Low cost structure for purifying and containing high transparency water for direct contact recreational purposes

Abstract

A low cost structure for containing high clarity water. The structure enables purification of the water for direct contact recreational purposes. The structure preferably includes a low cost simplified centralized filtration system with fewer inlets, outlets, skimmers and filtration water volume rates compared to conventional swimming pools. A permanently operating water micro-refreshment system with micro-leak points distributed throughout the entire interior surface of the structure, a high quality make-up water source; a dual frequency skimmer system; and a low frequency skimmer system that allows removal of water from the upper portion of the water volume during rain events or increased refreshment events, thereby increasing the efficiency of the high frequency skimmer system.

Description

[0001] This application is being filed on February 1, 2023 as an International Application and claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 306,826 filed February 4, 2022 and U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17 / 871,830 filed July 22, 2022, and these applications are incorporated herein by reference. To the extent appropriate, priority protection is claimed for the above disclosed applications. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a physical structure that allows for containing high clarity water at a lower cost than traditional swimming pool structures and swimming pool filtration technology and eliminates the particles and other contaminants that create turbidity in large bodies of water for direct contact recreational purposes. BACKGROUND

[0003] The construction of bodies of water for direct contact recreational purposes, such as swimming pools, generally requires the use of filtration systems capable of evenly filtering the entire water volume approximately four times a day. Filtration systems for swimming pools with large volumes and covering large surfaces are highly complex and expensive.

[0004] This is one of the reasons why at least about 3,000 m2large swimming pools have become less and less common in the world, not only because of the high construction costs associated with the swimming pool structure itself and the cost of the large filtration systems required, but also because of the high operating costs associated with water treatment and filtration systems for such large water volumes, among other variable factors.

[0005] For example, when a swimming pool reaches a certain size and total treatment volume, it becomes a difficult task to evenly filter the entire water volume. While it is theoretically possible to use large filtration systems and equipment to achieve the filtration rates required for such large swimming pools, in practice, in addition to the filtration equipment and systems, the structure must include a large number of properly distributed inlets and outlets and their corresponding complex network of pipes in order to achieve a truly even and effective filtration and avoid "dead zones". This highly complex network of pipes with a large number of pipes, valves, inlets and outlets has a very high associated cost, in addition, the important head losses within this piping cause pressure losses and reduce water flow, which can affect the uniformity of dosing, circulation and filtration. This head loss is usually reversed by using large pumps with high energy consumption and high cost.

[0006] Further, the inlets can limit the range of water expulsion, especially since the water is drawn from the same water volume through the main drain or skimmer, which weakens the effect of the jets and creates water flow between the inlets and outlets, creating "dead zones" with minimal or no mixing or recirculation. Therefore, regulations worldwide regarding traditional swimming pools require the use of inlets distributed evenly in order to spread the treated water more evenly throughout the swimming pool, and outlets distributed evenly to expel the water and enable effective mixing and recirculation of the water. For larger water bodies, this "dead zone" effect is greatly amplified, and therefore, in order to achieve the same level of effective filtration as a traditional small swimming pool, a large number of evenly distributed and spaced inlets and outlets are required, as well as a large filtration unit to achieve a high turnover rate of the total volume of the swimming pool at least four times a day, and also a large pump and equipment associated with it. In this sense, the layout and configuration of the inlets and outlets that draw water from the structure and then return the filtered water to the structure will depend on many factors, including the geographical location of the water body, climatic conditions, local pollution (such as sand, silt), airborne particles, particles contained in the inlet water, wind patterns, swimming style, and internal generated water flow and flow, among other factors.

[0007] On the other hand, if a small number of inlets and outlets are used within a structure containing a large water body, the filtration efficiency is reduced due to the lack of uniform mixing and recirculation of the water, which also results in "dead zones" and areas of lower water movement, and therefore these areas cannot be filtered with the same intensity as the rest of the water. Therefore, such a simplified system in a larger water body, which aims to reduce construction and operating costs, cannot achieve the filtration efficiency of a traditional filtration system for smaller and lower volume swimming pools, and in turn results in poor water quality, higher turbidity, and potentially dangerous situations.

[0008] By way of reference, regulatory authorities around the world generally require inlets and outlets to be properly distributed and placed around the water volume and structure of the swimming pool, which allows for uniform extraction and uniform filtration of the water volume, reducing the risk of so-called "dead zones". The inlets and outlets should have an appropriate design, location, and sufficient number to ensure effective distribution of the treated water throughout the water volume of the swimming pool, as well as to be able to maintain an effective amount of disinfectant residual in the water volume of the swimming pool, and so that the entire water volume is filtered uniformly several times a day without creating dead zones or areas within the swimming pool that can not be treated or recirculated by the filtration system given the design, number, or location of these inlets and outlets.

[0009] For example, the Florida Swimming Pool Regulations require that a swimming pool with a width greater than 30 feet (approximately nine meters) and having a combination of in-wall and in-floor inlets should have:

[0010] - a plurality of floor inlets such that the maximum spacing between floor inlets is 20 feet (about six meters), and the floor inlets are provided at a vertical distance of more than 15 feet (about 4.5 meters) from all walls of the swimming pool water area; and

[0011] - a plurality of floor inlets such that the spacing between adjacent inlets is no more than 20 feet (about six meters), and the distance between a floor inlet and an adjacent wall is no more than 25 feet (about 7.6 meters).

[0012] Thus, in this case, the total area of each nozzle is 20' x 20' or 400 ft 2 , which means that a swimming pool of 100,000 ft 2 (about 2.3 acres) would require at least 250 floor inlets, and their corresponding pumps and highly complex piping network.

[0013] As another example, in Florida, public swimming pool regulations require that the recirculation flow be designed to provide at least four turnovers of the swimming pool volume per day to achieve uniform filtration of the water volume.

