A system for cooling a body of water

Abstract

A system for cooling a body of water is provided. The system includes a housing (12) adapted to be mounted at a side of a body of water, wherein, when mounted, a lower portion of the housing (12) is submerged within the body of water and an upper portion of the housing (12) is exposed to atmosphere above a water surface of the body of water. At least one water inlet (16) is provided on the lower portion of the housing (12). A plurality of water outlets (18) are provided on the upper portion of the housing (12). A pump (14) is housed within the housing (12). The pump (14) causes water to flow from the body of water into the at least one inlet (16) and to the plurality of outlets (18), whereby the water is ejected into the atmosphere and transfers heat from the ejected water to the atmosphere in order to cool the ejected water, the cooled water landing on the surface of the body of water, thereby cooling the body of water.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR COOLING A BODY OF WATERTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for cooling a body of water (e.g. swimming pool, lagoon, pond, etc.) using heat transfer and evaporative cooling.BACKGROUND

[0002] The present invention relates generally to temperature control apparatus, systems and methods for controlling the temperature of a body of water. Embodiments of the technology can be applied to backyard swimming pools, Olympic swimming pools, aquaculture pools and enclosures, fish ponds, dams and the like.

[0003] Bodies of water, such as for example, swimming pools, often become unpleasantly hot during the wet / hot seasons, particularly in tropical regions. The elevated temperature of the water in the pools reduces the psychological and physiological benefits of bathing. Without those benefits, the pools remain underutilised. This system would also have application where aquaculture production is affected by excessive water temperature.

[0004] Heat transfer cooling is a known technique of cooling liquids. By exposing a liquid of a given temperature to atmospheric conditions of a lower temperature heat is transferred from the liquid to the atmosphere making the liquid cooler. This effect is enhanced by increasing the surface area of the liquid, by for example spraying the liquid to form droplets in the atmosphere. In the case of cooling a water body spraying water into the air above the water body when that air is cooler than the water body will result in cooling of the water body. This technique has been generally applied in both aquaculture and swimming pool cooling scenarios.

[0005] Evaporative cooling is also a known technique of cooling rooms, pools and atmospheres. In those known uses, a pump draws water from a body of water or someother water source, say, a pool, and sprays that water into an area of air above the surface of the pool or uses cooling tower system. The sprayed water forms droplets having increased surface area relative to that in the pool. At least some of each droplet, upon contact with the air, vaporises, releasing energy and reducing the temperature of the remainder of the sprayed droplet which then enters the water body causing a reduction in the temperature of that water body.

[0006] The above methods of cooling have never been incorporated into a system that exploits the opportunities for cooling in the high humidity, lower temperature night and also the high temperature, lower humidity day to optimise cooling while minimising energy used in pumping and water lost to evaporation. A lot of energy and water is wasted in these known deployments of evaporative or heat transfer coolers.

[0007] Existing methods of spraying of water droplets to facilitate cooling of a water body via heat transfer with the atmosphere and or evaporative cooling, do not provide adequate flow rates or optimal droplet size to cause significant cooling of the water body in hot and humid conditions.

[0008] Further, the deployment of existing systems is cumbersome and involved.

[0009] This means that the method of spraying water from a water body into the atmosphere above the water, where it cools before returning to reduce the temperature of the water body, is not widely used.

[0010] Some existing systems use a single spray head which results in a wide range of droplet sizes, low flow rate and poorly controlled distribution of the droplets across the surface of the water body. Other systems use multiple spray heads but do not create droplets with adequate surface area to volume ratios to achieve effective heat transfer or evaporative cooling.

[0011] A key constraint on all existing systems is achieving correct droplet size, high flow rate and a spray plume reasonably closely matched to the shape of the surface of the water body as this allows for the flow rate to be maximised.SUMMARY

[0012] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED

[0013] It is an aim and objective of the present invention to provide a cooling system which solves the problem of incorrect droplet size, flow rate inadequacy and ease of deployment. It allows for efficient and effective use of the principles of heat transfer and evaporative cooling to reduce the temperature of a water body.

