DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING CO2 FROM GROUND AIR INTO A SWIMMING POOL

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for supplying CO 2 from soil air into biologically treated water of a swimming pool with a pump-driven filter system that filters the water mechanically and has a pipe, the device comprising the following components: a soil drainage system to be laid in the unsaturated soil zone to absorb CO2-rich soil air, a soil air pipeline consisting of pipe sections that can be connected to the soil drainage system, a watertight container to accommodate pipe sections of the soil air pipeline, a venturi nozzle to be installed in the piping of the filter system, a float valve to be installed in the soil air pipeline that closes when water flows in from the soil drainage system, a check valve to be installed in the soil air pipeline that prevents water from flowing back from the floating system, a pipe section that runs through between the float valve and the check valve, a pipe section that is connected to the check valve and is to be connected to the venturi nozzle of the piping of the filter system.

[0002] To reduce algae growth and improve filter performance, carbon dioxide (CO2) is introduced into water that is to be biologically treated in swimming facilities such as swimming ponds or pools. One of the positive aspects of carbon dioxide is that it supplies any aquatic plants and biofilter systems with CO2. The CO2 is present in its pure, dissolved form, whereas otherwise the majority of the inorganic carbon in water with a pH value between 7.2 and 8.5 is present as carbonate or hydrogen carbonate. The dissolved form of CO2 advantageously reduces the pH of the water, which reduces the formation of limescale in lime-rich water in accordance with the lime-carbonic acid equilibrium. In addition, the CO2 dissolved in the water increases the sorptivity of anion exchange media.

[0003] In a known process for treating water in swimming pools, the water is mechanically and biologically purified. In a first water circuit, the pool water near the surface is mechanically purified or filtered. In a second water circuit, a biological filter retains turbidity in the pool water. The organic substances contained therein, as well as organic substances dissolved in the pool water, are mineralized by the activity of bacteria. In the process known from EP 2 282 974 B1, the water in the second water circuit first passes through the biological filter and then, for the adsorptive binding of phosphates, through a separate anion exchanger.

[0004] The positive effects of adding CO2 from soil air have been known for some time. For example, EP 0 928 776 B1 deals with a method and a device for reducing algae growth in natural or artificial bodies of water using CO2 from soil air. The device comprises an air collection system that can be installed in the ground, in particular consisting of perforated drainage pipes or hoses, at least one pump and supply hoses or pipes, as well as linear aerators that can be installed in the water of the swimming facility, for example in the form of perforated pipes or hoses.

[0005] A more advanced device corresponds to the type mentioned above and already includes a float valve, which closes when water flows in from the ground drainage system, and a check valve, which prevents water from flowing back from the swimming pool if necessary. While this known device prevents groundwater from penetrating the pool and / or water from the swimming pool from flowing back into the ground when the ground is temporarily saturated with water, such as after heavy rainfall, both the float valve and the check valve often remain permanently closed after the groundwater level drops and the filter system is restarted due to a negative pressure in the pipe section between the float valve and the check valve, requiring the pipeline in the area of ​​the float valve to be opened.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of ensuring that, in a device of the type mentioned at the outset, operation of the mechanical filter system with the introduction of CO 2 is possible again after a saturation event without separate manual intervention in the soil air pipeline.

[0007] The object is achieved according to the invention by a pressure compensation element to be installed in the pipe section between the float valve and the check valve for reducing a negative pressure compared to the pressure of the ambient air when the float valve and the check valve are closed.

[0008] According to the invention, a simple measure ensures that any negative pressure that develops between the closed float valve and the closed check valve is reliably and quickly relieved. The float valve and the check valve return to their original positions, so that when the filter system is restarted and the soil becomes unsaturated again, CO2 can be introduced into the water of the swimming pool.

[0009] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the pressure equalization element is a diaphragm valve with a water-impermeable gas membrane. The water-impermeable membrane prevents pressure equalization with water if the device is flooded and ensures particularly rapid pressure equalization with ambient air.

[0010] A particularly compact and practical design of the device is supported by the fact that the float valve and the check valve are installed in pipe sections located inside the container. In a particularly simple design of the check valve, this is a check valve or has a check valve.

[0011] The aforementioned compact and practical design of the device is further ensured by the fact that the float valve is positioned between two vertical pipe sections, the check valve is positioned in a horizontal pipe section connected via a 90° pipe bend, and the pressure compensation element is positioned in the area of ​​the pipe bend. In this context, it is also particularly advantageous if the Venturi nozzle is installed in a pipe section of the filter system's pipeline that runs through the container, particularly in a horizontal section.