[0014] Skimmer systems in conventional swimming pools are also expensive and complex. In terms of skimmer / gutter usage, swimming pool regulations require that 100% of the recirculation water flow can be handled by skimmers, which usually requires the presence of gutters along the entire perimeter of the swimming pool, or with very few interruptions, so that the surface water can be uniformly distributed by such system when it is extracted from the swimming pool to be sent to a centralized filtration system. Florida regulations even require at least 90% of the swimming pool perimeter to have gutters, and a skimmer for every 400 square feet of swimming pool area (for smaller swimming pools) to achieve uniform filtration of the water volume. The above scenario means that a swimming pool of 100,000 ft 2 (about 2 acres) and perimeter of 1,200 ft would require about 1,000 ft of huge gutters on at least 90% of the perimeter to achieve the same level of uniform filtration.

[0015] These regulatory and sanitary requirements result in very high costs associated with structures that accommodate and handle large swimming pools.

[0016] Therefore, there is a need for alternative structures and configurations in order to achieve the purification of the accommodation of large water bodies, thus enabling the safe realization of direct contact recreational purposes at lower capital and operating costs, and thus being able to provide large high transparency water bodies at lower costs than conventional swimming pools. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] In the drawings, identical elements are identified with identical reference numerals:

[0018] Figure 1A schematic bird's eye view of a water body with several make-up water pipes or inlets (5) and several renewal outlets or drain pipes (6) is shown, which creates "dead zones" (4) within the water body.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic bird's eye view of a water body according to an embodiment of the present invention with several make-up water pipes or inlets (5) and a large number of micro-leak points (31) distributed along the inner surface of the water body, which minimizes the creation of dead zones.

[0020] Figure 3A A structure comprising one make-up water pipe or inlet (5) and one renewal outlet or drain pipe (6) is shown, which creates an inefficient water renewal.

[0021] Figure 3B An equivalent structure is shown, but improved with an additional micro-renewal system (30) comprising a plurality of micro-leak points (31) that allow a more uniform water renewal to be provided and create a micro-leak flow (32).

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic side view of a conventional swimming pool (10) is shown, which complies with swimming pool regulations and has a plurality of floor inlets (11), a main drain (12), a skimmer (13) and a centralized filter (14).

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic embodiment of a low-cost structure (1) of the present invention is shown, showing a reduced number of floor inlets (21), a high-frequency simplified skimmer system (41), a simplified filter (24) and a micro-leak water flow (32) through the micro-leak points (31) of the micro-renewal system (30). The low-frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) is not shown.

[0024] Figure 6 A schematic embodiment of a low-cost structure (1) of the present invention is shown, wherein the structure (1) contains a water volume (2) and comprises a plurality of micro-leak points (31) within its inner surface, which allow water to be removed from the structure (1) as each micro-leak point (31) has an associated micro-leak point water flow (32) that removes water from the structure (1) and into the excavated soil or fill material (3). The low-frequency skimmer system (LFSS) is not shown.

[0025] Figure 7 An enlarged cross-section of an embodiment of the micro-renewal system (30) of the present invention is shown, wherein the micro-leak material (33) is a mesh material (34) and is used in the inner surface of the structure, which allows the creation of micro-leak points (31) to achieve a micro-leak flow (32) that removes water from the structure into the excavated soil or fill material (3).

[0026] Figure 8 A schematic bird's eye view showing the structure (1) of the present invention along with an embodiment of the low frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) and a drain water pipe (6).

[0027] Figure 9 A schematic side view showing an embodiment of the low frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) and an opening located above the water level.

[0028] Figure 10 A schematic enlarged side view showing an embodiment of the low frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) along with the reference heights hi, h2 and h3 representing the distance from the water level to the point of the weir opening, the height of the weir opening and the thickness of the weir upper structure respectively.

[0029] Figure 11 A schematic front view showing an embodiment of the LFSS (42) having four weir structures (43) positioned to open above the water level of the water volume (2). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention provides a low cost structure comprising a system and structural components that allows for containing and purifying water for direct contact recreational use at a lower cost than conventional swimming pools through a simplified and less expensive centralized filtration system. The present invention discloses a low cost structure having a surface of at least 3,000 m 2 and a water volume of at least 5,000 m 3 configured to contain and purify low turbidity water (2) of less than 2 NTU and suitable for direct contact recreational purposes.

[0031] As used herein, a simplified centralized filtration system refers to a system that uses fewer inlets, outlets, skimmers and / or filtration equipment than conventionally designed and operated swimming pools and, as such, is not intended to achieve the same recirculation pattern and / or filtration rate as a conventionally designed centralized swimming pool filtration system.

[0032] And, as used herein, a conventionally designed and operated swimming pool refers to a swimming pool designed and operated in accordance with the Florida Public Swimming Pool Regulations.

[0033] And, as used herein, effective filtration refers to the filtration of a water volume that reduces the formation of short circuits and dead zones within the water volume.

[0034] Further, as used herein, uniform filtration refers to the filtration of a conventionally designed and operated swimming pool in accordance with the Florida Public Swimming Pool Regulations.

[0035] The low cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) of the present invention is improved with a micro renewal system (30) and a dual frequency skimmer system (40) that includes a high frequency skimmer system (41) and a low frequency skimmer system (42). Thus, the structure of the present invention allows to contain and purify water suitable for direct contact for recreational purposes, improving this simplified low cost centralized filtration system, wherein the structure of the present invention comprises at least four elements and, in some preferred embodiments, combines all four elements:

[0036] A. Low cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) The centralized filtration system has fewer inlets, outlets, skimmers and filtration water volume rates compared to a conventional swimming pool as previously defined.

[0037] B. Water micro-updating system permanently operating (30) The micro renewal system allows the distribution of micro leak points (31) throughout the internal surface of the structure to allow the effective removal of water from the structure (1) and wherein the system is improved by using high quality supplemental water introduced into the structure to achieve partial water renewal through micro leak points (32). This system allows to increase the efficiency of the low cost simplified centralized filtration system (20).

[0038] C. High frequency skimmer system HFSS (41) The high frequency skimmer system allows to remove surface water from the structure (1) and has a reduced capacity design compared to a conventional swimming pool skimmer system.

