Swimming Pool Heating Research Articles

Multi-objective optimization of energo-enviro-economic indicators of an outdoor swimming pool heating system: an approach with advanced computational techniques

Multi-objective optimization of energo-enviro-economic indicators of an outdoor swimming pool heating system: an approach with advanced computational techniques

Rational Use of Energy in Sports Centres to Achieve Net Zero: The SAVE Project (Part A)

Sports centres constitute major energy consumers. This article presents the proposed energy performance upgrade process and the achieved results for the municipal sports centre in Arkalochori, Greece. The facility consists of a swimming pool centre, an outdoor 8 × 8 football court, and two tennis and basketball courts. It operates with considerably high energy consumption due to the lack of any measure towards its energy efficiency improvement since its initial construction in 2002. Due to the significantly high heating cost, the swimming pool centre remains operative only during the summer period. The energy performance upgrade of the facility was holistically approached through all possibly applicable passive and active measures: insulation of opaque surfaces and replacement of openings, construction of a new, bioclimatic enclosure for the swimming pool’s centre and conversion of the current outdoor facility to an indoor one, installation of heat pumps for indoor space conditioning and swimming pool heating, installation of a solar–combi system for domestic hot water production, upgrade of all indoor and outdoor lighting equipment and installation of a photovoltaic plant on the new enclosure’s roof for the compensation of the remaining electricity consumption. With the proposed measures, the municipal sports centre is upgraded to a zero energy facility. The payback period of the investment was calculated at 14 years on the basis of the avoided energy procurement cost. The swimming pool’s centre operation is prolonged during the entire annual period. This work has been funded by the Horizon 2020 project with the acronym “NESOI” and was awarded the public award of the “Islands Gamechanger” competition of the NESOI project and the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative.

Multi-criteria optimization of multi-energy complementary systems considering reliability, economic and environmental effects

Economic and environmental benefits of multi-energy complementary systems (MECSs) have become favorite topics. However, intermittent renewable energy and demand, as well as breakdown, may cause a failure of expected benefits or even supply shortages. This paper proposed an optimization method for MECSs that comprehensively considers reliability, economic and environmental performances. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method was adopted for reliability assessment. The multi-criteria optimization problem was solved using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) and a decision-making method (TOPSIS). An actual indoor heated swimming pool with a MECS was conducted as a case study. Furthermore, the influences of scheduling strategy and power grid penetration (PGP) on MECSs were investigated. Compared with the case without considering reliability, the proposed optimization method exhibits more holistic performance, in terms of nearly 10 times lower expected energy supply shortage time (EESST) at the expense of 13.08% higher annual total cost (ATC) and 15.15% lower environmental performance coefficient (EPC). Additionally, the scheduling strategy greatly affects the performances, and a proposed scheduling strategy achieves 7.26% lower ATC, 7.69% higher EPC and about 40 times lower EESST. This study also reveals the necessity to focus on PGP as it significantly influences the strategy selection.

DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE CHAMELEON SCHEDULING ALGORITHM FOR RECONFIGURABLE COMPUTING

Conventional power generation is the source of widespread worry over the depletion of nonrenewable energy sources and the environmental difficulties that this would inevitably cause. As a direct consequence of this, an increasing number of people are gravitating toward renewable energy sources like as photovoltaic boards and wind generators. Wind power is being put to use for a vast array of applications, some of which include the charging of batteries, the pumping of water, the generation of electricity for homes, the heating of swimming pools, the operation of satellite power systems, and many more. However, despite the fact that they do not need any sort of upkeep and do not result in any kind of pollution, their installation costs are high in many different contexts. Wind energy is quickly becoming a more significant contributor to the total installed power capacity around the globe. In the field of wind energy, the PMSG-based wind turbine equipped with a variable-speed and variable-pitch control system are the most common type of wind power generator. This device is capable of operating either independently or while linked to an existing grid. It is necessary to have a complete understanding of the machine's modelling, control, dynamic, and steady-state analyses in order to obtain the maximum possible amount of power from the wind, researchers must make an accurate prediction of the machine's performance in either mode of operation. The complexity of the systems, the sensors required, the speed of combination, the cost, the breadth of effectiveness, the technology employed, and the popularity of the systems all vary. Multiple control computations are performed on the Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) in order to produce maximum power in a variety of wind speed scenarios. This is done so that the system can respond appropriately. The purpose of this work is to suggest several methodologies for obtaining dynamic features from the WECS integrated grid. The first technique makes use of the Firefly Algorithm (FA) as well as the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods. Both are classification algorithms. By utilizing the most effective parameters for design, the design of the grid-integrated power system design was able to achieve a voltage THD of 11.47 percent.

