H E A T R E C O V E R Y

WITH HEAT PUMPS &

D E H U M I D I F I E R S I N
S W I M M I N G P O O L S
THE MOISTURE QUESTION

is impossible to eliminate water

evaporation altogether, but with a
carefully designed ventilation system the
evaporation rate can be minimised, and
together with a thermally insulated
building, the relative humidity of the pool
hall can be controlled to a safe and
comfortable level.

If room conditions of 28°C/65% RH are

required the dew point will be 21°C and if
the outdoor temperature is -10°C the
construction must have a very high
insulation value to prevent condensation.

Whilst maintaining a quality pool

High relative humidity and condensation environment it is equally important to
in a swimming pool hall is a major consider the financial implications of
problem. The fabric of the building will be achieving such conditions.
damaged because water vapour will
condense on cold surfaces and cause Ventilation with heat recovery,
corrosion, decay or fungal attack. dehumidification and correct control in
Windows will become steamed up and the accordance with the various conditions in
pool hall environment will become a swimming pool hall are all factors which
uncomfortable for the occupants. are included in a Dantherm swimming
pool plant. The various possibilities are
Unfortunately a swimming pool gives the discussed in more detail later in this
ideal conditions for warm water to publication.
evaporate into the air as water vapour. It

2
DESIGN PROCEDURE FOR SWIMMING POOLS

EXAMPLE
Swimming pool halls must be designed DanX ventilation plants from Dantherm
and constructed to comply with a number have all the features needed to comply
of demands, requirements and needs. with all the above-mentioned demands
When considering the design of the and provide an ideal solution.
building, environmental demands must be
taken into consideration just as the These plants are specifically designed for
interests of the various groups of users use in swimming pool halls. They are
must be considered. flexible, resistant to aggressive
atmospheres and they provide energy-
Today a swimming pool hall is not only for saving ventilation and dehumidification,
the sportsman requiring competition and exact control of the parameters which
pools of international dimensions. There can be expected in swimming pool halls.
must be room for general exercise
swimming, family fitness and fun, Swimming pool halls also incorporate
relaxation and socialising. other areas, such as changing rooms,
bathrooms, cafeteria etc. The demands
During the design process, consideration on the interior climate in these areas are,
should be given to the following of course, all different and they will
requirements: typically be connected to separate
■ Competition use. ventilation plants. Whatever the mix of
■ Leisure use. requirements may be, the DanX range
■ Diving facilities. offers a perfect solution which can be
■ Spa and therapy use. individually tailored to suit a particular
■ Wave generation and other water project.
movement techniques such as chutes
and rapids.

No matter how the available space is

distributed and no matter how big the
space is, there are certain demands on the
internal climate, as mentioned on the
previous page.

The design engineer must provide a

solution which ensures that temperatures,
humidity and fresh air are correctly
controlled at all times and at the lowest
possible energy cost.

3
VENTILATION & DEHUMIDIFICATION IN SWIMMING POOL HALLS
A simple solution for swimming pools or
secondary rooms is the standard DanX unit.
A plate recuperator is built into all models
and can be considered as the core of the
unit, extracting up to 75% of normally
wasted heat from the exhaust air.
This efficient recuperator is made of
anodised and epoxy coated aluminium and
is resistant to the aggressive atmospheres in
swimming pool halls. To ensure an even
longer life these plants can be supplied with
internal surfaces treated with powder
enamel (Corrosion class 3).
DanX plants are available with two-speed
fan motors. With precise control via a
hygrostat, energy costs can be reduced by
operating the DanX at half speed for certain
periods. As an alternative to the two-speed
fan motors, the plants can be fitted with
single-speed motors which are controlled by
means of a frequency converter.
4
DanX WITH HEAT PUMP
For additional heat recovery the DanX plant
can be supplied with an air to air heat
pump. This version is available with one or
two compressors. The coefficient of
performance (COP) will be improved to more
than 4:5.
DanX plants incorporating a heat pump offer
the further advantage that they can cool
warm outside air being supplied to therapy
rooms in the summer.
As an extra facility the heat pump can be
fitted with a water-cooled condenser
allowing excess recovered heat to be
returned to the swimming pool water or the
building’s hot water system.
DanX WITH MIXING BOX
When the DanX plant is fitted with a mixing
box the fresh air supply can be reduced by
recirculating part of the pool hall air. It may
also be necessary to reduce the supply of
fresh air in cold periods to prevent the heat
exchanger from freezing. Using a mixing box
thus offers several advantages.

DanX USED AS A DEHUMIDIFICATION PLANT

When the DanX plant is fitted with a mixing
box, the heat pump can be used as a
dehumidifier. An extra damper can be built
i n
in addition to the by-pass damper which is
shown on the drawing. When the plant is
DanX without heat pump
working as a dehumidifier with recirculation
through the mixing box, the extra damper
will reduce the air volume passing across
the evaporator and thus increase the
dehumidification capacity even more.