[0039] D. Low frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) The low frequency skimmer system allows to remove water from the upper part of the water volume during rain events or renewal increased events and others and improves the use of the high frequency skimmer system.

[0040] The four components of the low cost structure of the present invention will be described in more detail in the following sections.

[0041] A. Low cost simplified centralized filtration system (20)

[0042] The low cost simplified centralized filtration system as described in the present invention refers to a centralized filtration system that has a simplified construction and capacity compared to a conventional swimming pool centralized filtration system as defined by the Public Swimming Pool Regulations of the State of Florida.

[0043] The simplified low cost centralized filtration system requires a smaller number of inlets (21) and outlets (22) to extract water from the structure and return water to the structure and a smaller filtration equipment (24) that allows to filter a smaller water volume compared to a conventional swimming pool centralized filtration system, as shown in the following table:

[0044]

[0045] In more detail, the simplified low cost centralized filtration system of the present invention comprises:

[0046] I. a plurality of outlets (22) for extracting water from the structure,

[0047] II. a simplified filtration device (23) configured to filter such water flow extracted through the outlets, and

[0048] III. an inlet (21) network for introducing the filtered water back into the structure

[0049] The plurality of outlets (22) for extracting water from the structure of the present invention is configured to extract water from the structure at a rate lower than the recirculation water volume of a public swimming pool based on Florida regulations.

[0050] In particular, the outlet network (22) is required to extract at least 30% less volume over a 24 hour period compared to the filtration rate required to evenly filter the entire volume of water four times a day in a conventional swimming pool centralized filtration system. For example, based on Florida public swimming pool regulations, a structure with a volume of 15,000m 3 requires at least four times a day to filter its entire water volume, which means that 60,000m 3 needs to be extracted from the structure and sent to the filtration system every day, resulting in a recirculation / filtration water volume of 2,500m 3 / h. On the other hand, compared to a conventional swimming pool filtration system, the present invention requires to extract and effectively filter at least 30% less volume over a 24 hour period, which means that the present invention needs to extract and effectively filter at least 30% less volume corresponding to a volume of at most 42,000m 3 per day (60,000m 3 - 0.3 x 60,000m 3 = 60,000m 3 - 18,000m 3 ), which corresponds to at most 1,750m 3 / h.

[0051] Therefore, the low cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) is capable of effectively filtering at least 30% less volume over a 24 hour period, which encompasses all values therein, including for example, about 40% less volume, about 50% less volume, about 60% less volume, about 70% less volume, about 80% less volume, about 90% less volume, or less than the filtration rate required to evenly filter the entire volume of water four times a day.

[0052] The low-cost simplified filtration system (20) generally includes at least one filtration device (24) and at least one pumping device (25) and is configured to filter a reduced water flow drawn through the outlet (22) as previously described. Compared to the traditional filtration rate of a public swimming pool in Florida, drawing a reduced water flow from the structure effectively filters at least 30% less volume, which allows for a significant reduction in costs given the less complex piping network, valves, pumps, and other elements associated with the outlet.

[0053] Also, the number of floor inlets of the present invention is defined as at least 30% less than the number of floor inlets required by the Florida regulations. As previously described, in the Florida public swimming pool regulations, floor inlets are required to cover a total area of about 400 ft 2 per inlet, with a distance between the floor inlets not to exceed 20 ft, to achieve uniform distribution of water with additives and also effective filtration.

[0054] In another aspect, the number of inlets required by the present invention is at least 30% less than the number of floor inlets required by the Florida swimming pool regulations. Thus, the number of floor inlets of the present invention is defined as at least 30% less than the number of floor inlets required by the Florida regulations, and encompasses any number of inlets therein, such as 40% less, 50% less, 60% less, 70% less, 80% less, or 90% less than the number of floor inlets required by the Florida swimming pool regulations. As a numerical example, if the Florida public swimming pool regulations require a total of 250 floor inlets, then the present invention can include a number of floor inlets within 0 to 175 inlets, including having 170 inlets, or 150 inlets, or 125 inlets, or 100 inlets, or 75 inlets, or 50 inlets, or 25 inlets, among other numbers of inlets.

[0055] Given a minimum water surface of 3,000 m 2 , the minimum number of floor inlets (21) of the present invention is defined as 15 floor inlets, which is calculated as follows:

[0056] - Number of floor inlets (21) required by a traditional swimming pool based on the Florida public swimming pool regulations = 75 floor inlets

[0057] - At least 80% less inlets = 75 - 0.8 x 75 = 75 - 60 = 15 floor inlets

[0058] As shown in Table 1, as a reference, according to a simple calculation of dividing the total surface area by the maximum coverage area per inlet (100,000 ft2 / 400 ft2), about 100,000 ft 2A swimming pool of about 2.3 acres (about 2.3 acres) would require at least 250 bottom inlets, and therefore, for the same structure, the present invention would require 175 or less inlets. In this case, any number of inlets within the range of 15 to 175 bottom inlets would be within the range of the number of bottom inlets of the present invention.

[0059] The minimum number of inlets (21) is the one necessary to achieve a minimum distribution that allows the low-cost structure (1) of the present invention to implement a simplified filtration system that is complemented by a water micro-renewal system.

[0060] It is important to note that in a conventional swimming pool system, the inlets are only part of the problem, since the inlets need to be connected to a piping network, have their own support structure, contain valves and connectors, and have their hydraulic connection with the pumping elements, and therefore, reducing the number of inlets allows reducing the complexity and cost of the associated piping network and pumping elements.

[0061] B. Water micro-updating system

[0062] The water micro-renewal system (30) is an improvement to the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) that allows providing a substantially permanent and more uniform water renewal to the water volume contained within the structure (1), which is caused by the micro-leakage of water through the internal surface of the structure.

