Reducing Energy Consumption in Public Swimming Pools

The swimming pool electronics specialists at KLINGENBERGER GmbH, headquartered in Wernigerode, carry out control panel construction and building automation projects for public swimming pools and public buildings (renovation, refurbishment, and new construction). In addition to production, installation, and commissioning, their services include the design of fan and pump drives, engineering planning for measurement, control, and regulation technology, and the integration of energy management systems as part of building automation.

For swimming pools, there are precise specifications regarding the circulation of pool water and the flow rates to be regulated in order to ensure compliance with the hygiene requirements of DIN 19643. Accordingly, the speed of the pumps located in these closed systems is adjusted accordingly. What sets KLINGENBERGER GmbH’s energy-optimized control systems—some of which are patented—for filters (EOFS) and pumps (EOPS) apart is the incorporation of variable reference parameters. Sensors measure the water displacement caused by the current number of swimmers in each pool. This variable data is continuously measured, so that—depending on a swimming pool’s visitor load—the necessary swimming water circulation for each pool type, the required flow rates, and the energy supply for the installed pumps are automatically regulated. The purpose of these intelligent control systems is to reduce fresh water and energy consumption, thereby optimizing operations and reducing costs.

Non-invasive clamp-on flow meters based on ultrasonic technology are a proven method for reliably measuring flow rates in ongoing processes without compromising the cleanliness of piping. Mounting the sensor using tension chains and clips is quick and easy, and a portable measuring unit is ready for use immediately after entering a few measurement parameters. “The ability to use a control system to compare preset flow rates with actual flow rates in real time using the KATflow 200, and thereby check the position of butterfly valves and pump output and readjust them if necessary,” has also impressed Mr. Christian Richter of KLINGENBERGER GmbH. The flow meter is used on cast iron pipes and, increasingly, on PE pipes in the diameter range from DN 50 to DN 400.