Modelling of Thermal and Energy Systems Research Group

Design and evaluation of descarbonisation strategies to achieve near zero emissions indoor swimming pools assisted by renewable energies - nZEPools (2022-2024)

This is a project funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain and the support of the European Regional Development Fund and NextGenerationEU Fund (TED2021-131173B-I00).

The objective of this proposal is to develop and show in a pilot project the performances of a CO2 heat pump prototype able to provide thermal energy at different temperature levels for pool heating (27ºC), direct hot water generation (60ºC), room-heating (70ºC) assisted by a photovoltaic enerergy system to provide the 30% of the annual thermal energy demand of an ISP that could complement the 75% provided by a solar thermal system to reach a nZEPool. This seeks to develop and validate with the data obtained in the pilot Project a numerical model that coupled with the pool demand could evaluate de performance of the solution under different operative and climatic conditions. Other objectives are:

• Analyse theoretically different types of heat pumps configurations using CO2 and/or other refrigerants of type A1 and with low GWP and select the most efficient solution to provide the different levels of hot water temperature required.

• Build a prototype of the HP solution proposed. Initially model it by developing a numerical dynamic model in TRNSYS to simulate the thermal and energy performance of the heat pump alone and coupled with the solar thermal system, a photovoltaic facility and a possible hot-water storage under different conditions.

• Optimise the hot-water storage tank with new water filling strategies depending on the demand profile (maximum energy storage vs maximum stratification) to maximize the system COP.

• Perform a Pilot Project. Operation the heat pump prototype in the indoor swimming pool of La Aljorra, which belongs to the Cartagena Municipality. This pool already has a solar thermal energy installation.

• Validation and evaluation of the sustainability of the solution by means of carbon footprint evaluation, energy selfsufficiency and profitability analysis.