[0014] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

[0015] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0016] According to preferred embodiments of the invention there is provided a system for cooling a body of water, the system including a housing adapted to be mounted at a body of water, wherein, when mounted, a lower portion of the housing is submerged within the body of water and an upper portion of said housing is exposed to atmosphere above a water surface of the body of water; at least one water inlet is provided on the lower portion of the housing; a plurality of water outlets are provided on the upper portion of the housing; a pump is housed within the housing; wherein, the pump causes water to flow from the body of water into the at least one inlet and to the plurality of outlets, whereby the water is ejected into the atmosphere and transfers heat from said ejected water to the atmosphere in order to cool the ejected water, the cooled water landing on the surface of said body of water, thereby cooling the body of water.

[0017] Preferably, the pump is housed within the lower portion of the housing and is submerged in use.

[0018] Preferably, the plurality of outlets are arranged to eject water at different angles relative to each other to form a plume of ejected water. Each outlet may be provided with an outlet nozzle, a characteristic of the outlet nozzle determining how far ejected water travels in the atmosphere before landing on the surface of said body of water; and each outlet is provided with a vent, the vent causing water flowing therethrough to rotate, thereby causing the ejected water to form water droplets. The outlet nozzle and vent are ideally provided in a modular unit which is adapted to be inserted into an outlet. The modular unit can be customised with selected outlet nozzle and vent in order to select the distance of travel and size of formed droplets of the water ejected from the outlet in which the modular unit is inserted. Each modular unit may be customised so that the plume of water ejected is in a selected form.

[0019] Preferably, the housing includes a mounting formation adapted to engage a solid surface adjacent a side of the body of water when mounting the housing.

[0020] Preferably, the system includes a controller for activating the pump only when a temperature of the atmosphere is below a select threshold or the body of water is above a selected threshold.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method for cooling a body of water employing the cooling system, the method including: a. determining a size and shape of the body of water; b. determining an ideal plume formation relative to a mounting position of the system to cause all ejected water to fall on the surface of the body of water; and c. customising modular units for insertion into each outlet to form the determined ideal plume formation.

[0022] Preferred embodiments advantageously allow the choosing from one of a range of non-adjustable units that would be best suited to the shape and size of the water body to be cooled.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0022] Figure 1 shows elevations and plan views of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0023] Figure 2 shows a 3 -dimensional view of the embodiment of figure 1;

[0024] Figure 3 is a more detailed view of the variety of angles of the outlets of the embodiment of figure 2;

[0025] Figure 4 shows the embodiment of Figure 1 mounted at a side of a body of water;

[0026] Figure 5 shows examples of different versions of modular units for insertion into the outlets of the embodiment of Figure 1.

[0027] Figures 6A, 6B and 6C shows how spray plume can be customised for various shaped bodies of water.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Embodiments of the invention solve the problems of inadequate flow rate, incorrect droplet size, difficult deployment and unsightliness of systems for cooling water bodies using spray jets to pump water from the water body into the atmosphere to achieve heat transfer and evaporative cooling effects.

[0029] Further by combining the pump and the spray head as one unit that is easily mounted on the edge of a water body, for example a swimming pool, and allowing for the spray head to form a spray plume of a controlled shape while also producing optimal droplet size within the plume the unit becomes easy to install. Further by using asubmersible pump greater volumes of water can more efficiently be used to achieve cooling effect and noise from the pump is minimised.

[0030] The design of the spray head allows for nozzles with a variety of spray plume characteristics to be placed at specific angles so as to form a larger spray plume which closely matches the shape of surface of the water body. By matching the surface flow rate through the spray head can be maximised. This allows for a greater cooling effect to be achieved in any given period of time. This is an important characteristic in very hot and or humid environments where the atmospheric temperature may only be low enough to achieve cooling in the water body for a short period of time. For example, atmospheric temperature may only get to 28 degrees centigrade for 3 hours during the night or early morning. If cooling is to be maximised in the body of water then the entire body of water must be pumped through the spray head and exchange heat to equalise temperature with the atmosphere during this 3 hour window. To achieve this the spray plume must be of maximum size without causing water to be lost by spraying outside the surface of the water body.

[0031] Existing uses of spray jets to achieve heat transfer or evaporative cooling of water bodies do not control the droplet size to optimise cooling and do not have adequate flow rates to optimise cooling.