Efeitos da fisioterapia aquática sobre variáveis cardiorrespiratórias na doença de Parkinson

Abstract Introduction Parkinson’s (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It has motor and non-motor symptoms which is directly related to these people’s decreased autonomy and quality of life. Aquatic physical therapy (APT) is a non-drug treatment option that is a resource to complement functional rehabilitation and/or prevention. Objective To analyze the effects of an APT program on cardiovascular and fatigue conditions in individuals with PD. Methods The cardiorespiratory conditions were assessed with vital signs – heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), measured before and after each intervention. The double product (DP) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), measured pre- and post-intervention, were also used as variables. The intervention had eight 40- minute biweekly sessions over 4 weeks, with immersion in a heated swimming pool at 33 ºC on average. The statistical analysis was made with the paired t-test (to analyze the FSS) and the repeated measures ANOVA test (for DP, BP and HR); significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Fatigue perception with FSS improved significantly (p = 0.037), from 4.7 ± 1.6 (pre-intervention) to 4.3 ± 1.6 (post-intervention). There were no statistically significant differences in DP, BP and HR (p = 1). Conclusion HR and BP remained at appropriate values for older people, and DP remained within a safe submaximal training range. Furthermore, the proposed APT program statistically decreased fatigue in this specific group of people with PD.

Exploring the performance, simulation, design, and construction of a closed solar swimming pool in Kirkuk city

Indoor swimming pools are sports or entertainment facilities that require substantial energy to heat the pool water and maintain a comfortable atmosphere in compliance with international standards. However, traditional methods of heating swimming pools using fuels or electricity often result in high operational costs and environmental pollution. To address these challenges, solar water heating has emerged as the most significant and environmentally friendly technology. Consequently, the construction of solar-powered swimming pools has become a prominent issue, drawing considerable attention from governments worldwide. Solar energy is currently being utilized in various applications, with water heating in residential settings being one of the most popular ones. Iraq, known for its high solar energy potential, stands to benefit greatly from adopting and designing solar swimming pools. The proposed design incorporates essential components such as the swimming pool, pump, filter, control valves, and the solar collector. This study explores the influence of flow rate on the solar collector's performance and its relationship with pool size under varying weather conditions in Kirkuk city. The month of February, characterized by lower solar radiation intensity and air temperature, was selected for the investigation. This study provides insights into heating indoor swimming pools using solar energy, examining the types of solar collectors, filters, and pumps involved. By offering guidance in the system design process, our research can be instrumental in facilitating the installation of such systems.

ECOPOOL+++: Developing a sustainable outdoor heated swimming pool

The University of Algarve, in consortium with “Cristal Construções – Materiais e Obras de Construção Civil”, “Itelmatis Control Systems” and “Itecons – Instituto de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico para a Construção, Energia, Ambiente e Sustentabilidade”, is developing a new concept of outdoor heated sustainable swimming pool, having a higher energy efficiency and lower environmental footprint. The main objective is to minimise energy and water consumptions, while assuring a comfortable temperature for the user, extending the utilization of the pool in the Algarve region, from the summer months, to at least 8 months of the year. In order to do it, different systems will be tested, including solar thermal and photovoltaic panels, inverted underfloor heating, heat accumulator exchanger with phase change materials and energy dissipating pipes. An innovative thermal insulation system will be included in the interior of the pool tank, together with a new system for the covering of the water plane. All these systems will be monitored and controlled by an industrial automation system that will communicate, via a programmable logic controller, using industry standard communication protocols, with a SMART platform, that will be in charge of the global operation's optimisation. This platform will support an intelligent and predictive control and monitoring module, that controls the automation system to maximize the energy usage of the renewable sources, while assuring the user preferences. One of the main outputs of this project is the construction of a smaller scale prototype of a swimming pool, with the characteristics mentioned above, in order to test and validate the proposed developments.

