Energetic performance and characterization of swimming pool water heating systems

• Grant number: 08/06930-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2008
• End date: September 30, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Construction Industry
• Principal Investigator: Racine Tadeu Araujo Prado
• Grantee: Racine Tadeu Araujo Prado
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

A huge growth of the real estate market is evidenced currently, especially in the region of the Great São Paulo. Since 2006, it was observed, according to *EMBRAESP, an increase of 71% in the number of real estate launchings in the metropolitan region of São Paulo and, more and more, the residential enterprises launched, are big sized condominiums with two or more towers, which count usually with ample and diversified leisure items, such as barbecue, sports, parties, games areas, and also swimming pools. These swimming pools vary in its forms, sizes and conditions of environment, but they are present almost in the totality of the launched enterprises. Aiming to increase the period of time in which these swimming pools are used throughout the year, became common, as already occurs in clubs and academies, the use of heating systems in order to guarantee the maintenance of a pleasant temperature of the water. As released this year in the journal "O Estado de São Paulo", dated from April 27th, it's being installed a daily average of one gas fired swimming pool heating system in the city of São Paulo, since 2005. Other kinds of swimming pool heating system, such as solar and heat pumps, sums the average of three more systems installed daily, according to the same release. Concerned about the environmental sustainability and the energetic efficiency questions, this work aims to provide the users, proprietors and operators of swimming pools, subsidies for a multicriteria choice and the operation of these systems. This research involves, besides bibliographical revision on the subject, the instrumentation of six covered swimming pools, distributed in five swimming academies the city of São Paulo, covering the main types of heating systems used (indirect natural gas fired heating system, direct LPG gas fired heating system; electric heat pump system and solar energy water heating system). It will be possible, to the end of the research, to understand the influence of the climatic characteristics of the environment on the swimming pool and, mainly, the functioning of the heating system involved. The correlation between energy consumption for each one of the types of system and the climatic variables will also be product of this research. These data will allow the proprietors/operators of swimming pools of Brazil, to decide which is the best way to operate the system throughout the year, in order to reduce the energy consumption without damages to wellness of the users and the continuity of the functioning of the swimming pool. *EMBRAESP: Brazilian Company of Studies of Patrimony (AU)