[0012] The invention allows for various options for accommodating or arranging the device. In a particularly simple design, the container is a shaft built into the floor. In another design, which allows for easy pre-installation of the device components, the container is a plastic box.

[0013] The swimming facility preferably has a swimming pool or a swimming pond as the swimming area.

[0014] In a particularly simple design, the mechanically filtered water enriched with CO2-containing soil air can be fed directly into the swimming area of ​​the swimming facility. In another design, the mechanically filtered water enriched with CO2-containing soil air can be fed into a CO2 enrichment chamber connected to the swimming area. This chamber is filled to the same level as the water in the swimming area and is connected to the swimming area via one or more supply openings. In this design, CO2 dissolves in the water in the enrichment chamber, which some users of the swimming facility find more pleasant.

[0015] Further features, advantages and details of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the schematic drawing, which shows two embodiments. Fig. 1an embodiment of the arrangement of a device according to the invention in a swimming pool, Fig. 2 a further embodiment of the arrangement of a device according to the invention in a swimming pool, wherein in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the equipment is shown greatly enlarged in relation to the swimming pool, and Fig. 3 a section of the device comprising Fig. 1 in an even larger view.

[0016] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a swimming pool 1, which is constructed in a conventional manner, for example, as a concrete pool with a foil lining, and is filled with water. The water in the swimming pool 1 is biologically purified in a water circuit (not shown). Water near the surface is additionally mechanically purified and filtered in a further circuit using a pump-driven filter system.

[0017] In the examples shown, the pump-operated filter system has a conventional skimmer 2 connected to the swimming pool 1 close to the water surface, with a sieve 2a located within the skimmer 2 or, alternatively, a filter basket for coarse filtering of the swimming pool water. A submersible pump 3 is positioned at the bottom of the skimmer 2, which, when the filter system is in operation, transports swimming pool water into a pipe 4, which is laid in particular in the ground. The pump 3 can be accommodated at another point in the filter system in the pipe system, for example in a separate pump shaft installed in the ground. A pipe section 4a of the pipe 4 opens into the swimming pool 1 opposite the skimmer 2 via at least one inlet opening 4b. The pipe section 4a passes orpasses through a watertight container that usually contains ambient air, in particular, and as the figures show, a shaft 5 installed in the ground, or alternatively, a box that is either freely positioned or positioned in another shaft, for example, a submersible pump shaft. A Venturi nozzle 6 is installed within the shaft 5 in the end section 4a.

[0018] The water pressure or operating pressure of the filter system is adjusted and regulated by means of a ball valve (not shown), which is also installed within the shaft 5 in the end section 4a, and a pressure gauge (not shown) indicates the applied pressure.

[0019] As in particular Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 combined with Fig. 3show that components of a device for enriching the water in the swimming pool with CO2 are housed or installed in the shaft 5. A pipe section 7a of a soil air pipeline 7 is connected through the shaft wall to a soil drainage system 8 comprising perforated pipes or hoses belonging to the device. The soil drainage system 8 is laid in the surrounding soil in the unsaturated soil zone, i.e. above the groundwater surface, and guides soil air into the soil air pipeline 7 at a uniform gradient. The soil air serves as a natural and permanently available source of CO2, since in naturally grown soils covered with plants it typically has a CO2 concentration that is 5 to 20 times higher than that of atmospheric air.

[0020] Within the shaft 5, the soil air pipeline 7 initially has vertically extending pipe sections 7b adjoining the pipe section 7a, between which a float valve 9 is installed. The float valve 9 closes upon contact with water, i.e., when soil water flows in from the ground via the soil drainage system 8 due to temporary water saturation. A pressure equalization element 10, in particular a diaphragm valve with a water-impermeable gas membrane, is installed in a 90° pipe bend 7c adjoining the upper pipe section 7b. A further, in particular horizontally extending pipe section 7d is connected to the pipe bend 7c, in which a non-return valve 11 is installed in such a way that water penetrating from the swimming pool 1 cannot flow further through.This is followed by another 90° pipe bend 7e and then a vertical pipe section 7f, which runs towards the bottom of the shaft 5 and opens into the Venturi nozzle 6. During operation of the filter system, the Venturi nozzle 6 thus creates a negative pressure in the soil air pipe 7 and the soil drainage system 8, which is compensated by the suction of soil air, so that swimming pool water enriched with CO2-enriched air flows into the water in the swimming pool during the operating time of the filter system.