Prescribing and Self-Regulating Heated Water-Based Exercise by Rating of Perceived Exertion in Older Individuals With Hypertension.

We aimed to analyze the usefulness of the 6-20 rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale for prescribing and self-regulating high-intensity interval (HIIE) and moderate-intensity continuous (MICE) aerobic exercise performed in a heated swimming pool (32°C). Fifteen older individuals (65 ± 3years) treated for hypertension underwent a symptom-limited maximal graded exercise test to determine their heart rate at anaerobic threshold, and respiratory compensation point. On different days, participants were randomized to HIIE (walking/jogging between 11 and 17 of RPE; 25min) and MICE (walking at 11-13 of RPE; 30min). Heart rate during the low-intensity intervals of HIIE and MICE remained below the graded exercise test's heart rate at anaerobic threshold (-7 ± 18bpm/-16 ± 15bpm) and respiratory compensation point (-18 ± 18bpm/-30 ± 16bpm), respectively, and maintained in the aerobic training zone during the high-intensity intervals of HIIE (+8 ± 18bpm/-4 ± 19bpm). The RPE scale at 15-17 is a useful tool for prescribing and self-regulating heated water-based HIIE and may have important implications for water-based exercise in older individuals with hypertension.

A stochastic methodology to exploit maximum flexibility of swimming pool heating systems

Swimming pool heating systems are known as one of the best flexible resources in buildings. However, they can be flexible only for a certain number of hours throughout a day due to the comfort constraints of the users. In this study, a new approach is proposed to determine a group of contract hour sets to procure maximum flexibility of swimming pool heating systems supplied by heat pumps for trading in the regulation market while respecting the comfort of users. The main advantage of the contract hour sets is the certainty in response to flexibility requests. The proposed approach consists of three main steps. First, a stochastic mixed-integer linear program is proposed to find the optimal operation of a swimming pool heating system that has agreed to provide flexibility in a contract hours set. Then, a metric is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of contract hour sets using the results obtained in the first step. Finally, an algorithm is proposed to identify a group of the most efficient contract hour sets using the calculated metric. The proposed approach is validated through comprehensive simulation studies for a summerhouse with an indoor pool heated by a heat pump. Also, a cost–benefit analysis is performed to examine the feasibility of these contract hour sets from financial viewpoint. Simulation results show that the maximum contract hours can vary from 2 to 12 h depending on the building occupation pattern and the minimum payment to owners is between 0.03 to 0.06 (Euro/kW).

Study of Natural Ventilation and Solar Control Strategies to Improve Energy Efficiency and Environmental Quality in Glazed Heated Swimming Pools in a Dry Mediterranean Climate

This paper studies the energy behavior of several public heated swimming pools with semi-transparent covers located in southeastern Spain with high consumption of their air-conditioning installations. The scientific novelty of the work is to determine the influence of solar radiation on the energy performance of this type of building and to demonstrate that the use of passive systems such as natural ventilation and solar control enhance the energy efficiency in glazed heated swimming pools in a warm semi-arid climate. The methodology used consisted of on-site measurements of current hygrometric behaviour and a study of alternative solutions by simulation of virtual models with improved hygrothermal conditions. In the on-site measurements, thermographic images were used to analyse the thermal envelope and hot-wire probe measurements to determine the temperature distribution and air velocity inside the pool enclosure. For the study of alternative solutions, simulations were carried out, including an analysis of incident solar radiation and different natural ventilation and solar control solutions. The results obtained showed that the current hygrothermal behaviour of the interior spaces does not comply with the regulations on the thermal quality of the indoor environment. The results show that the proposed natural ventilation and solar control solutions substantially improved the hygrothermal properties and energy savings of the pools analysed. This work offers an alternative solution that avoids the implementation of costly air conditioning systems and the energy consumption of installations, promoting more sustainable renovations that contribute to improving the indoor comfort of users with interventions that are compatible with existing buildings.

