Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2026

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Godfrey Mungal

Abstract

Residential swimming pool pumps represent the second largest source of energy consumption in California homes, and with approximately 1.3 million pools operating across the state, they collectively represent a significant opportunity for grid-level load flexibility. This project presents the design, construction, and commissioning of a proof-of-concept laboratory test rig developed to validate a load-shifting algorithm on a commercially available variable-speed pool pump. The system retrofits a donated Pentair Intelliflo3 VSF pump with an external Raspberry Pi 4 controller that commands pump speed through relay-based digital inputs and logs hydraulic and electrical performance data in real time. A simulated pool filtration loop constructed from Schedule 40 PVC piping, a 110-gallon stock tank, and a pair of gate valves acting as a simulated filter provides a controlled test environment capable of replicating both clean and clogged filter operating conditions. A suite of three pressure transducers, a multi-jet flowmeter, and a power module provides continuous measurement of differential pressure, volumetric flow rate, and electrical power draw throughout pump operation. Commissioning tests confirmed that the physical system produces repeatable and measurable pressure differentials across simulated filter conditions and that relay-based speed control of the pump operates correctly across the full operating range. With the physical system validated, the load-shifting algorithm was successfully integrated and demonstrated responding to simulated grid pricing signals, establishing the foundation for full experimental validation of the algorithm's operating cost reductions ranging between 63.9% and 91%.

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