[0032] Further the current invention can also be used with a computer control system to actuate the spraying effect when atmospheric conditions are most beneficial for cooling. This control unit uses information from sensors in and near the pool and data from an internet connection supplying meteorological information to optimise the performance of the system and to allow for remote control and management of water temperatures.

[0033] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and non-limiting examples.

[0034] The below diagrams show one form of the cooling unit with a number of positions for spray nozzles in fluid communication with the submersible pump also containedwithin the unit. This unit can then be attached to the edge of a swimming pool or similar water body.

[0035] Figure 1 Shows elevations and plan views of one version of the system 10. The system includes a housing 12 formed of any suitable material, such as plastic material, by any suitable manufacturing method, such a molding. A pump 14 is provided within the housing 12. A lower portion of the housing 12 is submerged in use. Intakes 16 are included in the lower portion. The intakes 16 draw water from the body of water under pressure from the pump 14. Outlets 18 are provided on an upper section of the housing 12. These outlets 18 are arranged at a variety of angles. In use, the upper portion of the housing 12 is exposed to atmosphere above the water level 28 of the body of water.

[0036] Figure 2 shows a 3 -dimensional view of the apparatus showing the submersible pump 14 inside the housing 12 and fluid conduits 20 leading from the pump to the outlets 18. Not shown are electrical leads powering the pump.

[0037] Figure 3 is a more detailed view of the variety of angles of the outlets 18.

[0038] A variety of nozzle types having different characteristics can be fixed into the outlets. Nozzles 24 may produce a plume 30 with full cone, hollow cone, wide angle, narrow angle. As shown in Figure 5, nozzles 24 are ideally provided in a modular unit 22 which is able to be inserted into an outlet 18. In the example shown, the unit has screw threading for mating with complementary threading arranged in the outlet 18; however, it will be appreciated that other forms of securing the unit can be employed. As shown, different units can provide the different nozzle types. As described later, this allows for customisation of the system to suit the environment of the body of water to be cooled.

[0039] In preferred embodiments, a flow passage of the modular unit can be adapted to promote rotation of water flowing therethrough. This promotes the formation of water drops of water exiting the nozzle. Variations can change the size of water drops formed. The adaptation may be in the form of a vent which can be inserted into the modular unit.Different forms of vents can be selected in accordance with the size of water drops which are required in use.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the system is designed to rest on or be located near the edge of the water body. The housing may include a protruding platform 26 for resting on the edge of the body of water. The housing may be mounted at other positions relative to the body of water, such as a central position. The pump 14 and inlets 16 sit below the water level 28 and the spray outlets 18 are above the water level. A spay head is formed by a chamber with a number 10,12,15,18,20,25,27,30 or some other number of outlets. These outlets 18 are positioned at a range of angles, the angle of the outlets 18 could be any angle that allows for water leaving the outlet 18 to fall back into the water body the water was pumped from. The outlets 18 are designed to accept spray nozzles unit 22. The spray nozzles used can form a spray plume 30 with any combination of cone angle and length. Some nozzles may generate a plume with a cone angle of 100 degree and a spray distance of 2.5 meters, other nozzles may generate a plume with a cone angle of 20 degrees and a distance of 6 meters. Still other nozzles will generate any number of other cone widths and distances. The nozzles used in the outlets may have various flow rates and generate droplets of generally different characteristics to suit the desired distance of travel. By selecting nozzles of particular characteristics and mounting them in outlets in the spray head of an appropriate angle it is possible to generate from the spray head a range of spray plume shapes to approximately match the surface of the water body. This larger plume 30 is composed of the expelled water from the various nozzle types and outlet angles in the spray head.

[0041] For example, if the spray head unit was located in the centre of the long side of the edge of a rectangular swimming pool nozzles with a 100 degree cone angle and a short spray distance would be positioned in outlets with an angle towards the centre of the pool and nozzles with a 25 degree cone angle and a longer spray distance would be positioned in outlets to the left and right side of the centre. If the spray head unit was located on the edge of a circular pool nozzles with a cone angle of 45 degree cone angle and a medium spray distance may be positioned in the centre of the spray head andnozzles with 30 degree cone and a shorter spray distance may be positioned in outlets to the left and right of the centre. In this way the shape of the spray plume is controlled to closely match the surface of the water body. This allows for the rate of flow through the spray head to be maximised which allows for faster rates of cooling of the water body as more water is being exposed to the atmosphere over any given period of time that the system is operating than if the spray plume did not closely match the shape of the surface of the water body. Examples of how the plume can be customised for different shaped bodies of water are illustrated in Figures 6A, 6B and 6C.