Acute high-intensity interval exercise versus moderate-intensity continuous exercise in heated water-based on hemodynamic, cardiac autonomic, and vascular responses in older individuals with hypertension

ABSTRACT Objectives This crossover study design aimed to assess hemodynamic, cardiac autonomic, and vascular responses to high-intensity interval (HIIE) vs moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) in older individuals with hypertension. Methods Twenty (67 ± 7 y) older individuals with hypertension were randomly assigned to perform HIIE, MICE, or control (CON) sessions in the heated swimming pool (30–32°C). Blood pressure (BP), arterial stiffness, endothelial reactivity, and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured pre, post, and 45 min (recovery) after each intervention followed by 24-h ambulatory BP and HRV. Results One single aerobic exercise session was not effective to provoke post-exercise hypotension and vascular improvements. HIIE was superior to MICE and CON to increasing parasympathetic modulation at post and recovery. Exercise sessions showed to disturb the autonomic system at nighttime compared to CON. Conclusions These results may have important implications in water-based therapy and the elderly with hypertension

Swimming Pool Heating using Geothermal Source VRF Heat-Pump in Morocco

Abstract— Heating swimming pools requires a great deal of energy, especially outdoor pools. The swimming pools must be constantly maintained at temperature - generally 28 °C - the most used means in Morocco is the heating by boiler. As part of this research, and in order to develop ecofriendly and lowimpact solutions on the environment, we choose to study an outdoor swimming pool heated by gas boiler in Rabat. The objective of this article is to size a swimming pool heating installation, using a direct expansion heat pump type VRF geothermal on groundwater. Keywords— Modeling, Swimming pool heating, Air Conditioning, Heating, Dynamic Modeling, Geothermal, Electricity consumption, COP

Thermodynamic and exergo-economic assessments of a new geothermally driven multigeneration plant

In this paper, a new geothermal-based multigeneration system is designed and investigated in both thermodynamic and economic analyses. The reason to select the geothermal source is that geothermal power is a renewable and sustainable power resource, and also it is not weather dependent. The proposed geothermal-based multigeneration plant is able to produce power, heating, cooling, swimming pool heating, and hydrogen. The main idea in this renewable-based multigeneration system is to create valuable products by using waste heat of subsystems. Then, by applying thermodynamic analyses, the energy and exergy performances of proposed multigeneration system are computed. Also, parametric work has been performed in order to see the impacts of the reference temperature, geothermal fluid temperature, and geothermal water mass flow rate. Finally, exergo-economic analysis based on exergy destruction or thermodynamic losses is done to gain more information about the system and to evaluate it better. According to the calculations, the overall plant's energy and exergy performances are 32.28% and 25.39%. Economic analysis indicates that hydrogen production cost can be dropped down to 1.06 $/kg H2.

Feasibility Study of Using Solar Thermal Energy for Heating Swimming Pools in Central European Climate (Hungary as a Case Study)

