Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/008—Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/12—Devices or arrangements for circulating water, i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or for water treatment
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/001—Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/46—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods
  • C02F1/461—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis
  • C02F1/467—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis by electrochemical disinfection; by electrooxydation or by electroreduction
  • C02F1/4672—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis by electrochemical disinfection; by electrooxydation or by electroreduction by electrooxydation
  • C02F1/4674—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis by electrochemical disinfection; by electrooxydation or by electroreduction by electrooxydation with halogen or compound of halogens, e.g. chlorine, bromine
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
  • C02F2103/42—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2201/00—Apparatus for treatment of water, waste water or sewage
  • C02F2201/46—Apparatus for electrochemical processes
  • C02F2201/461—Electrolysis apparatus
  • C02F2201/46105—Details relating to the electrolytic devices
  • C02F2201/4612—Controlling or monitoring
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2201/00—Apparatus for treatment of water, waste water or sewage
  • C02F2201/46—Apparatus for electrochemical processes
  • C02F2201/461—Electrolysis apparatus
  • C02F2201/46105—Details relating to the electrolytic devices
  • C02F2201/4612—Controlling or monitoring
  • C02F2201/46145—Fluid flow
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2201/00—Apparatus for treatment of water, waste water or sewage
  • C02F2201/46—Apparatus for electrochemical processes
  • C02F2201/461—Electrolysis apparatus
  • C02F2201/46105—Details relating to the electrolytic devices
  • C02F2201/4612—Controlling or monitoring
  • C02F2201/4615—Time
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
  • C02F2209/02—Temperature
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
  • C02F2303/04—Disinfection
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/4891—With holder for solid, flaky or pulverized material to be dissolved or entrained

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for the maintenance of water in a swimming pool. Its main purpose is to automate the operations that are necessary to maintain the water contained in swimming pools under sanitary conditions appropriate for its use.
• the present invention considerably simplifies the management of swimming pools, in particular individual swimming pools, while overall reducing the cost of their maintenance. Thanks to the automatic adjustment they provide, the user no longer has to intervene to adjust the dosage of disinfectant according to the conditions which influence its consumption, and there is no longer any risk of making disorderly, insufficient or untimely additions.
• the invention does not, however, involve measuring the content of disinfectant in the pool water. Therefore, as well as by a good number of other provisions, the invention requires for its implementation only a simple material, inexpensive and of solid construction, while providing good operational safety for sufficient accuracy. . In addition, this equipment is easy to install and easily adapts in addition to the water purification and regeneration equipment already present in an existing swimming pool installation.
• the invention essentially consists in regulating the addition of the disinfectant (or other purification or regeneration agent) by acting on the quantity of water which is withdrawn and recycled via the purification circuit for a given period of time (or unitary period), by controlling the organs which ensure its circulation as a function of the detection of a quantity measurable which is in one-to-one relationship with the disinfectant content required in the pool water.
• said measurable quantity is advantageously the temperature of the swimming pool water. Its measurement is very easy. It is sufficient in particular for a temperature sensor placed on the bypass pipe constituting the purification circuit. And one can easily determine, by experience and calibration, a one-to-one relationship between this temperature and the purification and regeneration regime to bring the pool water back to the appropriate sanitary conditions. It does not matter in this regard that a rise in temperature, for example, is at the origin of an increase in bacterial proliferation, or that it is on the contrary the consequence thereof, or that it is linked to a number unusual visitors. In all cases, it automatically causes the necessary addition of disinfectant.
• the invention also makes it unnecessary either to directly order the injection of a metered quantity of disinfectant, insofar as, according to another characteristic of the invention, its incorporation takes place in the purification circuit bypassing the swimming pool, in a manner naturally linked to the quantity of water withdrawn and recycled per unit time period.
• the invention exploits the fact that many disinfecting agents commonly used in the maintenance of swimming pool water are introduced with the aid of material means through which the circulating water passes. This is the case in particular of "rollers” which release chlorine on contact with water and its dissolving power, or chlorine generators proceeding by electrolysis of a sodium chloride solution. Chlorine production then takes place only when the water is circulated in the treatment circuit.
• the invention therefore advantageously takes the form of an automatic management device for water pool maintenance operations in an installation comprising, in a conventional manner, a stirring pump, with drive controlled by all or nothing, for conveying water from the swimming pool in a treatment circuit connected in a closed loop to the swimming pool and comprising means for injecting a disinfectant agent into said circuit, said means preferably being such that in normal operation the flow rate of disinfectant agent added depends only on the flow of circulating water provided by the pump.
• such a device comprises a temperature sensor mounted on said circuit to be sensitive to the temperature of the water taken from the pool and of the means slaved to said sensor for controlling the operation of the stirring pump at a predetermined constant flow rate for a variable duration as a function of the temperature detected by said sensor, this variable duration advantageously corresponding to an integer number of sequences (or time slices) of duration fixed predetermined, said variable duration being calculated to circulate in said circuit a total volume of water substantially equal to the water capacity of the pool.