[0063] When, as in the present invention, a low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) with fewer inlets than the conventional centralized filtration system of a swimming pool is used, this simplified centralized filtration is not as effective as a conventional design swimming pool that requires and uses a large number of inlets to provide a uniform filtration of the water volume. Therefore, this system needs to be improved with a water renewal system in order to still achieve an effective filtration of the water volume. However, if the low-cost simplified centralized filtration is complemented, for example, by a renewal system with only a few complementary water pipes or inlets (5) and a few renewal outlets or discharge pipes (6), the water renewal would be very inefficient and would generate a large number of dead zones, as Figure 1 shown in the bird's eye perspective of the water volume.

[0064] On the other hand, the innovative water micro-renewal system of the present invention comprises several bottom inlets (21) and a plurality of micro-leakage points (31) that allow generating a more uniform and permanent water renewal from the structure. This more uniform water renewal achieves an efficient water renewal without generating a large number of dead zones, as Figure 2 shown in the bird's eye perspective of the water volume with several inlets (21) and a plurality of micro-leakage points (31) that allow achieving a uniform renewal.

[0065] Figure 3 shows a similar comparison, where,Figure 3A A side view of a structure with only one supplementary water pipe or inlet (5) and one renewal outlet or discharge pipe (6) is shown, while Figure 3B An embodiment with multiple micro-leakage points (31) is shown.

[0066] It is therefore important to improve the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) with a micro-renewal system (30) with multiple micro-leakage points (31) whose purpose is to provide a more uniform water renewal, which improves the effectiveness of the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20).

[0067] Micro-leakage refers to the leakage of small water flows through the inner surface of the structure containing the water body, which can be achieved by using a system and / or material that generates multiple micro-leakage points (31) distributed throughout the inner surface of the structure, which are referred to herein as micro-leakage elements.

[0068] Micro-leakage points (31) refer to areas within the inner surface of the water body in which there is a hydraulic connection between the volume of water contained in the structure and the soil or filling material under the structure. Preferably, the micro-leakage points (31) are located throughout the inner surface of the structure in contact with the excavated soil (3). In another embodiment, the micro-leakage points (31) are located throughout the inner surface of the structure in contact with the filling material.

[0069] In the present invention, the volume of water removed from the structure by micro-leakage is preferably lower than the volume of water filtered by the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20).

[0070] As a reference, and in certain embodiments, the micro-leakage water flow removed from the structure through the micro-leakage points (31) is estimated to be at least 30% less compared to the volume of water filtered by the simplified low-cost centralized filtration system (20).

[0071] It is important that the soil or filling material under the structure (3) should have a sufficiently large permeability coefficient so that, assuming that such soil or filling material (3) can continuously receive water from the micro-leakage points (31), there is no significant accumulation of water under the structure that could affect the integrity of the structure. The soil under the structure can have different types of permeability, which can be classified as:

[0072] - Low permeability: soil with a hydraulic conductivity coefficient less than 1 x 10 -7 cm / s

[0073] - Medium permeability: soil with a hydraulic conductivity coefficient between 1 x 10 -3 and 1 x 10 -7 cm / s

[0074] - High permeability: soil with a hydraulic conductivity coefficient greater than 1 x 10-3 cm / s of soil

[0075] The type of soil under the structure and the solution used under the micro-leak element is configured to allow water to pass through without creating a significant amount of standing water directly under the micro-leak element, which can have a structural and / or aesthetic impact on the structure.

[0076] Given their use, installation or placement within the inner surface of a body of water, the micro-leak points (31) can be created by using micro-leak materials and / or systems (33) that do not 100% stagnate or create cracks or openings within the inner surface and thus create a plurality of points that create micro-leaks, herein referred to as micro-leak points (31).

[0077] In embodiments of the invention, the micro-leak points (31) can be created by using a mesh or grid element and a set of valves to achieve uniform micro-leakage from the inner surface of the structure.

[0078] The micro-leak materials and systems (33) include materials with a grid configuration that are used to contain water in the structure and allow water to pass through. The micro-leak materials can include mesh materials (34), using woven geotextiles, mesh materials, fabric materials, textile materials, plastic materials, thermoplastic materials, membranes or combinations thereof. The micro-leak materials (33) create points and can be looped, attached, knitted, heat sealed, induction heat sealed, twisted or knotted so that there are intersections that create a plurality of micro-leak points within such materials. As a further alternative, the micro-leak materials (33) include the use of materials that include cracks, weld points or joints that create leaks or materials that have perforations.

[0079] The micro-refresh system (30) of the invention allows for the improvement of a low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) as it creates water refreshment in smaller scale but uniformly distributed in the inner surface of the structure, thus facilitating a more uniform refreshment. The micro-refresh system (30) is more efficient than traditional water refreshment that has only a few discharge points and a water replenishment inlet, which creates channels and dead zones (as shown in Figure 1 This micro-refresh system (30) improves the simplified low-cost centralized filtration system (20) creating a low-cost efficient filtration system that allows for the purification of water with much lower capital and operational costs than traditional swimming pool systems.

[0080] The micro-leak points (31) allow for the creation of water flow that is removed from the structure through these points. In embodiments of the invention, the micro-leak water flow is between 0.1 and 0.5 liters per second per hectare of the inner surface of the structure exposed to the volume of water.

[0081] The micro-leak points (31) should be periodically cleaned with a cleaning device so that they do not clog or block and hinder their micro-leak water flow. The avoidance of such micro-leak points (31) clogging should be checked and such micro-leak points should be periodically cleaned to avoid hindering their micro-leak ability. The micro-leak points (31) can not be clogged by removing clogging deposits manually or in an automatic way, by a brush cleaning system, by a vacuum-based device that sucks potential clogging deposits and particles from the micro-leak points and their surfaces, and other ways. The cleaning of the micro-leak points avoids their clogging and / or blocking.