Heating swimming pools using electrical elements is costly and causes environmental impact by producing CO2 emissions. While renewable energy, such as solar energy, proves a viable alternative source for swimming pool heating. This article aims to simulate various Solar Domestic Hot Water (SDHW) systems in cold climates like Central European countries to define the best system for swimming pool heating. Three different systems were compared: a solar heating system without auxiliary heating or heat exchanger (B6), with a heat exchanger (B6.1) and with a heat exchanger and an auxiliary heating source (B6.2). Also, five crucial variables were chosen, along with the variation of the other parameters using the response surface method (RSM). This system optimisation aims to define an optimal system with less financial expenditure. It was found that the best system is B6, represented by Experiment No 25, which indicates the Collector type: flat plate collector (FPC), pool depth: 1 m, pool temperature: 26 ℃, pool covers, and windshield are actively operated. We used the T*SOL Valentine Software-2018 (kWh) to measure the solar contribution for each case. For each vector, our coded values range from [-1, +1]. The formula 2k (25=32 experiments) defines the number of experiments, where k is a vector number. In addition, two more experiments were done to define second-degree non-linear coefficients with a pool depth (B) of 1.5 m and 28 ℃ pool temperature. These two additional experiments, however, had no impact on our results. Finally, the swimming pool heating systems suitable for this weather were compared. This experiment can help the locals to find the optimal swimming pool heating system for their pools.

A Feasibility Assessment Study to Procure Maximum Flexibility from Swimming Pool Heat Pumps

A Feasibility Assessment Study to Procure Maximum Flexibility from Swimming Pool Heat Pumps

Economic feasibility of heating source conversion of the swimming pools

Conversion from conventional heating systems is developed to address the emission of CO2 in the environment, global warming, rising costs, potential shortages of fossil fuels, for all energy source alternatives available. This study reviewed the economic feasibility associated with converting the current heat source to a renewable energy source of heating swimming pools located in Jordan. Many modern heating systems techniques are proposed in this study such as solar heat collectors, heat pump and photovoltaic assisted heat pump. Solar heat collectors are a device that collects and/or concentrate solar radiation from the sun and allow for heating the water. In addition, a growing interest in photovoltaic/heat pump systems is considered, which combines photovoltaic cells and heat pump systems. Hence converting solar energy into electricity and then heat through the heat pump. The Initial and operation cost for all proposed techniques is evaluated. As a result, it is found that the best economical alternative option that can be installed on the available area of the building is photovoltaic with a heat pump system during the heating season. The operation cost of the current source (diesel boiler) is about 179,974 US$ and the total cost of heat solar thermal collector is about 936,540 US$ but the total cost of the proposed photovoltaic/heat pump system is nearly 251,060 US$, which save about 45,134 US$ yearly of the total commercial building electricity bill that is selected with a payback period of fewer than two years. In addition, available space on the rooftop of the selected building is well fitted with photovoltaic panels which are around 2000 m2. This result suggests that utilizing a PV/HP system for hotel pools is advantageous both financially and environmentally.

Feasibility Study and Economic Analysis of a Fuel-Cell-Based CHP System for a Comprehensive Sports Center with an Indoor Swimming Pool

Unlike a general commercial building, heating for a building with an indoor swimming pool is highly energy-intensive due to the high energy demand for swimming water heating. In Korea, the conventional heating method for this kind of building is to use boilers and heat storage tanks that have high fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, a combined heat and power (CHP) system for such a building using the electricity and waste heat from a Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) system was designed and analyzed in terms of its primary energy saving, CO2 reduction, fuel cell and CHP efficiency, and economic feasibility. The mathematical model of the thermal load evaluation was used with the 3D multi-zone building model in TRNSYS 18 software (Thermal Energy System Specialists, LLC, Madison, MI, USA) to determine the space heating demand and swimming pool heat losses. The energy efficiency of the fuel cell unit was evaluated as a function of the part-load ratio from the operating data. The fundamental components, such as the auxiliary boiler, thermal storage tank, and heat exchanger are also integrated for the simulation of the system’s operation. The result shows that the system has a high potential to improve the utilization efficiency of fuel cell energy production. Referring to the local condition of the energy market in Korea, an economic analysis was also carried out by using a specific FC-CHP capacity at 440 kW. The economic benefit is significant in comparison with a conventional heating system, especially for the full-time operating (FTO) mode. The net profit made by comparison with the conventional energy supply system is about 178,352 to 273,879 USD per year, and the payback period is expected to be 6.9 to 10.7 years under different market conditions.