• the operation is ensured according to pre-established programs, distinguished in particular by a daily number of brewing sequences of the same unit duration, among which the choice is determined by automatic selection according to predefined contiguous ranges of measured temperatures, according to that in which the temperature determined by the sensor is located.
• the temperature detection is carried out periodically on the treatment circuit, at the start of a brewing sequence, with a time delay enabling validation of a measurement of the temperature of the water in the swimming pool determining the duration of stirring to be ensured at a given time, in particular the total daily duration.
• the triggering of which can be either automatically controlled by the same electronic circuits ensuring the regulation of the addition of disinfecting agent in normal operation, for example so that, if the temperature detection reveals a measured value which is below a minimum risk of freezing value and / or if it is above a maximum risk value of intense pollution, the brewing pump works continuously either manually, for example so that the user can start the brewing pump voluntarily and thus cause a temperature measurement which will cause if necessary a change of daily program, when he suspects an additional pollution risk
• the device of the invention intervening in so-called normal regulation is coupled to an outside temperature detection system which controls the starting of the pump if this temperature exceeds a determined threshold.
• the device according to the invention can be equipped to generate an alarm signaling the safety condition.
• the stirring pump takes the water circulated in the treatment circuit by suction, partly at the bottom of the swimming pool and partly at the surface, the two parts being mixed upstream of the temperature detection, so that the measured temperature which controls the determination of the treatment times is representative of an average temperature prevailing in the swimming pool.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview of an example of device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and of the swimming pool maintained by this device;
• FIG. 1 illustrates the mounting method of a water temperature sensor, used by the device of Figure 1;
• FIG. 1 illustrates the mounting method of a water temperature sensor, used by the device of Figure 1;
• - And Figure 3 is a block diagram of the electronic circuits of the device of Figure 1.
• FIG. 1 is a flow diagram schematically illustrating the automatic maintenance management device according to the invention and thus showing the swimming pool, its water regeneration members and the means for regulating the conditions of water maintenance by adding disinfectant.
• the assembly is typically grouped into two main sub-assemblies: on the one hand the swimming pool proper 1, equipped with a bottom drain 65, with a surface suction mouth incorporating a roller of disinfectant, or "skimmer” 64, and a mouth for recycling the treated water, on the other hand a technical room 2, close to the swimming pool, in which are located the mechanical and electronic equipment necessary for the maintenance treatment of the pool water and its regulation.
• the water treatment circuit passes from one to the other of the two aforementioned sub-assemblies.
• this circuit in which the water is conveyed by a so-called stirring pump 5, comprises a water suction pipe
• a temperature sensor 30 is mounted on the circuit thus constituted as a bypass of the swimming pool.
• suction pipes 61 are associated with a valve
• valves and pipes which are intended, in a conventional manner, to allow the pump to be isolated from the entire circuit, to cause circulation in the opposite direction with setting to 1 ' sewer for periods of cleaning the filters, to allow maintenance or replacement of the mechanical components, to ensure the operations of emptying and supplying fresh water.
• the circulation of water in the circuit 60-61 is ensured by the pump 5, which is driven by an electric motor (not shown).
• This pump operates at constant flow, but the flow naturally depends on the size of the installation.
• the disinfecting agent is dispensed, in the particular case illustrated, by the chlorine diffusion roller at 64, which is only operative when the pump 5 circulates the water in contact with it.
• other regeneration systems can be used, in particular those proceeding by electrolysis, which will then be placed no longer upstream of the pump 5 but downstream, more precisely downstream of the filter 63, because they require that the water has been freed of the solid particles that it can contain at the outlet of the pool.
• the device specific to the invention essentially comprises a control and display unit 3, incorporating electronic circuits which will be described in detail below, with reference to FIG. 3, and which receive the electrical signals Vs emitted by the temperature sensor 30, which translate a measurement of the water temperature which is carried out periodically according to methods which will also be specified below.
• the technical room 2 or what makes it function, also includes an electrical cabinet 4 for supplying electrical energy to the various components of the device 3 and of the pump motor 5.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a possible mounting mode of the sensor 30 on the suction pipe of the pump 5.
• the sensor 30 is downstream of the valve 62. It comprises a body
• the pipe 300 consisting of a casing of any shape, and the temperature-sensitive element 301, which must be immersed in the water which circulates in the pipe 61.
• the pipe 61 is based on plastic material, for example example in polyvinyl chloride, it suffices to pierce this pipe 61, to insert the sensitive element 301 there and to glue the box 300 using an appropriate glue.
• the cable carrying the output signals 302 can be secured along the pipeline using one or more clamps 8.