[0082] The micro-updating system (30) allows to improve the effect of the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) and thus to promote a more homogeneous updating. For example, as shown in Figure 4 the conventional swimming pool centralized filtration system draws water from the swimming pool skimmer (13) and through the main drain (12), sends these waters to the centralized filter (14), and then returns the filtered water through a large number of inlets (11) calculated and distributed according to the regulations to achieve the swimming pool filtration rate. Now, as shown in Figure 5 the present invention provides a low-cost simplified centralized filtration system with a smaller number of inlets (21) and with smaller filtration equipment (24) compared to conventional swimming pools, this system is improved by the micro-updating system that includes a plurality of micro-leak points (31) in the entire inner surface of the structure and allows to provide a micro-leak water flow (32) through these points.

[0083] C. Use of high frequency simplified skimmer system (HFSS)

[0084] Although the micro-updating system (30) allows to improve the purification of the water, since it increases the water updating compared to the use of the simplified centralized filtration system only, this micro-updating system (30) is not directed to the purification or treatment of the water portion that is closer to the surface water body structure, which is an important portion that directly contacts the recreational facility.

[0085] As mentioned before, the conventional swimming pools require the use of a skimmer system that is usually expensive and complex, since usually the swimming pool regulations require that 100% of the conventional defined swimming pool recirculation water flow can be treated by the skimmer. Therefore, the skimmer system of the conventional swimming pools requires a large number of skimmers or basins that almost surround the entire perimeter of the swimming pool to achieve the proper recirculation and skimming of the surface water volume of the swimming pool to send these waters to the centralized filtration system.

[0086] In another aspect, the present invention utilizes a high frequency skimmer system (HFSS) (41) that allows for removal of water from the surface of the volume (2) contained within the structure (1) (comprising the upper layer of the volume of water in contact with the skimmer), wherein such HFSS (41) has a simplified configuration as compared to conventional swimming pool skimmer systems as described below in relation to part (a).

[0087] Generally, conventional swimming pool skimmer systems generally must be designed and configured to draw the entire recirculation / filtration water flow from the swimming pool and be able to deliver such water flow to the filtration system. The skimmer system must be designed and calculated to be able to handle the total water flow that needs to be filtered from the conventional swimming pool, which is caused by the total water volume being filtered four times a day.

[0088] In another aspect, the high frequency skimmer system (HFSS) of the present invention uses a simplified design wherein the skimmer is positioned and configured to draw at least 30% less volume over a 24 hour period as compared to the draw rate required to evenly filter the entire volume of water four times a day in a conventional swimming pool centralized filtration system.

[0089] The high frequency skimmer system (HFSS) can be positioned and configured to draw said at least 30% less volume over a 24 hour period and this encompasses all values therein, including for example, at least 40% less, at least 50% less, at least 60% less, at least 70% less, at least 80% less, or at least 90% less volume over a 24 hour period as compared to the draw rate required to evenly filter the entire volume of water four times a day in a conventional swimming pool centralized filtration system.

[0090] For example, based on public swimming pool regulations in Florida, a structure with a volume of 15,000 m3 needs to filter its entire volume of water at least 4 times a day, which means that 60,000 m3 needs to be drawn from the structure and delivered to the filtration system each day, resulting in a recirculation / filtration water volume of 2,500 m3 / h. Therefore, such structure would require a skimmer system capable of drawing 100% of such water flow through skimmers located in the perimeter of the structure.

[0091] In another aspect, the present invention requires the HFSS (41) to be configured to be able to draw at least 30% less volume over a 24 hour period as compared to a conventional swimming pool system and therefore the present invention would require the HFSS (41) to be configured to be able to draw at most 1,750 m 3 / h of water through the skimmers. This in turn allows for a significant reduction in cost in the number and configuration of skimmers required to draw such reduced water flow from the structure given the less complex piping network and other factors associated with the skimmer system.

[0092] The HFFS (41) sends the removed water to a low cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) to treat and / or filter the water before returning it to the structure. As described in the following table, based on regulatory requirements, the HFSS uses a simplified skimmer system compared to the traditional skimmer system of a swimming pool:

[0093]

[0094] D. Use of low frequency skimmer system (LFSS)

[0095] As shown in FIGS. Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 , the present application also includes a low frequency skimmer system, LFSS (42), which removes water from the surface and / or upper portion of the water body at a lower frequency than the HFSS on a planned or specific basis. The LFSS preferably operates during rain events where increased water volume enters the structure and thus the low frequency skimmer system (42) is used to provide increased turnover by adding rain water to the system which helps to improve the effectiveness of the high frequency simplified skimmer system. The low frequency skimmer system (42) is able to remove water from the water body during specific events such as storm events or during determined turnover increased events as described in the following paragraphs.

[0096] The use of the low frequency skimmer system (42) allows for an additional water turnover source from the water surface or upper layer of the water surface which is generally unaffected or minimally affected by the micro turnover of the water. In this sense, the LFSS (42) also helps to improve the use of the high frequency simplified skimmer system (41) by providing increased water turnover during events for certain time periods by removing water located in the upper portion of the water body.

[0097] The low frequency skimmer system (42) is generally used during storm or rain events which cause the water level of the water body to rise to a predetermined level where the water must be drained. Also, the low frequency skimmer system (42) can also be used during high turnover events where a larger supplemental water flow enters the water structure to achieve a higher turnover rate where the low frequency skimmer operates by removing water from the structure which allows for an "open" circulation where supplemental water is introduced into the structure and water in the surface is removed from the structure.

[0098] It is important to emphasize that the low frequency skimmer system (42) does not simply overflow from the structure into its surrounding environment, which would be the natural occurrence during a storm event if water continues to fall into the structure such that the volume of water entering the structure exceeds the free space volume and no other means is used to remove it from the structure. The present invention requires the presence of a water flow that mixes and moves the water volume in the upper layer of the water volume in order to achieve an effective renewal of the upper layer of the water body and thus simple overflow into the surrounding environment of the structure can not achieve this purpose.

[0099] As used herein, the free space volume is the volume of water that the structure can hold in addition to its designed water volume. The free space volume can change depending on the water level and its change over time. The present invention requires a minimum free space volume such that the minimum free space distance between the water level and the topmost holding structure of the water volume is at least 5 cm.