Heating performance of swimming pool incorporated solar assisted heat pump and underground thermal energy storage tank: A case study

In this study, utilizing a renewable energy system was proposed to eliminate conventional sources used for swimming pool heating applications. The proposed configuration mainly consisted of a private swimming pool, ground source heat pump, buried energy storage tank, and solar collectors. The solution of transient heat transfer around the storage tank and energy equations for the other configurations are integrated with MATLAB software to develop an analytical model. Analytical model was used to detect the most suitable swimming pool heating system parameters offering a reasonable heating performance year-round as well as to evaluate different performance parameters of the system. The typical meteorological data of Gaziantep city was embedded into the developed computer program to find reasonable water temperatures, solar collector area, suitable tank volume, and time to arrive at periodic conditions. The results showed that when the area of the pool was simulated at 50 m2, the underground thermal energy storage tank volume equated to 300 m3, while the collector area became 100 m2, and the periodic operation was equal to 6 years. Finally, the results showed that the swimming pool heating system derived the majority of its total energy requirement from solar energy (being 86.18%), in addition to utilizing the heat pump (being 13.82%), during the first year of operation.

A Randomized, Crossover, Adhesion Performance and Pharmacokinetic Study of a Lidocaine Topical System Under Conditions of Water Exposure in Healthy Subjects.

PurposeThis study compares the adhesion performance, pharmacokinetic profile, and safety of lidocaine topical system 1.8%, which is approved to treat postherpetic neuralgia, under conditions of swimming and showering versus normal conditions.Patients and MethodsThis open-label, 3-period, 3-treatment crossover study randomized 24 healthy adults to receive one lidocaine topical system during each of three treatment periods; subjects either swam in a heated swimming pool for 15 minutes 4.0 hours post-product application (swimming), showered for 10 minutes 8.0 hours after product application (showering), or the product remained dry throughout the treatment period (normal conditions). The product was applied to the mid-upper back and was removed after 12 hours. The pharmacokinetic profile of each subject under water exposure conditions was compared to subjects under normal conditions. Skin irritation, adhesion, and adverse events were assessed.ResultsTwenty-four (24) subjects enrolled and 23 completed the study. Exposure to water resulted in lifting of the topical systems. There were two complete detachments, as well as seven occurrences of major lifting (more than 50% detached) after water exposure. The topical systems were immediately pressed down and/or reapplied after observing lifting and remained adhered to for the rest of the 12-hour application period. No clinically relevant differences in systemic absorption were observed under either showering or swimming conditions. The topical systems were well tolerated, with only mild adverse events, none leading to discontinuation.ConclusionThese data show that while water exposure can cause the topical system to lift or detach, the lidocaine topical system 1.8% is capable of being reapplied and maintains adhesion for up to 12 hours of wear with no clinically significant changes in drug delivery.Clinicaltrials.govNCT04784728.

Techno-Economic Investigation of Using Solar Energy for Heating Swimming Pools in Buildings and Producing Hydrogen: A Case Study

Solar energy is a free and environmentally friendly supply of power that has negligible impact on the environment, and it has long been used by humans through different methods. However, solar energy technology would use for heating water for buildings as an alternative resource, which would help reduce CO2 reduction and safe environment. A data analysis was performed using the RETScreen software, and the financial outcomes that were calculated using two methods. Clearly, the software is operational with two different methods. Both methods indicate that this project is economically feasible. The aim of this study is to evaluate the utilization of solar energy for household and commercial purposes. The first goal is to explore the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of using evacuated glass tube solar collectors to heat water in an indoor pool in the building, having an area of 50 m2, in the city of Yazd, Iran. The second goal is to evaluate the amount of hydrogen that can be obtained from the installation photovoltaic systems in the province. The results also show that this project will decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 142 ton-CO2 over 20 years of the useful life of a collector, thereby indicating the possible significant role of such collectors in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the findings indicate that installing a single X21-345 photovoltaic system with a performance rate of 20% can result in the production of 2.1 kg of hydrogen annually.