Pond Aeration
Pond aeration is the process of increasing or maintaining the amount of dissolved oxygen in a pond. It involves the natural or mechanical movement of water that breaks the pond’s surface layer, to bring the water into contact with the air. Increased air contact results in higher and more consistent levels of oxygen in the water – a key component of a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
Types of Aeration
Wastewater Aeration
At ClearBlu, we believe the difference between good aeration and great aeration is in the size of the bubbles. Smaller bubbles have a larger surface area. Find out how our patented fine bubble diffusion process can increase your efficiency rate.
Freshwater Aeration
The process of increasing or maintaining the oxygen saturation of water in both natural and artificial environments. Aeration techniques are commonly used in pond, lake, and reservoir management to address low oxygen levels or algal blooms.
Pond Treatment Process
Our pond treatment process is desirable over anaerobic digestion because it is fast, odor-free, and prevents the need for any solids removal procedures. Aerobic digestion is desirable over DAF systems because it eliminates the need for costly chemical use and disposal. ClearBlu uses a unique aeration technology known as microbubble aeration, to achieve an aquatic environment that supports a bacteria population capable of complete digestion. This is the key difference over conventional technologies.
The Microbubble Difference in Wastewater Treatment
- Higher and faster removal rate of BOD and TSS
- Up to 70% reduction in electrical consumption
- Elimination of odors
- Improvement of water quality
- Rapid microbial growth and reproduction
- Elimination of pathogens
- Control of algae growth
The Ultra Fine Bubble Advantage
What sets this aerator apart is in the size of the bubbles. Through years of research and field tests, we have taken micro bubble technology to a new level. The Ultra Fine Bubble unit produces a bubble size of 0.02 mm or less in a negative pressure environment. That’s over 1 billion micro bubbles per cubic foot which translates to over 1,000 square feet of surface area of oxygen molecules. As compared to conventional aeration technology, UFB produces an exponentially greater oxygen source which is denser and longer lasting in water. This allows the volume of healthy bacteria to increase, resulting in the more effective elimination of waste products and bad odors.
UFB introduces micro bubbles into the water without causing excessive agitation to the water through the use of low-pressure air. This is important because high turbulence is counterproductive to aerobic digestion. It has been shown that aerobic bacteria fixed to a submerged surface within low turbulence, oxygen-rich environment is up to 10 times more efficient at digesting organic matter.
Benefits of Ultra-Fine Bubbles
Other aeration devices predominantly use compressed air which is forced into the water. This displaces the water particles and produces large bubbles (2 mm at the smallest) that “pop” immediately to the surface where their oxygen is lost to the atmosphere. With UFB units, the bubbles are created in a partial vacuum and therefore contain air below atmospheric pressure. Their tiny size combined with the low-pressure air they contain means that their buoyancy is so low that they cannot overcome the surface tension in the water. This results in the bubbles staying suspended in the liquid. Based on the principles of Brownian movement, the reduced pressure environment allows the micro bubbles to be dispersed throughout the body of water. We have shown that the bubbles can reach the bottom of a 20-foot pond. The trapped air moves throughout the water and remains until it is used or absorbed within the water. In other words, the ultra fine bubbles stay resident in the water for up to 10 minutes and the dissolved oxygen can remain for 4-6 hours.
The UFB generator creates a much higher lateral oxygen transfer to replenish the oxygen imperative for microbial life. Not only is horsepower reduced by up to 70%, but the digestion capability of the pond or tank is also dramatically increased.
These bubbles, being of extremely small size, are characterized by having negative electrical charges. They attract suspended floating particles effectively. This particular property has been used in sludge treatment by using ultra-fine bubbles to capture and float organic material, thus decreasing the time required for the sludge treatment. The ultra-fine bubble system will actually digest sludge off of the bottom of the pond.
While traditional aeration systems only create an air cap (aerobic environment only in the top 2 to 3 feet of water), ultra-fine bubble treatment creates an aerobic environment throughout the entire body of water. One of its most significant advantages is the processing time required for treatment. Organic material that requires months to be digested in an anaerobic environment while outgassing methane can be digested from 8 hours to 4 days in a proper aerobic environment.
The UFB units have been used in the winery, livestock, and food processing industries, as well as other applications around the world, to eliminate odors and reduce organic waste. Faster treatment and a more efficient breakdown of harmful by-products lead to a safer transition for land application or reclamation water.
Wastewater Treatment
The UFB units have been used in the winery, livestock, and food processing industries, as well as other applications around the world, to eliminate odors and reduce organic waste. Faster treatment and a more efficient breakdown of harmful by-products lead to a safer transition for land application or reclamation water.
In addition to effectively reducing influent BOD and TSS, wineries can also avoid costly dredging procedures by digesting the existing sludge at the bottom of ponds, and preventing new sludge from building up. With a shorter treatment time, water becomes readily available for irrigation use or other discharge.
Ultrafine Bubble Aerators
Most aeration equipment in use today utilizes compressed air systems. They introduce bubbles of air into the water by forcing the compressed air through a fine pore diffuser. Experimental results with these systems have shown that the minimum bubble sizes generated are greater than 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. Bubbles of this size quickly rise to the surface and are lost. They do not remain in the water long enough to transfer an appreciable amount of oxygen.
The pontoon system is designed for industrial applications. This system works best with fluctuating water levels. The large pontoon provides a stable flotation for medium and large motor designs.
The ClearBlu UFB Aerator, instead of using the compressed air/fine pore system, uses a patented process, Fine Bubble Diffusion, to create bubbles in a partial vacuum. The small bubbles created in this process average 0.025 mm in diameter. The small size of the bubble and the low-pressure gas it holds to create a small buoyancy force (The phenomenon which makes bubbles rise in a liquid). This buoyancy force is so small that it is less than the surrounding surface tension of the water. The bubble, in fact, does not rise to the surface but remains suspended in the fluid. This makes all of the oxygen in the bubble available to be dissolved in the liquid as needed. In addition, the Brownian Effect drives the bubbles to the bottom of tanks or ponds creating a top-to-the-bottom aerobic condition.
Case Studies
Read about how ClearBlu has assisted the following businesses with our pond treatment solutions.
Bergfeld Vineyard/Hall Wines | Castoro Cellars | Conn Creek Winery | Jordan Winery | Scheid Vineyards | Garrison Brewing