Model Based Control System for Outdoor Swimming Pools

Swimming pools are closely associated to leisure activities, especially in touristic areas, and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools can be found worldwide in large quantities. With their fast growth, an increasing stress has been also placed on both energy and water resources they require to operate. In this scope renewable energy sources, especially those that use sun's radiation are of paramount importance. Exploring alternative, green and sustainable energy sources to replace traditional sources has become one of the main points in the European Union's actions over the last decade. In this context, this paper proposes a control approach where smart decision is made based on predictions made by models representing sustainable thermal systems (local renewable energy source) and on information gathered from an array of sensors. The aim is to regulate the water temperature of an outdoor swimming pool. The information obtained from both environmental variables and from the modelling of sub-systems internal transfer function, is then combined with an optimization framework which goal is to ultimately, reduce the human intervention in the swimming pool maintenance and provide resource savings in terms of financial costs to the final user but also in terms of natural resources, contributing to environmental sustainability. The research work is developed within the scope of the Ecopool+++ project: Innovative heated pools with reduced thermal losses with the integration of SMART energy and water management systems.