DANTHERM DEHUMIDIFIER
Dantherm has a wide range of
dehumidifiers. As mentioned above, the
DanX plant incorporating a heat pump can
be used as a dehumidifier. The principle is
the same as smaller dehumidifiers which DanX with heat pump
recirculate air (such as those described on
pages 10 and 11), which are used in private
swimming pools. The principle is shown on
the drawing below. The air from the hall is
drawn in and passed through a dehumidifier.
It then passes over evaporator coils where
the air is cooled down to a temperature
below the dew point allowing water vapour
to condense into water droplets which are
collected in a drip tray. The air flow then
passes through a compressor and, if fitted,
a water-cooled condenser. Having passed DanX with heat pump and mixing box
through a warm condenser coil and an after-

+ +

Heat pump dehumidifier

5
DESIGN PROCEDURE FOR SWIMMING POOLS

When choosing reasonable operating can be maintained. This process has the
conditions, moisture problems potential to use a great deal of energy so it is
as well as operational essential to recover as much heat as possible
expenditure can be from the exhaust air, and to avoid changing air
controlled. To minimise more than is necessary. A DanX heat recovery
evaporation rates the system complete with controls is the ideal
pool hall temperature device for providing energy efficient, cost
should always be higher effective control of the swimming pool hall
than the pool water environment.
temperature. The higher
the temperature differential DESIGN PROCESS
between air and water the lower the The first step is to calculate the evaporation
evaporation rate from the pool surface. rate, and then on the basis of this determine
However, in order to maintain a reasonable the necessary maximum fresh air volume
operating economy, the difference should not required. These are then used to determine the
be bigger than 2-3°C. size of the DanX to be installed.

In public swimming pools the pool hall air
temperature is usually 29/30°C with the water
temperature a degree or two below that.
Hydrotherapy pools usually have a water
temperature of 35-37°C.
VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY
The object of the ventilation plant is to
maintain the design temperature and humidity,
and to secure good air quality within the pool
hall. Air in a swimming pool hall will always
have a moisture content higher than that of
outside air. It follows therefore that by
introducing a calculated amount of fresh air
into the pool hall the desired relative humidity
Evaporation from the pool surfaces and the
surrounding wet areas is the main contributor
to the moisture problem. The quantity of
evaporation depends on such factors as pool
area, water temperature, air temperature,
humidity, air velocity, and the bathing activity.
There are many formulae and rules of thumb
that profess to calculate evaporation rate. In
the examples below we have used the German
calculation formula VDI-2089 which states the
required data for the design of indoor
swimming pools. The calculations have been
converted to the tables shown below, including
quick-selection charts as well.

Amount of evaporation from pool (g/m2)

Air Temperature ˚C/Relative Humidity % RH
˚C 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Water temp ˚C %RH 50 60 50 60 50 60 50 60 50 60 50 60 50 60
22 204 182 197 174 190 165 182 156
23 217 194 209 187 203 178 194 169 187 158
24 230 108 223 200 216 191 208 182 118 172 192 162
25 235 213 229 204 221 195 213 185 205 175 196 164
26 244 219 236 210 228 200 220 190 211 179
27 250 223 243 215 235 205 226 194
28 259 230 250 221 241 209
29 268 238 259 227
30 277 244

6
The evaporation rate is calculated as follows:
W = ε x A x (PB – PL) (g/h)
A = Pool surface area (m2)
PB= Saturated vapour pressure at water
temperature (hPa)
PL= Partial vapour pressure at air
temperature/% RH (hPa)
ε = empirical factor g/(hhPa m2 h):
0,5 covered pool surfaces
5 calm surface
15 private swimming pool, not very occupied
20 public swimming pool, normal activity
28 leisure pool
35 wave pool
On basis of the formula and ε= 20 we have made
the diagram below to make the work easier.
Necessary air change
The fresh air volume, required to remove the
evaporation can be calculated as follows:
mL = mw
(xu – xi)
mL = Mass flow, outside air (kg/s)
mW = Mass flow, exhaust air (kg/s)
xu = Moisture content, outside air (g/kg)
xi = Moisture content, inside air (g/kg)
The moisture content of the outside air (xu) varies
according to the season of the year – from a
maximum of 11 - 12 g/kg in the summer to 2 - 3
g/kg in the winter.
In practise xu should be set to no less than 9 g/kg
which will only be exceeded for 15% of the year
and which is also recommended by VDI-2089.
Besides condensation problems are rare in the
summer and the water content xi of the inside air
can therefore be a little higher.

Example: Public swimming pool.

Pool size: 25 x 12m = 300 m2
Water temperature, 28°C (100%RH) PB = 37,8 hPa
Air temperature, 30°C (60% RH) PL = 25,45 hPa
Moisture Content, pool air xi = 14,9 g/kg
Moisture Content, fresh air xu = 9,0 g/kg
Density of ambient air = 1.175 kg/m3
Evaporation W=20 x 300 x (37,8–25,45) = 74,1 kg/hr
Required Air Volume = 74,100 = 2,97 m3/s
(14,9–9) x 1,175 x 3600
Unit type will be a Dantherm type DanX 7/14.

