New jet-aeration system using 'Supercavitation'.
OBJECTIVE
A newly developed fine bubble aeration system, by which air is transferred under supercavitation conditions, shows a clearly better performance than traditional, well-known aerators that rely on the jet-pump principle and its performance can be compared to oxygen transfer rates achieved in membrane and foil plate aerators.


METHODS
A prototype supercavitation aerator installed at a sewage treatment plant revealed an air input rate, which was about one third lower than that of the jet-pump system, which it replaced.


RESULTS
In spite of this low air input rate, the daily demand of pure oxygen for the additionally installed membrane aeration system went down by approximately 49%, from the original level of about 1,200 m(3)/day to about 600 m(3)/day-and this over a test period of more than 7 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The observed high oxygen transfer rates cannot be explained by traditional mass transfer mechanisms. It is assumed that a large amount of water being transferred into the gas phase by supercavitation contacting directly oxygen also in the gas phase and thereby overcoming mass transfer hindrances which might be favoured by hydroxyl radicals. With this new aerator, during the first 3 months of test phase, already more than 10,000 Euros had been saved because of the reduced pure oxygen demand.
Schmid
Andreas
A
Papiertechnische Stiftung, Hessstrasse Germany. Andreas.Schmid@ptspaper.de
D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D007700:Kinetics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D055548:Vapor Pressure; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control
D012722:Sewage; D010100:Oxygen