• the control unit 3 comprises, on its front face, a display member 31 (for example with liquid crystal or plasma), an indicator 33, of green color for example, indicating the starting of the pump 5 (marked “OK” for example) and an alarm light 34, red in color as usual (marked “ALARM” for example).
• the display member 31 has a dual function: alternating display of the time and of the measured water temperature. (Re) setting the time and switching from one display mode to another is carried out by pressing a push button 32. Conventionally, it can be provided that after a predetermined period of time following a time reset, the display member 31 automatically switches to temperature display mode.
• the electronic control circuits forming with the temperature sensor the main part of the device according to the invention, are grouped together on a printed circuit board 7, of conventional type per se and advantageously meeting the standards in force in a given country, for example conforms to CE standards for France.
• the various components used advantageously meet industrial type specifications. In particular, they must operate in a temperature range from -40 ° C to +50 ° C.
• the electrical power supply to the circuits located on the printed circuit board 7 is provided by a transformer 77 connected to the mains (for example on a 220 V socket, not shown) which delivers a very low voltage, typically 6 V. That -this is rectified and regulated by conventional circuits, under the single reference 76.
• the transformer 77 is of a high insulation type (typically greater than or equal to 4000 V) and is protected by a varistor (for example having a voltage of 275 V) and a fuse, typically 3 A. The latter value is dependent on the nominal power used.
• the electronic control and signal processing circuits specific to the invention are produced, in the example described in FIG. 3, using three integrated circuits: a microcontroller 70, a time base 71 and a clock 72 called real time. As is well known, these electronic components communicate with each other via a bidirectional data transmission bus.
• the components of the card, in particular the microcontroller 70 receive signals from the temperature sensor 30 and the push button 32. They develop control and signaling signals transmitted to the indicator 33, to the display member 31, for the display of the temperature measured by the sensor 30, and to electromagnetic relays 74 and 75, for controlling the pump 5 and for controlling the alarm lamp 34, respectively.
• the output signals are transmitted to the receiving organs directly or via amplifiers or conventional adaptation circuits, not shown.
• the temperature sensor 30 does not include analog-digital conversion circuits, and amplification and / or adaptation circuits, such circuits are provided on the card 7, the microcontroller 70 processing only standardized binary digital signals. It is possible to provide a specialized port (not shown) comprising conversion circuits. Otherwise, you can go through a connection to a serial port, for example.
• measurements are made periodically of the temperature of the pool water 1 by means of the sensor 30.
• the output signals V s are proportional to the amplitude of the measured temperature and they include information on the sign of this temperature. After conversion as necessary, they are transmitted to the microcontroller 70 for processing and elaboration of control orders for the stirring pump 5.
• the taking into account of the measured temperatures is carried out according to a minimum rhythm of predefined time periods. , for example at the start of each brewing period or every hour.
• the measurement is validated after a time delay determined after the start of brewing so that it indicates the actual temperature of the pool water, for example after 5 minutes.
• the daily duration of stirring of the water, and therefore of filtration and addition of disinfecting agent depends on the different temperatures recorded and treated by the microcontroller 70.
• the total daily duration of stirring thus determined is then distributed over predefined time slots according to the options of pre-established treatment programs.
• a predetermined maximum number of tracks is defined, for example a maximum number of three daily tracks, it being understood that the duration of each track is of variable amplitude, or even zero, depending on the program selected.
• This individual duration is also determined by program, so that the sum of the individual durations reaches the desired overall daily treatment duration. It is also expected that each duration in a determined time slot is at least sufficient to circulate in the treatment circuit a total volume of water substantially equivalent to the capacity of the pool, and further that each is equal to an integer time slots all equal to a unit duration, which will be one hour of real time for example.
• the table below provides an example of a series of pre-established programs, indicating for each the daily duration of brewing as a function of the temperature recorded by the sensor and the distribution of this total duration in numbers of one-hour sections (or sequences) as they are distributed over three time slots located respectively in the morning, in the afternoon and the evening of every day.
• the selection of the program is carried out on the basis of a comparison between the temperature recorded and taken into account and the contiguous predefined temperature ranges.
• the microcontroller 70 Concurrently with the alarm signal, the microcontroller 70 generates a signal transmitted to a second electromagnetic relay 75 which connects the electric motor of the pump 5 to the mains.
• the alarm signal is permanent until the abovementioned extreme conditions disappear or until an authorized operator has stopped the device by any appropriate means, switch, etc. (not shown).
• the indicator 34 is not supplied.
• the total filtration time is determined by a program pre-recorded in the microcontroller 70 and distributed over the predefined distinct time slots.
• the daily duration of normal treatment is between minimum and maximum values (2 hours and 16 hours, respectively, in the example described).
• the microcontroller 70 cooperates with two other circuits, 71 and 72, as indicated. Depending on the temperature detected, the microcontroller 70 generates binary command words which are transmitted to the circuit 71.
