Water temperature regulating pool cover

Abstract

A pool cover for temperature regulation of pool water having an upper sheet of flexible material and a lower sheet of flexible material. The sheets are joined together at their side edges and along a plurality of longitudinally seams to form a panel having a plurality of longitudinal seams to provide a plurality of flow channels. A pump attached to an input tube draws in water from the pool, and via an input manifold forces the pumped water through the flow channels in the panel, and out the ends of the flow channels back into the pool. Pool water pumped through the flow channels picks up heat from incident solar radiation and the ambient air temperature, or gives off heat to the ambient environment, depending on the temperature of the air, the amount of incident radiation, and the temperature control settings provided by the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pool cover for temperature regulation of pool water, comprising:
 a flexible panel having an upper sheet of flexible material having a front edge, a back edge, and side edges, a lower sheet of flexible material having a front edge, a back edge, and side edges, said side edges of said upper sheet and said lower sheet being joined to provide a waterproof seal, said upper sheet and said lower sheet being joined at a plurality of seams to form flow channels between said seams,   a cover input manifold, said input manifold being flow connected to said front edge of said flexible panel, said input manifold having an input aperture for each of said flow channels,   a pump for pumping water through said input manifold and into said channels to produce water flow from front edges of said flow channels to back edges of said flow channels, and   an uptake tube for drawing water from said pool to said pump, whereby temperature of water flowing through said flow channels is altered by contact with said upper sheet which is in thermal contact with an ambient environment.   
     
     
         2 . The pool cover of  claim 1  wherein said flow channels are substantially parallel. 
     
     
         3 . The pool cover of  claim 2  wherein said flow channels have longitudinal axes substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the pool cover. 
     
     
         4 . The pool cover of  claim 1  wherein sizes of said apertures provide substantially equal flow through each of said channels. 
     
     
         5 . The pool cover of  claim 1  wherein said uptake tube has sufficient length to extend to a lower region of said pool in order to draw cooler temperature water into said pump. 
     
     
         6 . The pool cover of  claim 5  further including means for drawing warmer temperature water from an upper region of said pool into said pump. 
     
     
         7 . The pool cover of  claim 1  further including:
 a first sensor for determining a first temperature of said pool water; 
 means for determining ambient heat conditions; 
 a processor for controlling functioning of said pump based on said first temperature of said pool water, said ambient heat conditions, and a target temperature for said pool water. 
 
     
     
         8 . The pool cover of  claim 7  wherein said means for determining said ambient heat conditions is a temperature sensor for determining an ambient air temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The pool cover of  claim 7  wherein said means for determining said ambient heat conditions is an incident radiation sensor for measuring incident solar radiation. 
     
     
         10 . The pool cover of  claim 7  further including a control interface for allowing a user to specify said target temperature for said temperature regulation of said pool water. 
     
     
         11 . The pool cover of  claim 10  wherein said control interface allows said user to set a first time period during which said pump operates for said temperature regulation of said pool water. 
     
     
         12 . The pool cover of  claim 11  wherein said control interface allows said user to set a second time period during which said pump operates for said temperature regulation of said pool water.