[0100] The use of the low frequency skimmer system (42) improves the effect of the high frequency simplified skimmer system (41) in order to remove the water volume from the upper section of the structure comprising the upper layer of water and allows removal of the surface layer water as needed.

[0101] The low frequency skimmer system (42) of the present invention can not be hydraulically connected to a low cost simplified centralized filtration system, but the water extracted by the low frequency skimmer system can be removed from the structure. This water removed by the low frequency skimmer system (42) is preferably disposed of, in contrast to the low cost simplified centralized filtration system that returns filtered water to the structure. However, this water can also be used for irrigation purposes, infiltration purposes or other purposes, including using this water for filtration and treatment before use for recreational purposes, etc.

[0102] The low frequency skimmer system (42) can have a peripheral weir configuration, an overflow structure, a peripheral opening structure located in at least a portion of the periphery of the structure or a combination thereof. In general, the LFSS (42) configuration is designed based on precipitation data and IDF curves (Intensity, Duration, Frequency curves) for the specific location where the structure is located and the characteristics of the soil under the structure of the water body. The characteristics of the soil under the structure are determined depending on geotechnical engineering studies that determine the ability of water to penetrate and infiltrate the soil. Further, the runoff coefficient, i.e. the calculated amount of water that directly falls on the surface of the water structure (direct reception of water), must also be considered. Other variables and calculation methods can also be used to determine the parameters and configuration of the LFSS (42). With these variables, at least one storage curve (SC) is determined which indicates the amount of water that the structure can hold and the rate of holding water and removing water from the structure. Based on experience and evaluation of the rate of removal from the structure, the LFSS is generally designed to be able to remove the water flow from the structure.

[0103] In embodiments of the present invention, the LFSS (42) comprises a weir structure (43) as shown in Figure 11 The weir length is generally determined by using levelling methods. In this case, the weir structure (43) is shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10 , which show a weir structure (43) containing 'n' number of openings, each having a length 'b' and height 'h2'. These openings are located at a height 'hi' from the average design water level. Once the water passes the hi distance, the LFSS will start its operation and remove water from the structure.

[0104] In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the LFSS comprises at least one weir structure (43) whose purpose is to enable removal of water from the structure. In further embodiments of the present invention, the weir structure (43) comprises at least two openings for safety and discharge purposes. In this case, the weir structure is generally located within the perimeter wall of the structure so that the openings can be easily seen and cleaned when required.

[0105] The low frequency skimmer system (42) is designed to achieve discharge of water during a determined event in order to improve the efficiency of the high frequency simplified skimmer system (41), wherein the skimmer operation rate is defined as the ratio of the operating hours of the HFSS to the operating hours of the LFSS in a 30 day period.

[0106]

[0107] The skimmer operation rate (SOR) is the result of the operating hours of the HFSS divided by the operating hours of the LFSS in a 30 day period and can be calculated from the average hours of operation of each skimmer system. The SOR is defined as at least 30, which means that the operating time of the HFSS is at least 10 times the operating time of the LFSS.

[0108] For example, if the LFSS operates for 7 hours in a 30 day period, then the HFSS is required to operate for at least 70 hours in a 30 day period.

[0109] If the operating hours of the LFSS in a 30 day period is 0, then the operating hours of the HFSS is required to be at least 180.

[0110] Supplemental water increased addition

[0111] The use of the micro-renovation system requires the addition of supplementary water to the structure increased to maintain the water level in the structure within the predetermined design range. In this sense, the supplementary water flow must be higher than the natural evaporation water flow of the water contained in the structure, as described in the following equation:

[0112] Supplementary water flow > Evaporation flow + Micro-renovation flow

[0113] where the supplementary water flow is expressed in m3 / h and is at least equal to the sum of the water flows from:

[0114] - Evaporation flow = average natural evaporation water flow of the water volume inside the structure, measured in m3 / h 3

[0115] - Micro-renovation flow = average water flow removed from the structure by the micro-renovation system of the structure, where this water flow is lost from the structure through a plurality of micro-leakage points and is measured in m3 / h

[0116] Therefore, the low-cost structure comprises a supplementary water system that, together with the rest of the elements of the system, allows to contain and purify water to achieve a large direct contact recreational water body with high transparency, where the structure has a lower cost and less complex construction than traditional swimming pool systems, mainly because of the lower number of inlets used throughout the structure, as well as smaller pipe networks and associated equipment and elements. It is important to note that the inlets associated with the low-cost structure of the invention can include any type of inlet configured to introduce water into the structure, which can include bottom inlets, supplementary water inlets, renovation inlets, pool wall inlets, among others. In addition, the same inlet can be used to introduce supplementary water and water (which can be mixed with chemicals) into the structure in order to provide an efficient construction of the inlet.

[0117] The low-cost structure of the invention comprises a low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) improved with a micro-renovation water system (30) and a high-frequency skimmer system (41) and a low-frequency skimmer system (42) in order to achieve high-quality water.

[0118] The use of the low-cost structure of the invention allows to obtain high-quality water suitable for direct contact recreational purposes, containing water with a transparency lower than 2 NTU.

[0119] As used in this application, the low-cost structure (1) of the invention refers to a structure that does not comprise a full concrete shell covering the entire inner surface of the structure, as is usually used in traditional swimming pools.

[0120] ​Furthermore, the low cost structure of the present invention is intended to be applied in relatively calm water with natural internal flow and mixing due to the low cost centralized filtration system, but not for bodies of water with very high mixing rates and water level variations, such as surfing or wave pools containing artificial wave generating equipment.

[0121] In more detail, the low cost structure (1) of the present invention comprises elements and configurations intended to provide a safe environment for swimming, containing the use of inclined entrances into the structure and artificial beach areas in the surrounding environment of the structure. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the use of beach areas is adjacent to at least one inclined entrance into the structure.

