Pool Plumbing Flow Configuration Control to Prevent Fluid Conflicts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pool and spa control systems lack the ability to define plumbing layouts and detect fluid-flow conflicts, leading to user errors and potential equipment damage or energy wastage due to inadequate fluid configurations.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that creates a data structure representing pool system components and fluidic connections, calculates optimal fluidic flows, and selects configurations based on criteria like cost, noise, and carbon footprint to prevent unsatisfactory conditions such as underflow, overflow, or misdirection, while restricting user access to unsatisfactory options and adjusting power output accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pool control systems are used without fluid configuration detection, then system simplicity is maintained, but fluid-flow conflicts occur leading to equipment damage and energy wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of fluid configurations before activating pool components. The controller checks the data structure representing plumbing layouts and calculates potential fluid-flow conflicts in advance, preventing equipment damage before it occurs rather than reacting to problems after they arise.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring fluid configurations and providing information about potential conflicts to the user interface. The controller detects unsatisfactory conditions and communicates them back to restrict user access to problematic configurations, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents damage.
2Ease of operation
If all potential fluid configurations are allowed, then user flexibility is maximized, but unsatisfactory conditions such as underflow, overflow, and misdirection occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by identifying and restricting access to fluid configurations that would cause harmful conditions before the user can activate them. The controller detects potential underflow, overflow, and misdirection scenarios and prevents user selection of these problematic configurations through the user interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The data structure representing plumbing layouts acts as an intermediary between the user's control requests and the actual fluid flow. The controller uses this intermediate representation to calculate potential conflicts and mediate between user flexibility and prevention of harmful fluid-flow conditions.
3Use of energy by moving object
If real-time fluid flow configuration detection is implemented, then energy efficiency is improved, but computational requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of fluid flows through multiple potential configurations when components are activated. By calculating potential fluid-flow conflicts in advance rather than in real-time during operation, the system reduces computational requirements while still achieving energy efficiency through informed component control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system calculates fluid flows for multiple potential configurations beyond what is strictly necessary, detecting unsatisfactory conditions comprehensively. This excessive calculation approach ensures all energy efficiency opportunities are captured while maintaining system simplicity through standardized calculation methods.
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the invention provides a computer-implemented method for controlling a swimming pool or spa system. The computer-implemented method includes: creating a data structure representing a plurality of swimming pool system components and fluidic connections between subsets of the plurality of swimming pool system components; receiving a request to control one or more of the plurality of swimming pool system components; calculating fluidic flows through the plurality of swimming pool system components based on one or more potential configurations of the plurality of swimming pool system components capable of fulfilling the request; and detecting whether the one or more potential configurations result in unsatisfactory conditions.