7
CORRECT AIR DISTRIBUTION
The air movement and especially the air
distribution of supply air into a swimming
pool hall is of great importance, of equal
importance to that of designing the
ventilation system with the correct air
volume.
Protection of the building fabric is the
primary objective of a swimming pool
ventilation system. The conditioned air
supplied to a pool hall is warm and dry
and does not condense as easily as
stagnant air, which has had time to cool
off. The incoming conditioned air should
ideally be supplied from low level around
the perimeter of the pool hall on three
sides and then extracted at higher level
8
on the fourth. It is important to
emphasise that all surfaces (especially
glazed areas) require an adequate supply
of air to prevent condensation from
forming.
On the other hand air movement above
the pool surface should be kept as low as
possible, as the air movement influences
evaporation. The more saturated the air is
immediately above the pool surface the
less water can evaporate.
Furthermore it is important that the
pressure in the pool hall should be
slightly lower than outside in order not to
press the vapour out into the fabric of the
 D ATA

The DanX exhaust air heat pump is a fresh
air ventilation system that recovers
normally wasted energy. It is a modular
system that uses a range of standard
options that allow a design to be as
simple or as sophisticated as is required.
All types are mounted in a strong frame
construction with insulated cover panels
made of galvanised plates. For use in
more aggressive environments, as for
instance in swimming pool halls, the DanX
plants can be supplied with powder
enamelled cover plates.
addition to that a wide range of
accessories is available to cover the
various needs.
CONTROL
The control of the DanX unit is based on
a modern DDC control which makes it
possible to control all the functions of the
plant optimally. This kind of control offers
a variety of options and nevertheless it is
easy and simple to use thanks to the well-

The core of the DanX features a cross flow

heat exchanger made of epoxy coated
aluminium capable of recovering up to
75% of energy from the exhaust air.
Further energy can be extracted using the
air to air heat pump system and in

Dimensions in mm
XK XWP VV & VF F B
Model w d h* w d h* w d h* w d h* w d h*
3/6 1707 880 1760 2270 880 1760 985 880 1760 880 880 916 475 880 1760
5/10 1707 1400 1760 2270 1400 1760 1200 1400 1760 1400 1400 475 475 1400 1760
7/14 1707 1900 1920 2270 1900 1920 1290 1900 1920 1900 1900 475 475 1900 1920
9/18 1920 1800 2350 2500 1800 2350 1550 1800 2350 1800 1800 600 600 1800 2350
12/24 1920 2200 2550 2600 2200 2550 1400 2200 2550 2200 2200 600 600 2200 2550
16/32 2650 2200 2800 3529 2200 2800 1500 2200 2800 2200 2200 700 700 2200 2800
*Excludes base and adjustable feet 145–200mm common to all models

9
SMALL SWIMMING POOLS
DEHUMIDIFIER
TYPE CDP
Dantherm has a range
of small dehumidifiers
especially designed for
dehumidification of
smaller swimming
pool halls. The CDP
dehumidifier is
designed to blend well
into the interior of private swimming
pools where its only purpose is to
dehumidify the room. The dehumidifier is
10
available in two sizes and it is easy to
install. Control is taken care of by a room
hygrostat.
Evaporation is calculated as described on
the previous pages. As the activity in a
private swimming pool is not as high as in
a public swimming pool, the evaporation
will be lower too, and this is allowed for
in the calculation formula. For this speci-
fic field it is easier to use a selection chart.
 and from the pool hall. The units can be
supplied with after heating coils which
will contribute to the
heating of the room.
Control is governed by
a thermostat and a
hygrostat.

DEHUMIDIFIER TYPE CD CD dehumidifiers can

Type CD dehumidifiers are for bigger be supplied with water-
swimming pools than the CDP types and cooled condensers if a
they are intended for plant room temperature increase
installation which will reduce the noise from the air circulation
from the unit. The CD dehumidifiers can through the unit is not required.
be supplied with ducts carrying the air to As a further advantage the CD units
can be fitted
with ducts
allowing supply
o f
10-15% fresh air
with the inlet
air.

CDP20 CDP30 CD40 CD50

Condensate capacity at 30°C/80%RH Kg/24h 45 74 90 160
Working range, humidity %RH 40-100 40-100 40-100 40-100
Air volume m3/h 500 750 1500 2500
Height mm 700 700 650 835
Width mm 1008 1492 1150 1250
Depth mm 270 270 650 835
HEAD OFFICE

Denmark
A/S Dantherm
Jegstrupvej 4
DK-7800 Skive

Tel: +45 97 52 41 44
Fax: +45 97 52 61 34

EUROPEAN CONTACTS

England
Dantherm Limited
Hither Green
Clevedon
North Somerset
BS21 6XT

Tel: +44 (0)1275 876851

Fax: +44 (0)1275 343086

Norway
A/S Dantherm
Løkkeåsveien 26
N-3135 Torød

Tel: +47 33 38 58 00
Fax: +47 33 38 51 91

Sweden
AB Dantherm
Kabelgatan 12
S-43422 Kungsbacka 1

Tel: +46 (0)300 16620

Fax: +46 (0)300 16216

Dealer network
throughout Europe.

08/97