• the latter is a programmable time base which generates a signal of variable duration, depending on the binary configuration of the command words presented. at its entrance. A specific configuration forces the time base to generate a permanent output signal.
• the output signals are transmitted to relay 75, directly or via amplification and / or shaping circuits (not shown). If the daily cycle is divided into separate ranges, as is the case in the preferred embodiment of the invention (three ranges in the example described), the microcontroller 70 transmits a command word to the time base 71 at the start of each track.
• the duration of one operation over a determined time slot can be zero, as shown in the table above.
• a signal is generated by the microcontroller 70 and transmitted directly or via an amplifier and / or a shaping circuit (not shown) to the indicator 33.
• the third circuit, 72 consists of a real time clock. Indeed, this circuit 72 is supplied autonomously, by battery or battery, so as to determine the time which elapses in the event of a mains failure, thus ensuring a time-keeping function. It is desirable that the time drift of this circuit be limited, typically a maximum drift of 2 min per month. Indeed, during winter periods and for private swimming pools in particular, in the event of a power failure for one reason or another, this condition may persist due to the absence of the owner of the premises (holiday home, etc.). This arrangement also makes it possible to set the time in the factory on a new device. When installing on site, the customer or the installer does not have to worry about setting the time.
• the device is automatically returned to normal operation.
• the microcontroller 70 processes a temperature measurement at the start of an operating phase of the stirring pump, the test carried out determines the choice of a new stirring program.
• the microcontroller 70 maintains the same program for stirring and filtering the water. from pool 1.
• Pump 5 is supplied at the same predefined rates: on a daily basis of 7 hours, divided into two periods of respective duration 4 and 3 hours, in the example chosen. Otherwise, for example if the measured temperature rises to 24 ° C, a new program is selected: total duration daily brewing of 10 hours, divided into three periods of 2, 4 and 4 hours, respectively.
• the various operating states are displayed by the indicator lights 33 (normal operation of the pump 5) and 34 (alarm), as well as the display member 31 (measured temperature or time display) .
• the sensor 30 must be able to detect temperature variations typically of the order of a tenth of a degree, or even less, it is not necessary for the display member 31 to display the temperature with such precision.
• a display member comprising two digital indicators with seven segments is used, which gives a sufficient indication ( ⁇ 1 ° C) on the temperature of the water, which is measured with greater precision.
• a preferred variant of implementation of the invention provides for being able to switch to a manual mode which does not have to do this regulation.
• the push button 32 is multifunctional and can also fulfill this function. It suffices to provide a discriminatory pressing mode (duration of manual pressing of the button greater than a predetermined threshold, for example) so that one switches to manual mode and that one forces the operation of the pump in regime continued.
• a microcontroller is usually associated with fixed memory circuits and random access memory circuits.
• a fixed memory can be constituted by a ROM type memory, read only and cannot be modified, or a programmable memory of PROM, EPROM type, etc. These memories can take shape in various forms depending on how they can be programmed: data recording by electrical signals, erasure by ultraviolet light and re-recording, etc. Certain types of memories allow reprogramming on site, using specialized portable devices. In all cases, it is these memories which store the software modules and the instructions necessary for the proper functioning of the microcontroller and for the execution of specific programs.
• programming could be carried out by the user, entirely freely or by selection of predefined ranges. It would then be possible to enter the programming data using keys or a keyboard arranged, for example, on the control unit 3, or even using a remote control, with infrared rays for example, acting on an electro-optical sensor disposed on the front face of the housing or inside it, on the card 7.
• the usable components and the numerical values which have been specified are in close correspondence with the specific application envisaged.
• the method is not limited to daily programming, nor to a specific number of distinct tracks. Temperature measurements can be carried out at times which do not necessarily coincide with whole hours, they can even be carried out continuously.
• the alarm circuits can be of various types: visual alarm, audible alarm, etc.
• the alarm actuation signals can have a direct effect (locally), but can also be transmitted remotely, by a remote alarm system, via a conventional telephone link for example.
• the system may include heating elements for the swimming pool water, actuated in response to an alarm due to a measured temperature below the minimum admissible temperature, ie 3 ° C. in the example described.
• the reheat command can be local or be transmitted remotely, for example by the aforementioned telephone link.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Treatment Of Water By Oxidation Or Reduction (AREA)
• Control Of Temperature (AREA)
• Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
• Water Treatment By Electricity Or Magnetism (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9504637

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (34)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 1997
  • 1997-03-10 FR FR9702905A patent/FR2760483A3/fr active Pending
• 1998
  • 1998-03-10 US US09/380,834 patent/US6228272B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-03-10 CA CA002283679A patent/CA2283679A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-03-10 EP EP98913878A patent/EP1007810A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-03-10 WO PCT/FR1998/000481 patent/WO1998040585A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events