EP4177423A1

EP4177423A1 - Modulating valve for the cleaning of pool filters

Info

Publication number: EP4177423A1
Application number: EP22425045.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fabio Milani
Original assignee: Leucum System Srl
Current assignee: Leucum System Srl
Priority date: 2021-11-08
Filing date: 2022-08-05
Publication date: 2023-05-10
Also published as: IT202100028031A1

Abstract

Pool system, comprising a modulating valve (18), including an inverter (7), managed by a PLC control unit (15) which, through a flow meter (16) mounted downstream of filters (13), indicates the quantity of water passing through a delivery pipe towards the pool (20 ) through bottom inlet vents (4), modulates the speed of pumps (20), by varying the electrical frequency according to the pressure drop caused by the clogging of the filters (13).

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a filtering pump applied in the technical sector of the management of swimming facilities and swimming pools in general, and is aimed at ordinary managing the system for the filtration cycle and the cleaning of swimming pool filters.
More precisely, the invention relates to a modulating valve, which aspires the bottom water of the pool, allowing the cleaning of the filters which make sure the pool water remains purified and sanitized, without the consumption of water from the public network.

Preexisting technique

The cleaning of the water in swimming facilities (swimming pools) takes place through the use of sand, diatomaceous earth or cartridge filters. The cleaning of the filters, is obtained by backwashing, with water coming from the compensation tank, which will then be sent to the sewer
The invention for which the patent is requested, is aimed at managing the proper use of the filtering pumps and hence cleaning swimming pool water by using the bottom pool water which is drawn through a modulating valve inserted in the filtering pump and purposed for cleaning the filters.

Purpose and Synthesis of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the known and current technique. More in particular, it aims to provide a valve, inserted within the filtering pumps of the swimming pool waters , which draws directly the water from the bottom of the pool, water used to clean the filters of the water filtering pumps without having to use water from the compensation tank thus avoiding the waste of running water. This is achieved by a modulating valve that has the characteristics described in claims point 1.

Description of the relative technique

The "modulating valve for the cleaning of pool filters" describes a structure composed of a filtering system, denominated as filtering pump, including a valve activated for the cleaning of the filters of the pump both when the filters need cleaning but also during the normal activity of the structure, through which water from the bottom of the pool is drawn and channeled inside the pump and conveyed in the cleaning filters of the pool for constantly cleaning those exact filters.
The modulating valve, created and invented by the undersigned, during the backwash phase, which takes place by rotating a selector by the operator connected to the PLC computer, opens by taking the bottom water of the pool, allowing the cleaning of the filters against the current, avoiding the withdrawal from the compensation tank avoiding the possibility of using fresh mains water, which would end up in the sewer drain. During this phase, with the activation of the procedure, the pumps, managed by a PLC computer control unit that controls an inverter, will go at a constant number of revolutions predefined during the installation phase, in order to have the right pressure to perform the cleaning phase in the best possible way.
In the cycle of normal operation of the system, the valve is used so that the pumps never stop, thus maintaining a continuity of filtration without interruptions, giving better water quality, preserving the structure of the system avoiding constant reboots. The pumps will modulate their force according to the amount of water that the system needs to remain constantly in the reference standard, which, by means of a door or flow measuring probe mounted downstream of the filters, will measure the right amount of flowing water, modulating the frequency of the current.

Description of the attached drawing

In the attached drawing, there is a project for a filtration system for a swimming pool open to the public.
There is the tip description of the drawing below:

1.: Overflow water collection channel
2.: Pool tub
3.: Bottom cleaner attachment socket
4.: Bottom water inlets
5.: Bottom grates for swimming pool drain
6.: Drain piping in the pool tub sewer
7.: Inverter for modularity management of the pumps
8.: Roughing pre-filter mounted before the pumps
9.: Compensation tank
10.: Overflow level in the compensation tank
11.: Discharge piping in the compensation tank sewer
12.: System water top-up pipe
13.: Tank water filter
14.: System water top-up valve
15.: Plc Computer control unit
16.: Flow or flow measuring probe
17.: Connection Bottom socket at the system suction
18.: Modulating valve on bottom outlet connection
19.: Probe for measuring the quantity of water in the compensation tank
20.: Pump for filtering and circulating tank water
21.: Discharge of backwashing water from the filters, destined for the sewer.
22.: Minimum measure of water in the compensation tank
23.: Plant operating measure, measured in the compensation tank.

Detailed description of an example of embodiment.

Description of an embodiment of the invention, with reference to the drawings.
The assembly of the various elements, including the modulating valve design (see drawing No 18), forms the innovative system, composed as follows:
Connection of the bottom outlet to the system suction in accordance with UNI EN 13451-3 standard. (17) Assembly of a modulating electronic control valve on the bottom outlet. (18). Assembly on the delivery pipe of a speed/ flow/pressure meter, downstream of the filters (16). Assembly of a liquid height meter, installed in the compensation tanks (19) Assembly of a PLC or Computer, which collects all the signals deriving from the speed/flow/pressure meters, the height of the balance tank water and manages both the speed of the pumps and the solenoid valve for refilling the water, which forms the opening of the valve mounted on the bottom outlet (7),a reintegration top-up system(14).
In the backwash phase, a selector connected to the PIC/computer is activated (15), which opens the foot valve (18), regardless of the height of the compensation tank, and sets the flow rate of the pumps(20)to a fixed point previously predetermined in the PLC/computer (15).

Illustration of the advantages in the industrial field

In the industrial field, the proposed filtering system hence allows a competitive and technological advantage on the market, both for the validity of the economic investment, in terms of savings, and in terms of innovation.
The innovation of the present invention is to propose a system that is able to guarantee the continuity of the water flow, constantly remaining in compliance with the law, ensuring that the filtration process of the pool water is always constant and continuous, without interruptions, and avoid deterioration of circulation pumps and chemical pipe-to-pipe welds.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to increase the life of the system by avoiding continuous switching off and on again due to filter backwashing, keeping the chemical welds, the bearings of the centrifugal pumps and their seals intact, avoiding hammer blows.
Another object of the invention is to avoid unnecessary consumption of electricity, since with the most widely used pumps, which operate only at 50 Hz, they would have an abnormal expenditure of energy, which with a clean filter would go beyond the regulatory limits, both of maximum speed in the filters and in the pipes, having an unnecessary energy absorption and counterproductive to the sanitation of the water.
A further object of the invention is to ensure that in the filter counter-washing step, only the oldest and not fresh water of the system is used, avoiding the use of fresh mains water coming from the compensation tank.
Therefore, at an industrial level, the object of the present invention is to ensure, in the washing and sanitizing system of the swimming pool water by means of filtration, a considerable economic saving in terms of water consumption (reuse of the swimming pool water for washing the filters) and electricity consumption.

Claims

Modulating valve(18), including the inverter(7), managed by a PLC control unit (15) which, through the flow meter (16) mounted downstream of the filters (13), indicates the quantity of water passing through the delivery pipe towards the pool·(20 ) through the bottom inlet vents (4), modulates the speed of the pumps (20), by varying the electrical frequency according to the pressure drop caused by the clogging of the filters (13).
According to the claim referred to as point 1, the modulating valve (18), including the compensation tank (9) which through the same modulating valve(18), connected by means of the connection to the bottom outlet (17), managed by the PLC control unit (15), modulates the opening according to the quantity of water present in the compensation tank (9) measured by the level meter (19) connected to the PLC control unit (15).