[0042] This embodiment has many advantages over all other systems of cooling swimming pools and other stationary water bodies using spray systems to facilitate cooling through heat exchange or evaporative cooling. These advantages are:

[0043] The spray head and pump are combined into one compact unit that is easily deployable and aesthetically pleasing.

[0044] Use of multiple spray nozzles allows for control of droplet size to optimise surface area to volume ratio of droplets for maximum heat exchange or evaporative cooling effect.

[0045] Providing multiple outlets at a range of angles allows for nozzles with different spray characteristics to be positioned at particular angles to create a larger spray plume of a similar shape to any give surface. This allows for the total flow of fluid through the nozzles to be maximised and thereby the cooling effect within the water body is maximised.

[0046] In still other embodiments the unit composed of spray head and the submersible pump may have fixed spray characteristics and not allow for adjustment of the spray plume to closely match the surface of the water body. In this embodiment the unit would simply generate a standard spray plume that could be used on any pool regardless of the shape. In this embodiment the nozzles may all be the same, they may be fixed in place or they may not be.

[0047] In still other embodiments the unit may be custom designed to be used on one particular swimming pool shape. For example, this custom embodiment may be designed with a number of outlets or maybe one outlet that makes a spray plume that is well suited for use on a circular pond. Or a different fixed configuration of the unit may produce a spray plume that is practical for a square swimming pool. In this embodiment, there are a number of standard unit available to match different swimming pool shapes and volumes.

[0048] In still other embodiments the flow rate between the pump and the spray head can be controlled by some form of valve to allow for greater or lesser flows to the spray head. The intention of this might be to reduce or increase the distance the spray plume travels.

[0049] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms, in keeping with the broad principles and the spirit of the invention described herein.

[0050] The present invention and the described preferred embodiments specifically include at least one feature that is industrial applicable.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A system for cooling a body of water, the system including a housing adapted to be mounted at a body of water, wherein, when mounted, a lower portion of said housing is submerged within the body of water and an upper portion of said housing is exposed to atmosphere above a water surface of said body of water; at least one water inlet is provided on the lower portion of said housing; a plurality of water outlets are provided on the upper portion of said housing; a pump is housed within said housing; wherein, said pump causes water to flow from said body of water into said at least one inlet and to said plurality of outlets, whereby said water is ejected into said atmosphere and transfers heat from said ejected water to said atmosphere in order to cool said ejected water, said cooled water landing on the surface of said body of water, thereby cooling said body of water.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump is housed within the lower portion of said housing and is submerged in use.

3. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said plurality of outlets are arranged to eject water at different angles relative to each other to form a plume of ejected water.

4. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each outlet is provided with an outlet nozzle, a characteristic of the outlet nozzle determining how far ejected water travels in the atmosphere before landing on the surface of said body of water.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each outlet is provided with a vent, said vent causing water flowing therethrough to rotate, thereby causing said ejected water to form water droplets.

6. The system of claim 5 when read as dependent upon claim 4, wherein said outlet nozzle and said vent are provided in a modular unit which is adapted to be inserted into an outlet.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a modular unit can be customised with selected outlet nozzle and vent in order to select the distance of travel and size of formed droplets of the water ejected from the outlet in which the modular unit is inserted.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each modular unit is customised so that the plume of water ejected is in a selected form.

9. The system of any one of the preceding claims, said housing including a mounting formation adapted to engage a solid surface adjacent a side of the body of water when mounting the housing.

10. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further including a controller for activating the pump only when a temperature of said atmosphere is below a select threshold.

11. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further including a controller for activating the pump when a temperature of the body of water is above a select threshold.

12. A method for cooling a body of water employing the system of claim 8, said method including: a. determining a size and shape of said body of water; b. determining an ideal plume formation relative to a mounting position of said system to cause all ejected water to fall on said surface of said body of water; andc. customising modular units for insertion into each outlet to form said determined ideal plume formation

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