[0122] It is estimated that the system of the present invention can be 20% to 80% cheaper than a conventional swimming pool designed according to the public swimming pool regulations of the state of Florida, and the operating costs are up to 80% less than the operating costs associated with the energy used for the filtration system of a conventional swimming pool.

[0123] Elements of the structure

[0124] As described above, according to one embodiment disclosed herein, there is provided a low cost structure (1) having a surface of at least 3,000 m 2 and a volume of at least 5,000 m 3of volume to accommodate and purify low turbidity water of less than 2 NTU and suitable for direct contact recreational purposes, wherein the structure comprises: a low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) that filters a volume of water (2) of the body of water and requires less inlet and lower filtration rate compared to a traditional swimming pool designed and built according to the Florida public swimming pool regulations, wherein: the number of bottom inlets (21) is at least 30% less than the number of inlets of a traditional swimming pool, the structure has at least 15 bottom inlets (21); the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20) is able to effectively filter at least 30% less volume than a traditional swimming pool in a 24-hour period; a permanently operating micro-refreshment system (30) that allows water to micro- leak through a plurality of micro-leakage points (31) located in the internal surface of the structure (1), wherein the total micro-leakage volume refers to the total volume of water removed from the structure through these micro-leakage points (31) and is lower than the volume of water filtered by the simplified low-cost centralized filtration system (20), and wherein the plurality of micro-leakage points (31) are distributed throughout the internal surface of the structure (1) in contact with the soil or filling material (3) below the structure, a dual-frequency skimmer system (40) comprising at least: a high-frequency simplified skimmer system HFSS (41) that periodically removes surface water from the structure (1) and sends this removed water to the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system (20); a low-frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) that removes surface water from the structure (1) during high refreshment events such as, for example, rain events or increased addition of make-up water, wherein the LFSS is located within a section of the perimeter of the structure; wherein the dual-frequency skimmer system (40) has a skimmer operating rate (SOR) of at least 10, wherein the SOR represents the ratio of the operating hours of the HFSS (41) to the operating hours of the LFSS (42) in a 30-day period, as follows:

[0125]

[0126] a make-up water system that allows the introduction of a higher flow of water than the water lost by natural evaporation of the body of water, in addition to the water removed from the structure by the micro-refreshment system, wherein the make-up water system is able to provide a flow of water given the following equation:

[0127] Make-up water flow > Evaporation flow + Micro-refreshment flow

[0128] According to other embodiments, the low-cost structure can comprise one or more of the following additional features:

[0129] First, the low-cost structure can include elements and configurations aimed at providing a safe environment for swimming selected from a group comprising at least one of the following: a sloped entry into the structure or the use of artificial beach areas in the surrounding environment of the structure.

[0130] Second, the low-cost structure can include beach area(s) contiguous to at least one sloped entry into the structure.

[0131] Third, the low-cost structure can include a low-cost simplified centralized filtration system comprising a plurality of outlets for extracting water from the structure; a simplified filtration system configured to filter such water flow extracted through the outlets, and; an inlet (21) network for introducing filtered water back into the structure.

[0132] Fourth, the low-cost structure can be configured wherein the outlet network is configured to extract water from the structure at a rate lower than the recirculation water volume of a public swimming pool based on the Florida public swimming pool regulations.

[0133] Fifth, the low-cost structure can be configured wherein the low-cost simplified centralized filtration system is capable of effectively filtering less than at least 40% of the volume, or less than at least 50% of the volume, or less than at least 60% of the volume, or less than at least 70% of the volume, or less than at least 80% of the volume, or less than at least 90% of the volume, or less than four times per day evenly filtering the entire volume of water required filtration rate over a 24-hour period.

[0134] Sixth, the low-cost structure can be configured wherein the total number of inlets is less than at least 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% of the number required by the Florida public swimming pool regulations.

[0135] Seventh, the low-cost structure can be configured wherein the simplified filtration system comprises at least one filtration device (24) and at least one pump (26) and is configured to filter the water flow extracted from the structure through the outlets (22).

[0136] Eighth, the low-cost structure can be configured wherein the micro-refresh system (30) allows for a more uniform and persistent water refresh from the structure (1) which enables an efficient water refresh without creating large dead zones.

[0137] Ninth, the low-cost structure can be configured wherein the micro-leakage points (31) are created by using a mesh or grid element and a set of valves to achieve uniform micro-leakage from the inner surface of the structure.

[0138] Table 1: List of reference numbers

[0139]

Claims

1. A structure for containing a body of water, the structure having a depth of at least 3,000 m 2 Surface and at least 5,000m 3 The volume is sufficient to purify the water body with low turbidity (less than 2 NTU) and is suitable for direct contact recreational purposes, wherein... The structure includes: - A simplified centralized filtration system (20) filters a certain volume of water (2) in the water body, wherein: - The simplified centralized filtration system (20) includes multiple bottom inlets (21), the number of which is at least 30% less than the number of bottom inlets in a conventional swimming pool, where the total area of ​​each bottom inlet is 400 ft. 2 The simplified centralized filtration system (20) has at least 15 bottom inlets (21); - This simplified centralized filtration system (20) effectively filters at least 30% less volume of water over a 24-hour period than a conventional swimming pool filtration system that filters the entire volume of water four times over 24 hours. - A permanently operating micro-renewal system (30) that allows water to leak through multiple micro-leakage points (31) located on the inner surface of the structure (1), wherein the total micro-leakage volume refers to the total volume of water removed from the structure through these micro-leakage points (31) and is less than the volume of water filtered by the simplified centralized filtration system (20), and wherein the multiple micro-leakage points (31) are distributed throughout the entire inner surface of the structure (1), which is in contact with the soil or filling material (3) beneath the structure. - A dual-frequency skimmer system (40), which includes at least: - A high-frequency simplified skimmer system (HFSS) (41) that periodically removes surface water from the structure (1) and sends the removed water to the simplified centralized filtration system (20); - A low-frequency skimmer system (LFSS) (42) that removes surface water from the structure (1) during high renewal events, including rain events or increased makeup water addition, wherein the LFSS (42) is located in a section surrounding the structure. The dual-frequency skimmer system (40) has a skimmer operating rate (SOR) of at least 10, where SOR represents the ratio of the operating hours of the HFSS (41) to the operating hours of the LFSS (42) over a 30-day period, as shown below: - A replenishment water system, in addition to the water removed from the structure by the micro-renewal system (30), introduces a water flow rate into the water body that is higher than the volume of water lost through natural evaporation of the water body, wherein the replenishment water system is arranged and configured to provide a water flow rate given the following equation: Makeup water flow rate ≥ Evaporation flow rate + Micro-renewal flow rate.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The structure (1) includes elements and constructions that provide a safe environment for swimming, the elements and constructions being selected from the group consisting of at least one of the following: an inclined entrance to the structure, or an artificial beach area in the surrounding environment of the structure.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein, The use of the beach area is adjacent to at least one sloping entrance to the structure.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The simplified centralized filtration system (20) further includes: - Multiple outlets (22) for drawing water from the structure; and - A simplified filtration system (23) configured to filter the water flow drawn through the plurality of outlets (22).

