-energy-conversion system in a building, comprising:
 installing a duct in the building so that the duct opens to at least one space within the building; and   installing an energy-extraction assembly in the building so that the duct fluidly couples the energy-extraction assembly to the at least one space.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein installing the duct in the building comprises installing at least a portion of an elevator shaft in the building. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the duct is a substantially vertical converging nozzle that passes through one or more floors of the building. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 physically coupling one or more actuators to an outer surface of the substantially vertical converging nozzle; and   communicatively coupling the actuators to a controller;   wherein the one or more actuators are configured to change a shape of the substantially vertical converging nozzle in response to receiving signals from the controller, wherein the signals are based on a wind speed.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising installing an object in the at least one space so that the object extends into the duct. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising installing one or more vanes in the at least one space that respectively pass through the at least one space from one or more windows of the space to the object. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is performed as part of constructing the building or is performed after the building is constructed.