Canadianpond’s Guide to Choosing an Air Diffuser System
Choosing the correct air diffuser is critical when designing your aeration project. The microbubbles created by the linear Bubble Tubing® or the OctoAir-10 give the best oxygen transfer rate possible and in many cases these diffusers are the first solution to consider.
We offer numerous other high performance diffuser options for mixing, oxidation, control of H2S, ammonia and organic matter, also for deicing submerged structures and for bubble curtains.
Diffuser options are numerous so we look at the project closely to match the type of diffusers with the aeration requirements. Here is a guide to help you decide which diffuser system is best adapted to your project.
Factors that Influence the Type of Air Diffuser to Use in an Aeration System
Although all kinds of diffusers have been created for oxygen injection, the design, materials, capacities of air and pressure are quite variable and can meet your project requirements, budget and other constraints.
1. The Bathymetry of a Lake, Basin or Reservoir
The variation of depth, the shape and surface area of a lake or reservoir will influence the type of diffuser chosen. For example, when the depth of water is less than 6 feet, we choose Bubble Tubing® linear aeration for better dispersal of bubbles in the water column, particularly when the bubbles have little time to transfer oxygen before reaching the water surface. If for example we have a lake with depth of 16 feet or more, with a surface area of over 10 acres it is possible to concentrate the bubbles in one location with an OctoAir-10 capable of providing a large volume of air that ascends and circulates in a concentrated region. When it comes to a small or medium residential or commercial water body, our choice is often a plug and play system such as CanadianAir System with Bubble Tubing®, or a Robust-Aire system with a round diffuser.
2. Biological Oxygen Demand
When you have a target reduction of BOD, choose the type of air diffuser for which calculations and efficiency report rates are available, in order to validate the number of diffusers or length of diffuser required to achieve your goals. Customers contacting us for accurate oxygen demand will be mainly in the field of domestic water treatment, water leachate in landfills, wastewater and composting plant and slaughterhouse wastewater . Our Bubble Tubing® and OctoAir have been performance tested and we can assist with project calculations as required.
3. Mixing
When the primary goal is mixing rather than aeration of a liquid, the Ecorator diffuser is ideal. This is often the case for mixing oil and water, for keeping organic particles in suspension, or for mixing chemical products.
In cases where aeration is the primary goal but mixing is also necessary, we can also propose the Bubble Tubing® or the OctoAir-10 that allows us to line the bottom of the aerated basin with tubing to create the mixing effect while having the possibility to make oxygen transfer calculations.
4. Deicing
Deicing is sometimes required to follow the length of a structure such as a dock or a boat, or an opening lane for a ferry, or to keep a canal ice free for the movement of a barge or boat crossing. For these kinds of applications the linear Bubble Tubing® in our Thawline Bubbler Deicing Systems allows deicing a line of varying width, depending on the depth, water temperature and ambient air temperature. A major opening in ice of up to 15 m (50 feet) is best made with an OctoAir-10.
5. Bubble Curtains
The ideal diffuser for creating an opaque bubble curtain is the Bubble Tubing® of large diameter. Depending on the application (shock attenuation, jellyfish barrier, anti-debris barrier) we can determine what size of Bubble Tubing® is required, according to air flow and length of the bubble curtain.
6. Existing Aeration Systems
We are regularly contacted by clients searching for replacement aeration diffusers from waste water treatment plants for example. Sometimes it is convenient or necessary to replace the air diffuser by the same technology. We offer membrane discs and base round diffusers of various sizes.
In summary, one of our strengths is to keep a wide range of diffusers in inventory along with the other components of aeration systems to provide a timely service, meeting the diverse needs of our clients. Contact us for advice!