5. The structure according to claim 4, wherein, The multiple outlets (22) are configured to extract water from the water body of the structure (1) at a lower rate than the rate at which the entire water volume is recirculated four times a day.

6. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The simplified centralized filtration system (20) is capable of effectively filtering at least 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% of the volume of water, or less than the filtration rate required to uniformly filter the entire volume of water four times a day, within a 24-hour period.

7. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The total number of bottom inlets (21) is at least 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% less than the number of bottom inlets in a conventional swimming pool, where the total area of ​​each bottom inlet is 400 ft. 2 .

8. The structure according to claim 4, wherein, The simplified filtration system (23) includes at least one filtration device (24) and at least one pump (26), and is configured to filter the flow rate of water drawn from the structure through these outlets (22).

9. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The micro-renewal system (30) allows for more uniform and persistent water renewal from the structure (1), thereby reducing dead zones in the water body.

10. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, These micro-leak points (31) are generated by using mesh or grid elements and a set of valves to achieve uniform micro-leakage from the inner surface of the structure (1).

11. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The micro-leak point (31) refers to the area within the inner surface of the water body in which the volume of water contained in the structure is hydraulically connected to the soil or filling material (3) below the structure.

12. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, These micro-leak points (31) transfer water from inside the structure to the soil or filling material (3) below the structure.

13. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, These micro-leak points (31) are located on the entire inner surface of the structure in contact with the soil or filling material (3) below the structure (1).

14. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, Compared to the volume of water uniformly filtered by the simplified centralized filtration system (20), the volume of water removed from the structure by the micro-renewal system (30) is at least 30% less.

15. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The permeability (hydraulic conductivity) of the soil or filling material (3) beneath the structure that receives water from these micro-leaks (31) is at least 1 × 10⁻⁶. -3 cm / s.

16. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The permeability (hydraulic conductivity) of the soil or filling material (3) beneath the structure that receives water from these micro-leaks (31) is 1 × 10⁻⁶. -3 Up to 1×10 -7 cm / s.

17. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The permeability (hydraulic conductivity) of the soil or filling material (3) beneath the structure that receives water from these micro-leaks (31) is less than 1 × 10⁻⁶. -7 cm / s.

18. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, Given their use, installation or placement within the inner surface of the water body, these micro-leaking points (31) are generated by using micro-leaking materials (33) and systems, and they do not 100% stagnate or create cracks or openings within the inner surface to achieve micro-leaking.

19. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The microleak points (31) are generated by using microleak materials, including mesh materials (34), woven geotextiles, mesh materials, fabric materials, textile materials, plastic materials, thermoplastic materials, membranes, or combinations thereof.

20. The structure according to claim 19, wherein, These micro-leaking materials are ring-shaped, attached, knitted, heat-sealed, induction heat-sealed, welded, twisted, fused, or knotted to allow for cross-linking.

21. The structure according to claim 19, wherein, These micro-leak points (31) include joints, cracks, welds, or perforations.

22. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The micro-leakage water flow rate is 0.1 to 0.5 liters per second per hectare of the inner surface of the structure (1) exposed to the water volume.

23. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, These micro-leak points (31) are periodically cleaned with a cleaning device so that they are not blocked or clogged and thus prevented from generating micro-leak water flow.

24. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, These micro-leak points (31) are periodically cleaned by means of manual or automatic cleaning, by brush cleaning systems, or by vacuum-based devices that extract potential clogging deposits and particles from these micro-leak points (31) and their surfaces.

25. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The high-frequency simplified skimmer system HFSS (41) is configured to remove at least 30% less water volume over a 24-hour period compared to conventional swimming pool systems.

26. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The low-frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) is not hydraulically connected to the simplified centralized filtration system (20).

27. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The low-frequency skimmer system LFSS(42) is selected from a perimeter weir structure, an overflow structure, a perimeter opening structure located in at least a portion of the perimeter of the structure, or a combination thereof.

28. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The structure requires a minimum free space volume such that the minimum free space distance between the top surface of the water body and the apex of the containing structure is at least 5 cm.

29. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The water removed by the low-frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) is disposed of.

30. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The water removed by the low-frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) is used for irrigation purposes, infiltration purposes, or for filtration and treatment before being used for recreational purposes.

31. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The low-frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) is designed to remove water from the water body based on precipitation data and rainfall IDF curves (intensity, duration, frequency curves) at the specific location of the structure and the characteristics of the soil or filling material (3) below the structure.

32. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The low-frequency skimmer system LFSS (42) is generally designed to remove water flow from the structure.

33. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, The LFSS (42) includes at least one weir structure (43) for the purpose of removing water from the structure.

34. The structure according to claim 33, wherein, For safety and discharge purposes, the weir structure (43) includes at least two openings.

35. The structure according to claim 1, wherein, If the LFSS(42) has 0 operating hours in a 30-day period, then the HFSS(41) is required to have at least 180 operating hours.

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