Hypolimnetic oxygenation: predicting performance using a discrete-bubble model

Abstract

Stratification of water-supply reservoirs frequently results in substantial hypolimnetic oxygen depletion with a resulting negative impact on raw water quality. Hypolimnetic oxygenators are used to add oxygen to the hypolimnion without significantly disrupting the thermal density structure. The three most common devices are the airlift aerator, the Speece Cone, and the bubble-plume diffuser. A discrete-bubble model based on fundamental principles has previously been shown to hold considerable promise for predicting the performance of airlift aerators and the Speece Cone. In this paper, we have further verified this model by comparing its predictions to a series of pilot-scale experimental measurements and have also demonstrated its ability, under somewhat idealized conditions, to predict the full-scale performance of a bubble-plume diffuser in a stratified reservoir. The potential for the diffused-bubble aeration system to increase oxygen demand, and the rate at which nitrogen builds up during operation and de-gasses following destratification, are also considered.