[0021] If the soil is temporarily saturated with water, for example due to heavy rain, water penetrates through the soil drainage system 8 into the soil air pipe 7 of the device, the float valve 9 closes and the inflow of soil water into the swimming pool 1 is prevented. If the filter system is in operation, the water flowing into the soil air pipe 7 from the swimming pool 1 when the pump 3 of the filter system is switched off closes the check valve 11. Without the pressure compensation element 10, a negative pressure would remain between the float valve 9 and the check valve 11, which would keep both the float valve 9 and the check valve 11 permanently closed, even after the soil water level has dropped and the pump 3 of the filter system has started up again. The pressure compensation element 10 ensures that the negative pressure existing between the float valve 9 and the check valve 11 is reduced.A diaphragm valve as a pressure equalization element 10 ensures particularly rapid and reliable pressure equalization within a few minutes with the ambient air present in the shaft 5. The water-impermeable gas membrane prevents pressure equalization with water if the shaft is filled with water or flooded. Once pressure equalization has occurred with the filter system switched off, the float valve 9 can reopen, provided there is no more water in the floor drainage system 8 or in the ground, and the entire filter system can resume normal operation while the non-return valve 11 remains open.

[0022] At the Fig. 2In the embodiment shown, the filtered swimming pool water enriched with CO2-containing air does not flow directly back into the swimming pool 1, but into a CO2 enrichment chamber 12 connected to the swimming pool. The CO2 enrichment chamber 12 is filled with swimming pool water to the same level and is connected to the swimming pool 1 via one or more supply openings 12a.

[0023] The pressure compensation element 10, hence the diaphragm valve, can be one of the relevant products freely available on the market. Instead of a check valve, another check valve can be installed. List of reference symbols

[0024] 1Swimming pool 2Skimmer 2aSieve 3Pump 4Pipe 4aPipe section 4bInlet opening 5Shaft 6Venturi nozzle 7Soil air pipe 7a, 7b, 7d, 7fPipe section 7c, 7e90° bend 8Soil drainage system 9Float valve 10Pressure equalization element 11Check valve 12CO 2 enrichment chamber 12aFeed opening

Claims

1. Device for supplying CO2 from soil air into biologically treated water of a swimming facility with a pump-operated filter system that filters the water mechanically and has a pipeline (4), wherein the device has the following components: a soil drainage system (8) to be installed in the unsaturated soil zone to absorb CO2-rich soil air, a soil air pipeline (7) which can be connected to the soil drainage system (8) and consists of pipe sections (7a to 7f), a watertight container (5) for accommodating pipe sections (7a to 7f) of the soil air pipeline (7), a Venturi nozzle (6) for installation in the pipeline (4) of the filter system, a float valve (9) for installation in the soil air pipeline (7), which closes when water flows in from the soil drainage system (8), a check valve (11) for installation in the soil air pipeline (7), which prevents water from flowing back from the swimming facility, a pipe section passing between the float valve (9) and the check valve (11), a pipe section (7f) adjoining the check valve (11) and to be connected to the Venturi nozzle (6) in the pipeline (4) of the filter system, characterized by a pressure compensation element (10) to be installed in the pipe section between the float valve (9) and the check valve (11) for reducing a negative pressure compared to the pressure of the ambient air when the float valve (9) and the check valve (11) are closed.

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pressure compensation element (10) is a diaphragm valve with a gas membrane impermeable to water.

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the float valve (9) and the check valve (11) are installed in pipe sections (7b, 7d) of the pipe located inside the container (5).

4. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the check valve (11) is a check flap.

5. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the float valve (9) is positioned between two vertically running pipe sections (7b), the check valve (11) is positioned in a horizontally running pipe section (7d) adjoining via a 90° pipe bend (7c) and the pressure compensation element (10) is positioned in the region of the pipe bend (7c).

6. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the Venturi nozzle (6) is installed in a pipe section (4a) of the pipeline (4) belonging to the filter system, which pipe section runs through the container (5), in particular horizontally.

7. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the container is a shaft (5) built into the ground.

8. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the container is a box made of plastic, into which the components of the device to be accommodated within the box can be pre-installed.

9. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the swimming facility has a swimming pool (1) or a swimming pond as a swimming area.

10. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mechanically filtered water enriched with CO2-containing soil air can be fed directly to the swimming area of the swimming facility.

11. Device according to one or more of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mechanically filtered water enriched with CO2-containing soil air can be fed to a CO2 enrichment chamber (12) connected to the swimming area, which is filled to the same level as the water of the swimming area and is connected to the swimming area via one or more feed openings (12a).