CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DRAINING, IRRIGATING AND HEATING AN ATHLETIC FIELD

摘要

A control system (310) for an athletic field (312) coordinates drainage (gravity or vacuum-enhanced) and irrigation by monitoring water level with respect to a subsurface membrane (352), wherein a flow network (314) resides on the membrane (352) and is covered by a fill layer (354), which in turn supports the field surface (356) thereabove. The flow network (314) includes couplings (326) located at intersections (380a) of some of the pipe rows (322b) and conduit rows (324b), and preferably the couplings (326) at intersections (380a) are equipped with reinforcement plates (326a) for additional structural rigidity. The water permeability of the conduit rows (324) allows the flow network (314) to be used for draining, irrigating or heating the field (312). To heat the field (312), the controller (310): closes off the gravity drainage subsystem (310a); closes off the vacuum-enhanced subsystem (310b); isolates some of the pipe rows (322b) from a main drain line (316) by closing isolation valves (325), while leaving pipe rows (322a) connected thereto; and actuating a heating subsystem (310d) by actuating a heat exchanger (301) and a recirculation pump (302), in a loop. This causes heated water to flow into the network (314) and to percolate into the fill layer (354) at first regions of the field (312), while at second regions of the field (312) cooler water drains from the fill layer (354) back into the flow network (314), eventually to the drain line (316) ant to the heat exchanger (301) and pump (302), in a continuous loop. This manner of heating the fill layer (354) and the surface (356) thereabove minimizes energy costs and eliminates installation and maintenance costs that would otherwise be necessitated by separate heating and draining systems.